An outsourcing relationship impacts your company’s bottom line and reputation. That is why the choice of outsourcing partner is not only a very important decision to make but also crucial moment for your company as it will affect the long-term success of your business. If you choose the wrong company, then the results could be catastrophic.
Even in case if you’re already familiar with your potential outsourcing partner’s reputation, consider doing some additional research. Read some testimonials of customers (similar companies to yours) in order to get adequate and real evaluation of the professionalism and potential of the outsourcing destination.
Once you’ve verified the testimonials, it is crucial to understand whether the outsourcer has the project experience and technical knowledge to meet your requirements. It is important to find out what methodology they use to resolve issues and track results.
Legal laws and protections greatly vary from country to country. Research whether changes in the political field such as new president or government would result in business disruption. Find the information on how the current authorities are perceived on global and national level, do their policy supports the outsourcing industry, etc. Especially, when considering outsourcing overseas.
Get as much information as possible about who will be leading your project. Check if they have enough experience and exposure to fulfil your requirements and handle the day-to-day operations so that there are no delays in the completion of your tasks.
Rare face-to-face communication, differences in culture and values and language barriers are factors that might affect the success of your business. Thus, ensure that you are on the same page with your outsourcing partner in terms of expectations of the business relationship. The outsourcer must be competent enough to understand your requirements in clear and simple terms and promptly reply to your queries.
It is crucial for outsourcers to be flexible enough to understand your concerns and offer best possible solutions. So check if the company you have choose is flexible or rigid in their approach.
The low cost of outsourcing is usually the main motivation factor to look for an outsourcing partner. Therefore, it is important to get the best possible price. Compare the pricing structure of your outsourcer with prices offered by other companies. However, pricing should not be the only deciding factor.
An outsourcing contract is the integral document in an outsourcing partnership. Ensure that everything is clearly documented so that there is no ambiguity about the level of quality with no room for confusion.
The frustration in terms of work synchronization and the possibility of delays in communication could be a huge minus for a prospective outsourcing destination. So big time zone difference is not a good idea.