As promised in my last article, a confession: the outsourcing provider has one less-than-ideal experience with outsourcing a non-core function themselves.
We must all fight our battles
You’d expect after so many years of outsourcing entire teams to others, we’d have no problems finding the right vendor, should we decide to outsource something ourselves. You’d expect we’d have no difficulties working with them smoothly. But the road that leads into disaster is just as tempting for us all. When looking into passing-on some non-core responsibilities, we too woke up standing before the same monsters. Without even realizing, you fall victim to being too busy to sufficiently research what you’re outsourcing to formulate measurable milestones. Some months into our collaboration, we had nothing to show for, and no way of pointing to any solutions, or at the very least some quantitative way of pointing to exactly what needs improvement. These are battles no company can escape when considering outsourcing. They are temptations we must all learn to resist, as these enemies will show no more mercy to us, than they have to all of those you hear mentioned in outsourcing horror stories.
As far as our involvement dictates, to write a success story when outsourcing, plainly put, one must try and keep away from oversimplifying things. The ultimate goal is, of course, to establish an efficient, smooth business-relationship that would help make things “easier, better and faster”. But that will only happen when (and if) you take the time to research matters thoroughly before making The Decision. Learn about the approved methodologies (like Agile, for example) and determine which best applies to your circumstances. Research certified managing models for your type of project, and know just what to expect of your offshore team and how to track results with clear performance indicators. Understand that the bigger the cultural differences, the more likely it is delays and complications will occur. And most of all, invest as much time as it takes in finding the perfect vendor. Don’t go for the first vaguely-referenced option, be they the most affordable or the most expensive on the market. Compare alternatives, have a live chat over the phone with your list of top five “best looking” companies out there – and only commit when you’re sure it’s the best opportunity for you.
What your outsourcing horror stories? Share your word-of-mouth or first-hand experience with us, so we could all help our readers steer clear of the same mistakes – and stay in touch with us for more outsourcing dilemmas and debates.