Obviously, that COVID-19 has accelerated the development of the outsourcing industry, as, during the economic crisis, companies seek to reduce costs, increase flexibility, and their competitive advantages. Experts note that the main reasons for finding an outsourcer partner are not only cost savings, but also a lack of IT talent within the company. It takes weeks or even months to find suitable employees. Outsourcing provides an opportunity to gain access to expertise and a large set of skills, to create a flexible team of professionals, designers and developers, with various work experience.
As a result of research, it was noted that 35% of small and medium-sized companies choose outsourcing to access innovations and technologies, receiving additional benefits in the form of cost savings, scaling, and the ability to focus on core business processes.
As the demand for outsourcing grows, so does the number of suppliers, and many customers are trying to understand a large number of market players in order to choose the right partner for their business.
We have prepared some recommendations on what key points should be taken into account when choosing an outsourcing partner in order not to lose finances and time.
1. Specification
First of all, it is necessary to clearly analyze and determine the scope of work, specific tasks, and business goals. This may be the type of software that the company plans to create to perform certain functions and tasks, the required experience or access to new technologies and innovations, which team of specialists is needed, and in what time frame the project needs to be completed. All this needs to be written in a working document and discussed with potential partners.
2. Expertise is an important indicator
The expertise of potential partners should be assessed on the basis of the following factors: technical experience and skills, access to innovation, experience in solving complex tasks and automation. Communication and strategy development skills are of no small importance. This minimizes operational failures and unforeseen problems.
3. Reputation
Before signing an agreement, it is very important to check the market reputation of your outsourcing partner. You can collect feedback from previous customers, for example, on the Clutch or GoodFirms platforms, or contact past customers and get recommendations from them. Another option is to use the Net Promoter Evaluation method (NPS), which is the main indicator of the quality of customer service around the world. They are compiled based on surveys that measure the willingness of customers to recommend products or services.
4. Budget
Before entering into an agreement with an outsourcing company, you need to clearly define the budget and how much money you are willing to invest in the development of this project. If you want to get quality services, you should also understand that such services are usually more expensive.
5. Data and intellectual property security
Data protection is one of the main problems in digital interaction today. When outsourcing a project, you share confidential information with a partner, and such information must be handled properly. Therefore, before sharing confidential data, we recommend signing a non-disclosure agreement. In addition, consider hiring an outsourcing company that uses special tools to protect your data and prevent leaks. The company must regularly conduct network and security audits.
6. Flexibility
Choose a flexible outsourcing partner. The ability to adapt to the constantly changing requirements of customers is one of the competitive advantages of the supplier company. Flexibility is required not only in emergency situations but also when you may need to make significant changes to your project.
Flexible methodologies are also necessary in cases where it is necessary to release the first version of a product or an innovative product with previously unpredictable properties or new technologies for its development to the market as soon as possible.
In this case, the flexibility of the supplier can significantly save you money and time.
When outsourcing part of your business processes, you should strive to create a strategic partnership. This approach will provide value beyond simple cost savings, as well as provide access to new technologies, expertise, and support that will help achieve your business goals.
We hope that these recommendations will help you choose the right partner and build a team for the successful implementation of your project.
You can always contact Openix Solutions to get expert advice or to develop a project.
