Outsourcing, Off shore, On shore, Near shore, Performance improvement, Cost reduction

 

 

Outsourcing - when is it right?

And how far should you go? 

 

For many reasons some companies seek to outsource their service or contact centre operations.  This may make perfect sense if you lack the economies of scale, the desire to invest in technology or if they fall outside of your area of expertise. 

 

However, it should never be forgotten that the customer belongs to you and that outsourcing should be a route to more cost-effective quality rather than simply a way of saving money or offloading a problem.  Therefore, a key question to ask is how it will be seen by your customers.

 

When choosing an outsource provider, many companies simply base the decision on cost and geographical location.  In many cases, little planning or consideration is given to agent mix, culture, customer experience, logistics or feedback/learning.  The relationship between the company and the chosen outsourcer is set to fail from the outset in these circumstances.  We work with companies to help them define a clear outsourcing strategy for customer contact operations and to help set the parameters for their suppliers.  Once established, the outsourcer should not just be ‘managing to contract’ but should be actively involved in performance analysis and continuous improvement.

 

Whether the provider is located ‘on shore’ in the UK, ‘off shore’ in places like India, the Philippines, China or Central America or ‘near shore’ in Eastern Europe, Touchpoint Management can help you explore the market and manage the tender process.  Our consultant can be tasked with ensuring that the process is managed effectively and that the project runs to time and budget.  This might also help you to avoid the tendency to rush outsourcing that has previously seen hundreds of operations relocated to India, only to return three or four years later.

 

We assist in site audits and conduct operational benchmarking against industry best practice.  From these we produce a recommendation, based upon documented evidence and our assessment as to whether the organisation is ready for outsourcing.  At the negotiation stage we can act as the intermediary to ensure that both parties fully understand their roles and responsibilities in the partnership, thus laying the foundations for a successful relationship. We also clarify expectations to ensure that there is no confusion or promises of over delivery.  Once you have made your choice of provider, Touchpoint can also assist in the implementation phase.

 

If you are currently using an outsource provider, our experience has shown us that many clients have no defined structure to manage ongoing improvements or evaluate their return on investment.  Have you ever wondered how effective your call centre is or whether you are receiving value for money from your outsource provider?  Our 3 day Benchmarking Analysis will not only tell you where things are running smoothly, but more importantly where they could be improved.

 

We assess the people, processes, technology and strategic goals.  If you are thinking of going to the market to find a call centre provider or would like a review of your existing operations or supplier, why not contact us for an independent opinion?

 

Read more about our outsourcing services on the brochure page.

 

 

 

Outsourcers 

If you provide outsourcing services for other businesses, we have have unique insights into what your potential clients might be looking for.  We can also undertake market research to determine how clients would perceive new services or approaches.  This can help you position your services more effectively and ensure that clients can more easily see how you will work with them to achieve their objectives.

© Touchpoint Change Consulting Ltd, 2009.