Studies on Communication Problems and Best Practices in Outsourcing

Author: Tommie Pope

Effective communication plays a major role in the world of outsourcing where folk with different nationalities, culture, and interests work in partnership to achieve their business goals. Even though it is now simple and convenient to talk to folk overseas, thanks to sophisticated technology, issues are still being encountered because communication best practices are usually neglected. This eventually obstructs BPO players to create and maintain long term outsourcing relationships.

In the first of four-part Best Practices Series 2009 released by Outsourcing Center titled'Four Communication Best Practices frequently neglected in Outsourcing Relationships', fifty six buyers who took part in the study noted that communication issues arise from :
2. Agreeing ( or not ) on the significance of'noise' or customer's's feedback/complaints
Service supplier's failure to hear the buyer

The secret to having a successful outsourcing relationship is to reach a shared understanding of one another's goals. To reach this, service suppliers and buyers must adhere to the four communication best practices that are frequently overlooked in outsourcing :

1. Service suppliers must take the'noise' into account. They pay so much attention on meeting the requirements that they fail to look into what customers consider the deliverables, so it is the buyer who ends up dealing with customers' beefs. Suppliers have to understand that'noise' is important in building an outsourcing relationship.

two. Create a communication plan for the period after the transition phase. The relationship generally runs smoothly at the start of the project when both parties understand one another's goals.
Outsourcing contract should be'crystal clear'. To avoid conflicts, there has to be no room for vagueness or enigma when it comes to the outsourcing contract.

Mutual trust must be established. Buyer and service supplier need to demonstrate that they truly listen and understand one another. For service suppliers, concentrate on the purchaser's issues and make efforts to resolve them. The same goes to buyers. Communication entails 2 or more parties, and having mutual trust is important to conquer the problem.

this study is a clear indication that communication is more than just talking to the service buyer or supplier. It is about understanding each other's issues and concerns and coming up with solutions which will work for both parties. Culture and interests may vary, but shared understanding of objectives must be established in order to develop an outsourcing relationship that's both enduring and profitable to service buyer and provider. The main thing is for buyers and service suppliers to keep the best practices in communication in mind to avoid issues.

About the Author:

Microsourcing is one of the leading Outsourcing Companies in the Philippines.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Studies on Communication Problems and Best Practices in Outsourcing

How to early determine if your service provider is in trouble

Author: Kelly Boyer

Twenty five percent of existing BPO service providers will stop to operate in 2012. This is reliant on a recently published Gartner research which is part of the Special Report entitled'Assess and Manage seller risks to guard Your Business'. This is attributed to the current depression, lapses in outsourcing contracts, and not being able to acclimatize to standardised delivery models.

With these elements in mind , Gartner observed that BPO buyers must take caution before venturing into any new outsourcing contract, and should be privy to the six alert signs meaning that a service provider is not stable enough to maintain a long-term outsourcing relationship :

one. Unprofitable outsourcing deals - According to the study,'Some BPO suppliers are carrying unprofitable contract portfolios, largely springing from too-much, too-soon pursuit of deals, without a lot of thought as to the way to transition them to a standardized, rationalized, worthwhile state of ongoing operations.'

2. Incapacity to get new projects - it's a good sign if the service provider has the power to continually take on various necessities of different clients.
3. 4. Incapability to bid on new BPO deals because of lack of enough funds - Some service providers cannot take on new BPO contracts because of shortage of enough capital. Likewise, the so-called'lift and shift' methodology in which a business process is moved offshore to reduce costs because of lower wages will at last create issues for service suppliers that depend on it because they continue to need capital for the resources needed to do that outsourced task.

Exposure to banking / financial industry - With the present finance crisis, those service providers with cash coming from the finance or banking sector will be in a tight spot. If the outsourcing partner has more than 85 % of money from the banking sector, the buyer should know if this will have an impact on their business operations. Increasing levels of contract cancellation and insourcing - Gartner says that before signing an outsourcing contract, buyers must come up with a plan on what to do when contract ends.


During these troublesome times when outsourcing has become an avenue for corporations primarily to chop costs, it is crucial to pay very close attention to your outsourcing partner. Know the warning signs and be constantly conscious of what has happened in the BPO industry. Have a clear picture of what you need to achieve before signing any outsourcing contract.

About the Author:

Microsourcing is one of the leading Outsourcing Companies in the Philippines.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How to early determine if your service provider is in trouble

Outsource Your Office

Author: VH International Business Solutions

Why spend thousands of dollars on all the expenses involved with a staffed brick and mortar office when you can outsource it?

