The business world is constantly talking about IT outsourcing, but many questions remain about this form of collaboration. One of the best ways to answer these questions and to overcome the fears that may arise is to focus on the main benefits of outsourcing. Let us zoom in on outsourcing web development today!

To summarise, here are 10 good reasons to decide whether it is more efficient for your company to delegate certain tasks to an outside company or whether it is more advantageous to hire in-house developers.

Save money

By outsourcing your web development service to a third party provider, be sure that you will save up to 20% of the total cost of each requirement. Of course, this figure varies from one country to another. For instance, in Mauritius the costs are going to be more attractive than in the European Union.

In case you are leaning towards hiring local developers who will join your company, consider the costs associated with such an operation (social contributions, salaries, hardware and software investment and others), not to mention Employee Loyalty, which currently is around 2 years per company. Outsourcing is the guarantee that you will always have web developers trained and dedicated to your project on hand since their employer will at all times be able to provide you with the necessary human resources without interruption.

Finally focus on your business!

Outsourcing providers have a sacred mission: to bring your projects to life, including web development. These specialists usually take all the steps necessary to ensure their customers are satisfied. This will allow you to focus on your own company, more specifically your core business.

If carefully prepared, outsourcing your web development can turn into a trusted, sustainable and effective partnership.

Benefit from the expertise of offshore developers

In addition to the savings made possible by outsourcing, your company will also benefit from a quality service. Indeed, outsourcing specialists take care to continuously train their human resources with the support of the latest available hardware and software technologies.

Personal development … of developers

If you are still thinking about hiring in-house developers, have you thought about their personal development? Indeed, given the expenses that such an expenditure generates, it is necessary to have a return on investment made possible via the continuous training of this team. To do this, your company will have to provide them with training, manuals, workshops, conferences, etc. We must add to that the availability of up-to-date hardware and software… which is no longer your responsibility if you choose outsourcing!

Web developers who are always available!

If your company has a web development team, this means that it needs such a service on an ongoing basis. However, in the event that several developers are absent, the balance of your company can be strained, especially if the absences are repetitive, long, etc.

Outsourcing simply means the assurance of seamless delivery without any interruptions.

A multidisciplinary solution

The outsourcing provider has a diverse team of development specialists. If your company has a particular need, they will undoubtedly make a specialist available to you. At the same time, your own business will be able to feed off a knowledge well at a distance.

A more serene and flexible collaboration

Given the current labour legislation in your country, it can be difficult to separate yourself from an internal web developer whose work does not satisfy you. This is not the case when it comes to outsourcing. Indeed, thanks to a contract defined clearly enough, and respecting the legislation of the country of the provider, you will be able to cease your collaboration quickly and calmly, if the situation requires it.

Not just developers!

If developers are essential, your project may need the know-how of other IT specialists : quality specialists, agents for the detection of bugs during the development of your web project, project management, to keep the team under control and for UX design; those who will ensure the improvement of user satisfaction through a user-friendly, accessible and pleasant interface to use.

Hiring these different players requires time and money which further justifies outsourcing your web development service.

Reduced risk for your business

A good outsourcing provider is able to take any responsibility that you provide him with, on the condition of course that everything is clear and written in black and white from the beginning of the partnership. A company specialising in outsourcing is well aware of the risk related to its client portfolio, so it has everything to lose in case of poor work.

In case you are still thinking about hiring an in-house web development team, the deal will be different, given the legislation and the potential commitment of your developers.

Time is money!

In the corporate world, team management (finding the right people, loyalty and supervision) is a task that requires time, managerial knowledge, well-oiled logistics and a good network. The best thing to do is to be able to delegate all these tasks to a third party company, which, at the same time, will be able to offer you state-of-the-art solutions capable of carrying out your web development project at arm’s length. To sum it up, your company will save time and so money!

To conclude, outsourcing your web development project has many advantages once you overcome the apprehensions that can be raised by such an experience. Outsourcing is a central element to business strategies and should be seen as a tool rather than delocalisation, as the two concepts are completely different.

While it is a particularly time-consuming task, scheduling appointments is essential for your marketing department to progress! Here, the ability to convince, speed, organisation, concentration and good time management are the pillars, so much so that the slightest grain of sand in the mechanism can put your company at risk. This is why you should seriously consider the benefits that outsourcing offers.

