As an SME, you and your in-house staff already have a lot on your plate – and have decided that you could do without the day-to-day back office tasks. By outsourcing certain processes, you get to channel your energy and resources into generating more income, while saving more due to lower operational and labor cost. The next logical thing to do is to choose the outsourcing partner that’s perfect for you and your company's needs.
The word “perfect” can be relative, as this can vary depending on the context or situation. In the context of outsourcing creative processes, the perfect outsourcing partner can be defined by these qualities:
1. Experience
The tendency is to choose the outsourcing partner that has the cheapest offer but consider how it has handled past projects and clients. Look closely at your prospect's portfolios and testimonials on their website to determine its knowledge and expertise in your market and industry.
2. Staff Expertise
It is fitting that your outsourcing partner should have the right talents to execute your requirements. For example, when migrating your website to HubSpot COS, the web developers involved should be HubSpot Design-certified who have also done similar projects in the past. Not only is this a foolproof way of improving overall efficiency but it also means getting the job done right at the onset.
3. Flexibility
Hire an outsourcing partner who can work with your business structure, schedule & processes. The goal, after all, is to complement your business by making it easier for you. Examine the different outsourcing models, communication options and even time zone, and consider how they all work together to fit your requirements.
4. Speaks Your Language
Communication is the key to successful projects and transactions. Choose an outsourcing partner that understands your business and find easy to talk to. You might also want to consider the languages your prospect is versed in especially when outsourcing content writers. They should be able to make the copy very interesting and easy to read.
5. Commitment to Deliver Quality
Delivering quality output in any form should be the goal of all product and service-oriented companies. Get an outsourcing partner with a clear Service Level Agreement (SLA) that outlines the scope of the work and the process flow which includes a provision on Quality Assurance.
Keep the 5 qualities you should look for in an outsourcing partner in mind. If these qualifications are not being met, it would defeat the purpose of you outsourcing your processes.
StraightArrow Corporation is a creative process outsourcing company in the Philippines that can serve as your Extension Office. Request for a copy of StraightArrow's Rate Card.