In just about a business day you can open and outsource your physical office by establishing a New York Virtual Office business account with VH International Business Solutions… right on-line!

Yes it’s that simple!

Wondering what a virtual office entails? Wondering what you should you consider?

There are several items to consider as each business is unique in it's needs. For this reason, we at VH International Business Solutions provide pricing for all of our services on an a-la-carte basis. You pick and choose only the services you need – we don't “prepackage” and stick you with services you'll never need or use.

Address:

Let's start with the address. This is the main component of your New York Virtual Office.

You will be issued a physical office address with on-site reception and meeting facilities directly on Broadway in Midtown Manhattan's trendy Flatiron District. Office address rental rates are from only $25 per month. You can use the address as you would any physical office address. We issue you an actual office suite address - not a fabricated suite number, which is usually just a smoke screen for a mailbox. You can walk right into the office address you are issued and meet with your clients, you can't do that with a mailbox.

Our offices are located on in a high rise office building designed by a renowned architect. The building is a combination of stone, brick, terracotta, iron and copper in the Beaux Arts style with extensive detailing inside and out.

Our office building holds Landmark status from the City of New York - What constitutes a Landmark? A landmark is a building, property, or object that has been designated by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission because it has a special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the City, State, or Nation.

Location, Location, Location:

We are across the street from Madison Square Park with its notable surrounding architecture as well as brilliant sunlight from the broad expanse of the area which is also home to such architectural highlights as the World renowned Flatiron Building, the Metropolitan Life and New York Life buildings and the exquisite New York State Appellate Courthouse - as well as multiple foodie hot spots by renowned top chefs.

We also offer easy access to transportation to all parts of the city and the tri-state area. We are within 2 blocks from the R and W subway lines. A block further are the F and V lines, as well as the Path Train. A short walk will bring you right to Penn Station with access to the Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak.

Mail Handling:

You are welcome to receive mail at the office. Since it is a physical address, there are no limitations on the type of correspondence you can receive. Reception can sign for any UPS, Fedex, DHL, TNT, Certified Mail, Registered Mail, Service of Process, etc. You can select to have your mail forwarded anywhere in the world - anywhere! You can also arrange to pickup mail and have your mail wait for you at reception.

If you need your mail to be sent out of NYC with an NYC postmarked, we can assist. This is what is commonly referred to as re-mailing.

Phone Service:

Need a phone number? No problem, we offer local 212 phone numbers ready for your use and to advertise as your own on business cards, stationery, etc. Now, the question to ask yourself is: How should my number be answered?

• Do I need a human to answer the phone in my company name? If so, we can arrange to have a live operator answer the call in your company name. The caller can then leave the message with the operator or be transferred to voice mail to leave a message. Our operators are available to answer your calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This service is called Live Answering.
• Do I want to answer my own calls? If so, we can redirect a 212 Manhattan phone number to ring directly on your cell phone, office phone, home phone, or whichever phone number you choose. You, or your staff, can answer the calls directly. This service is called Call Forwarding and available to you if needed
• Can a machine answer my calls? This is the most cost efficient option. If standard voice mail is what you need, we have multiple options for you. All of our voice mail numbers include a generous 2-minute outgoing greeting and allows callers to leave up to a 3-minute message. You can record your own greeting, or send us a sound file with your professionally recorded greeting. All of our voice mail services are flat rate, so you never need to worry about how many calls you receive. Retrieving your messages is easy! We have multitude of options for message retrieval and notification, a few examples: Your messages can be sent to you via email so you can listen and save your voice messages. You can receive a phone call each time you receive a message. We can send you a text message notifying you of a new message.

Fax Service:

We offer 2 types of fax services. You're issued a local 212 direct dial Manhattan fax number. There's one important question to ask yourself: Do I receive many and / or urgent faxes? If so, we recommend dedicated fax service. It's a flat rate service, so you never need to worry about being charges for extra faxes or pages.

If you rarely receive faxes, and they are of a non-urgent matter, you can use our shared fax service. There is no monthly charge for this service when you order a New York Virtual Office address rental. All incoming faxes are free of charge. Only fax forwarding charges apply. You may also choose to have your incoming faxes forwarded via post mail along with your standard mail and at the agreed to intervals at no extra charge.

