Outsourcing has great benefits for organizations. It helps you get work done by talented professionals at an economical price. As an outsourcer, you get to act as a client with perks and privileges which you would probably not able to get if you were getting work done in-house.
While outsourcing is all about advantages to the outsourcer, choosing the right outsourcing vendor is of paramount importance. If you have not chosen the right partner, then forget about the advantages and be prepared to clean the mess that they might end up creating. Here, we bring you a list of checks that you should perform before choosing your outsourcing partner.
The Checks
Verify the Physical Location: A genuine outsourcing company will always have a definite address listed on its website and it will be open to client visits. If you are unable to physically visit the premise, get someone else to visit the office of the outsourcing partner or arrange a meeting. This lends a bit of credibility and also ensures that you are dealing with real people.
Ask for Testimonials: It might not always be possible to visit the outsourcing partner, therefore, ask them for testimonials from clients in your area. You can visit them or contact them via mail or phone to get a feedback on the services rendered by the outsourcing company. This will act as a stamp on their authenticity.
Review Samples: It is a good way to ask the vendor to present samples of work done or portfolios for review. For example, if you are outsourcing app development work, then ask the vendor to share names of apps that they have created and you can access them through the online store to review the dexterity.
Check Certifications: Almost all organizations that cater to international client adhere to certain guidelines and are usually certified by the international organization for Standardization (ISO). You can check for these certificates and approvals before proceeding to be sure that you are dealing with a legal entity.
Communicate Clearly: This is a good way to gauge an outsourcing vendor’s client management skills. You should express your requirements clearly and let them revert with a proposal. Try posing questions about fictional scenarios to see how well and promptly are your concerns resolved.
Assess Work Handling Capability: Some outsourcing companies are good at their work but they are probably not fit to handle a large-scale requirement. Therefore, check the company’s financial net worth to see how big it is and then set work submission milestones which will guide the future dealings.
Once you have performed these checks, you can be sure that you are dealing with a genuine outsourcing partner.
The Best Practices
Let’s look at some best practices to continue a good relationship with your outsourcing partner.
Weekly Connects: It is good practice to interact with the partner at least once in a week to check on the progress and identify any threat that might affect the project timeline. This can be a conference call, video call, etc.
Status Reports: Being informed about the status of deliverables is a good thing. You can ask the vendor partner to share a report every month or week to be sure that progress is being made and you can prioritize
Informal Connect: Besides having a formal connect, you should also work on building rapport with your point of contact by wishing him or her on festivals, birthdays, etc. This ensures that you get special care taken of.
Follow these checks and best practices to make your outsourcing partnership a success. Share your stories and suggestions in the comments section below.
This article was written by Joseph Macwan. He is a technical writer with a keen interest in business, technology and marketing topics. He is also associated with Aegis softwares which offer Microsoft dynamics consulting services.