Finding the Right Outsourcing Partner

Over the years I have spoken to quite a large number of companies and individuals about finding the right outsourcing partner and each one has a story to tell. You will hear the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The purpose of this article is to provide you with some key pointers so when you decide to launch your search for an Outsourcing partner you are not Stung by the Bee.

Stung by the Bee – You Churned

You will hear a lot of stories from different people that they tried to Outsource and they had to close the project because:

1. The Quality was Poor
2. The Service Provider did not meet the SLA
3. The Quality of Team members was inferior as opposed to what was promised.
4. The infrastructure (Internet Connection) was not Stable and therefor there were continuous work interruptions
5. Agreed to meet the deadlines but never delivered.

Well, once you are stung by the Bee its to late to apply a remedy because the time and effort you have spent did not deliver the Savings you were looking for. In reality, it has cost you more in terms of time and effort you spent to launch the project. This is not the Customer Outsourcing Journey you were looking for or the kind of Outsourcing partner you had in mind?

How to Find the Right Partner?

Finding the right partner who can deliver on the Customer promise while helping you achieve your business objectives is the Key to Successful Outsourcing.

Step 1: Tap into Your immediate Network

1. Ask your immediate Network if they are Outsourcing?
2. Do your Independent Research.
3. Go to Slack Channels or LinkedIn groups
4. Go to Entrepreneurial Meetups and talk to people
5. Canada is a country Full of immigrants so talk to someone from that country. Someone always knows someone in developing countries.

Once you have done your initial search of finding Outsourcing companies in Philippines or in Canada here is a list of questions to start with.

Step 2: Questions to Ask

Company Background Questions

1. What is your relationship with the Service Provider in the Off-Shore country?
2. Do you have direct Ownership?
3. Do you have direct Control of the resources that are put on the project?
4. Which companies you are working with?
5. Can you provide references?

Project Resource Questions

1. How much control do they have on the resources that are deployed to the project?
2. What happens if a specific resource is not meeting the standards?
3. What kind of Quality Control or Supervision you have in place?
4. How are escalations managed?

Technical Infrastructure and Security

1. What kind of Technical Infrastructure they have in place? Firewalls/Router/Switches/Dual Authentication
2. Type of Physical Security to the Building
3. Types of Computer Hardware Used?
4. Is the software they use legally licensed/no pirated copies?
5. What is their Business Continuity Plan?

Workplace Questions

You can also read the article I have written called Ethical Outsourcing but here are some of the main questions you should Ask:

1. How are the Working Conditions where you operate?
2. What does your office look like?
3. Can you show us your office remotely?
4. How much Control you have on the Working Environment?

The above questions are just the basics to point you into the right direction. Most of the companies follow the same old path of India and Philippines but there is something called Road Less Travelled which can provide you amazing results.

With COVID-19 we all are now working remotely so when searching for an outsourcing company in Philippines this blog has some additional criteria such as local electrical grid and internet infrastructure at residential level http://perfectque.com/blog/outsourcing-to-philippines/.

Look into the peripheral – Central and Eastern Europe

There are more than few advantages for looking into this part of the world:

1. Time Difference is Only 6 Hours. Once a year time difference reduces to five hours for a week. 😊
2. You can take a flight from Toronto at night or in the evening and be in Europe in the morning
3. Amazing Pool of talent with University Degrees
4. Geo-Political Stability and Infrastructure Stability
5. Cultural Differences are minimal
6. Spoken, Written and Comprehension Skills are excellent for the majority and everyone speaks more than one language
7. Cost Competitiveness when compared with India or Philippines

In less than 4 Years PerfectQue team in Central Europe has grown to more than 100 team members and it is playing its part to make a Difference.

• Paying our Employees above Market Salaries
• Having a Clean Working Environment where I feel Comfortable to work
• Having a Fully Air/Conditioned / Heated Work Environment
• Providing Yearly Bonuses to Employees
• Promoting from Within

We are a Husband and Wife team who are changing the way people think about Outsourcing by building Teams that are integrated into Your People, Process, and Products. So, for your next Outsourcing Project be a part of the Change and feel free to contact me (Asif) at 416-271-7110 or asifc@perfectque.com.