Visitors to your NYC office:

Wondering what would happen if an unscheduled client/guest shows up at your NYC virtual office; Simple - they are greeting by reception as a guest would be greeting in any standard office. They'll be notified that prior appointments are required to meet with you and offer to take a message from them and then forward that message to you. The message will either be emailed to you or we can scan and email any documentation the visitor leaves for you.

Meeting Facilities:

We offer professional meeting space, in a sunny, clean and well appointed facility. You receive approximately 200 square feet of room - all to yourself - equipped with a computer workstation; wifi internet connection; conference table with leather seating for 5; a whiteboard; easel; stereo speakers and an 84" x 84" projection screen. You will be appointed a staff member to assist and coordinate your meeting. Additional available services include administrative support, easel pads, digital projector, office supplies, printing, copying, water service, catering, car services, etc.

About the Author:

VH International Business Solutions, Inc. Since 1990. Offering unbeatable service to individuals, small and mid sized local companies; as well as larger domestic and international firms seeking to establish a presence in the U.S., and particularly in the New York market. As the pioneer of offering Virtual Office services online in New York City, we are the leader and have the most expertise of working with local and global businesses when entering the New York marketplace. While others emphasize services, we emphasize service. Manhattan Virtual Office How can VH International Business Solutions help you?
Tel: 1.212.627.8900 Fax: 1.646.861.6610 Since 1990.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Outsource Your Office

Convincing clients for outsourcing their business offshore

Author: Biplab Saha

Convince them about your capabilities:

The question that a client asks before choosing an outsourcing vendor is that do they have the expertise & understanding of my nature of business?

You need to spend most of your time listening to the client to understand their business objectives, concerns and priorities. Try to learn as much as possible about their business functions - operations, resource management, areas of work, who their end customers are, etc. Then identify their need to outsource. Understand what are they currently investing on - R&D, technology maintenance, customer support – and their pain points like project over-runs, maintenance, legal issues, HR costs etc. Then come out with a solution that shows how you can address the pain areas, save costs and minimize risks.

Clients aren't interested in saving a little cash if they feel that they are exposing themselves to significant additional risk or hassle. You need to show them that while they will be able to enjoy the advantages, they can also trust you to minimize/eliminate the downside.

Strive to be the partner with whom the client can achieve a long-term partnership and minimize financial risk exposure. Comparing hard cost between ‘outsourcing’ v/s ‘staying in-house’ is inevitable, so build some soft-ROI during the process, including mitigation of risks, business continuity, opportunity cost, and so forth.

Counter their apprehensions (perceived or real) against offshoring:

Anyone who has looked at outsourcing (particularly offshoring) would have had a bad experience of some kind. Most of us have had a frustrating experience at some point dealing with outsourced customer care when calling our bank, telco or utility company.

Usual drawbacks that are associated with offshoring are

• Fear of loss of control over processes and performance
• Language/communication difficulties
• Deadline difficulties
• Productivity issues
• Quality issues
• Customer relationship issues
• Increased risk
• IP issues

There is no point in pretending these perceived drawbacks aren't out there – you have to convince customers that you can overcome these by providing evidence of how your organization handles these issues - use examples from previous engagements, or client testimonials to demonstrate successful transition & execution of offshore work by your company.

Closing the deal:

To clinch an offshoring deal, you will need to break up your proposal to a potential client in three parts:

Value Proposition - Why outsourcing to your company can deliver benefits over in-house alternatives.

Peer & Industry Comparison - What their peers and competitors in the same industry and some famous ones in the other industry are achieving through outsourcing. Explain how outsourcing has practically been increasing over the years - That companies are only too happy with the overall results … with more & more companies signing bigger & bigger contracts now.

Missed Opportunity - What will they miss out on if they do not outsource now. Explain how outsourcing will make their organization re-look at the ways it does business and at a strategic level, will help accelerate the growth of their company regardless of the specific objectives around cost savings and quality improvement.

About the Author:

Biplab Saha is an offshore outsourcing consultant and assists US based companies in the financial services & publishing business to identify, evaluate and sign up with suitable service providers in India. He is also a Partner at Business Atom, a business solutions firm that advises BPO service providers in India on developing marketing strategies and sales plans to tap the growing offshoring market. Biplab led the pioneering efforts in offshoring the US mortgage origination business to India and ran a successful BPO company in that space that serviced some big names in the mortgage refinance business like Wells Fargo and Allied Home Mortgage. He was till recently associated with the offshore publishing services business as the Senior Vice President of CyberMedia’s services division.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Convincing clients for outsourcing their business offshore