Research & Insight

Research & Insight

managing for success

Offshore outsourcing to maximize Cost Efficiency

Ben Trowbridge

Outsourcing outsourcing has become a popular business strategy in recent years, with companies looking to cut costs and increase efficiency by delegating certain tasks to external service providers. One type of outsourcing that has gained significant traction is offshore outsourcing, where companies outsource their business processes to service providers located in different countries. This article …

Comparing Upwork versus TopTal and Fiverr

J Ben Trowbridge

In today’s digital age, freelancing platforms have become an essential part of the professional world. Upwork, TopTal, and Fiverr are three popular platforms that connect employers with freelancers from around the globe. Upwork is a large and diverse platform that offers a wide range of freelancers and services. TopTal, on the other hand, focuses on …

When Should You Begin to Prepare for the End of an Outsourcing Contract?

Robert Joslin, Managing Director, Alsbridge

Hint: 12 Months Out is TOO Late When should you start working on your next outsourcing contract? Many organizations do not address the end of a contract until the last year of its term. The notification period in the contract, typically 6-to-12 months, usually triggers this discussion. However I believe this is a mistake. Developing …

Award-Winning Outsourcing Relationships — Three Key Ingredients in their "Secret Sauce"

Linda Tuck Chapman, President, ONTALA Performance Solutions Ltd.

Behind each award-winning global outsourcing relationship is a fascinating story of extraordinary people, excellence in service delivery, lots of sweat equity, some painful bumps in the road, a mutual willingness to constructively solve problems, and trust earned. Contracts were awarded as a result of a competitive bid, so they started with a blank recipe card. …

BPO Study’s Surprising Findings on Value and Long-Term Intent in Outsourcing Relationships

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

Buyers of outsourced services want their service providers to invest in technologies that bring continual improvement to the outsourced processes. Providers want to invest only where it is also beneficial to their margins in the long run. Therein lies a conflict. Are there reliable predictors of a buyer’s intent for a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship …

Level of Trust Impacts Effectiveness of Outsourcing Communication

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

Ask 10 buyers of outsourcing services for their keys to success in communicating with their service providers, and you’ll hear 10 different answers because, of course, the effectiveness of outsourcing communication depends on the individuals involved. Some will also say it depends on whether they’re communicating about day-to-day operations, conflicts or opportunities. Others will comment …

Seven Action Areas to Strengthen an Outsourcing Relationship

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

An outsourcing provider’s quality of services and the achievement of the agreed-upon mutually beneficial objectives are essential to success. But there are additional actions that service providers and buyers can take to boost the return on investment and increase the life expectancy of their relationships, that is, strengthen outsourcing relationships. To identify these relationship-strengthening actions, …

Advice for Outsourcing Buyers in Setting Expectations Around Future Service

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

“What was horrible about our outsourcing relationship in the beginning is that our expectations were unclear. That’s a horrible formula for success.” The person stating this assessment described a troubled – but remediated and turned-around – relationship that Outsourcing Center studied in its annual Outsourcing Excellence and Sourcing Awards program. It led to this post …

Four Tips for Effective Management of the Outsourcing Transition

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

The possible perils that can impact the success of an outsourcing relationship‘s transition phase are well known. These days, most buyers are as aware as service providers of the need for a robust governance framework that facilitates the parties’ identification of challenges and working collaboratively to address them quickly. Most have also read tales of …

When is an SLA Not Necessary in an Outsourcing Relationship?

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

A service level agreement (SLA) plays two important roles in an outsourcing arrangement. It sets the stage for the service provider’s accountability, and it is the major factor in determining the price of the service. The buyer of outsourced services can achieve a comfort level that it’s getting what it pays for if it regularly …

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