Outsourcing: what are the best practices for a successful collaboration?

Contrary to what one might believe, the aim of outsourcing is not to rid the client company of a service or a task. It is actually a partnership, a close collaboration in which the client can increasingly benefit from the appropriate procedures needed for the management of agents made available by his provider. Thus, this point is essential for a strong, sustained and transparent collaboration for both parties.

Important steps that must be followed for a successful partnership during an outsourcing

Communication methods

Identification of communication methods, preferences and procedures: as a client, you must clearly define your expectations when it comes to communication. This must be done even before signing your outsourcing contract. When you audit the various call centres, ask your interlocutors about the following:

Their preferred communication method (e-mail, telephone, conference, etc.). Take the opportunity elaborate on your own communication tools and to find a consensus with your partner if there are too many differences!
Frequency of meetings to plan and develop strategies;
The frequency of meetings for performance evaluation;
Schedule updates on the progress of your project;
Define deadlines (from the beginning, as you go, flexibility, etc.)

Rely on a provider inclined to communicate often because of two main reasons:

Better productivity for you and your team;
A sense of concrete involvement for each party.

Let us add to this that open communication must also have limits, for each party.

Establishing benchmarks and measures

It goes without saying that when you take the services of an outsourcing company, you expect results. Whether it’s long-term global goals or short-term benchmarks, you will have goals and expect results. It is therefore crucial to establish benchmarks and measures all throughout the partnership. Ask your potential suppliers about the following:

Their value proposition, i.e. what exactly are they addressing?
What elements will they analyse as part of your project?
What will be the reference data?
How will indicators of achievement be determined?
What are the external parameters to consider?
What response from you must be taken into account by the service provider?
What data do you need to provide to complete each reporting?
What reporting systems are used?
What will be the levels of access to your company’s data communication systems and to that dedicated to the outsourced service?

Reporting methods

How will your supplier send you the reports? Here again, the organisation is important, well before the signing of the contract. These are the following points that you need check:

Channels used to submit reports;
Frequency in presenting results;
The ability to customise reports for the client-base of the requesting company

These elements are essential because as a stakeholder you need to be able to fully trust your outsourcing partner. This depends on your goals, which can be compromised if you have to find some relevant information you need amidst too much data sent in bulk. Focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) and possible measures for improving your strategy.

Seamless collaboration from the inside out

As the client company, you need to ask yourself an essential question: How can you contribute to the evolution of your outsourcing provider’s agents?

At ProContact, we have all the equipment and technologies that you may need for the effective management of your human resources, your satisfaction survey service to assess the quality of your services, your remote secretary service, teleprospecting and telemarketing. In return, you can help us improve your project through contract details, brand materials, product descriptions, etc. Get a tailored service by being responsive through your comments or deliverables. Transparently share information, such as:

The types of secure information you’ll need ;
Details what are we allowed to disclose at vendors’ levels ;
The availability of secure methods for the transfer of sensitive information ;
Information that can be shared publicly, information that must remain confidential ;
Person appointed to issue various approvals
Systems or tools used to share projects and make comments (Google Docs, Dropbox, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft OneDrive, etc.)

Outsourcing is the best answer for companies that lack the time and resources to achieve their ultimate goal: satisfy their own customers! It is therefore important to take the necessary time to lay down the essential elements such as the communication methods.

Transform your outsourcing project into a strong and sustainable partnership!

Successful outsourcing is actually the result of a seamless and transparent collaboration between the internal team and the outsourced team. The lack of communication, goals and measures that are understandable and enforceable by all is a point that is vital to clarify before signing.

ProContact is more than a contact centre. Thanks to trained, qualified, handpicked and multilingual agents with a great sense of persuasion, we allow companies that choose us to transform their project. Do not invest too large sums into the recruitment of talents, we are here for you! Click on our contact form, send us an email or call us on (+33) 1 77 75 04 50.