Scheduling appointments: definition

Scheduling appointments is a real business card through which the company shouts a first impression at the prospect. Indeed, it is a matter of convincing the prospect to meet a salesman whose mission is to transform the trial into a valid agreement which is essential to the company’s growth.

A pillar for the development of the company

A key element in a company’s business development, particularly startups and SMEs, scheduling appointments can quickly become an obstacle to its growth. Indeed, how can a company increase its sales, and thus be profitable, without contacting its prospects directly in advance?

The essential role of the direct seller in scheduling appointments

The goal of making an appointment is to turn prospects into interested buyers. To achieve this, the direct seller must know his job:

• Contact potential clients to introduce the company and discuss its products or services. The agent must have training in corporate marketing and be familiar with the company’s subject matter, specifically its products and/or services.
• If making an appointment is facilitated by the use of detailed contact sheets or prospect lists, the direct seller must also be technical and precise. He must have a good command of computer tools, be able to keep his records and respect the etiquettes related to telephone exchanges.

Why outsource scheduling appointments?

The original role of the sales team is to focus more on closing sales, supported by direct sellers, who in turn contact prospects to convince them. By giving this second task to your sales team, they will simply not be able to concentrate effectively on their core task! There are so many more reasons to outsource this service! These are:

Save time for your sales people, who will be able to focus on developing strategies to keep your business running.

Cost and management savings: hiring direct sellers is a cost to the company, not to mention the stress it can cause. This is why the most appropriate solution is to turn to an outsourcing provider specialised in the management of appointments.

Visible and quick results: managing in-house scheduling requires not only a recruitment process, but above all finding the right person(s) who can handle such a task. If not, you risk jeopardizing your growth goals, not to mention the time it might take to find the right way forward. By assigning your appointment to an outsourcing provider, you will see the positive results quickly, especially when they provide you with accurate reports on a regular basis.

Regardless of your business configuration, it is always important to note down the requirements that must be met with regards to scheduling appointments in black and white.

Outsourcing of scheduling: 5 ideas to think about

1. Many companies think that the outsourcing of their scheduling appointments service will obstruct the gain of prospects in their demographic market or that it will prevent their conversion into engaged customers. An outsourcing provider offering such a service has all the system necessary to engage prospects, to nourish conversation and arouse interest during phone calls.

 

2. Many companies are afraid that appointments will never be converted if they entrust this service to a third company. However, by choosing its supplier meticulously, by discussing the process of qualification of prospects, for example, the BANT criteria (Budget, Authority, Needs and Timeline) and the set of guidelines to respect, the average conversion rate can reach 60 %!

 

3. If the conversion of an appointment may seem simple, in reality, the process can take several commitments and a millimetre script. Save time and resources by choosing a company whose sole purpose is to hire prospects and qualify them for your company.

 

4. For many companies, it is the commercial who is responsible for making appointments. However, this position is time-consuming, affecting the quality of the initial work they were hired for. By outsourcing the scheduling service, the company frees up time, but most importantly, they can focus on the prospects hired by your provider’s agents.

 

5. It is easy and fast for a company to set up an internal sales team. In reality, however, such an operation can be exhaustive, time-consuming and costly. It calls for the acquisition of additional equipment, the hiring of qualified resources to be trained and the hiring of managers and supervisors. We can add to this the departures and the arrival of new resources that will also need to be trained.

 

By outsourcing your scheduling service, you will save time and money on creating and training an in-house sales team. You will also save on the operating costs of the team and its training, which must be ongoing in order to achieve the objectives, and in the best case, exceed them. Choose a specialized service provider that has proven itself with many satisfied customers and present a positive face to your future customers, a face synonymous with successful partnership.

As an HR-specific activity, your company’s training management can be handled by an outsourcing provider. Why? You will benefit from solid expertise, save time and focus on your core business. In addition, the area is subject to several changes in vocational training, legal instability and simplification. There are also issues and training methods that have evolved.

Building your employees’ competence: a constant challenge

Today, in addition to the many challenges that businesses face, there is one that is vital: providing their employees with the knowledge, skills and capabilities that they need to have for the evolution of their business. It is therefore essential to have a training management service that is proactive and always ready to deliver skills and knowledge in a clear and effective way.

Outsourcing: a definition

First of all, let’s go back to outsourcing. This solution allows companies to entrust one or more services to an external provider. The latter is committed to taking charge of tasks that will support the client company in its development and its positioning in the market. Regardless of the outsourced service, here’s what to remember about outsourcing:

• It is necessary to distinguish between outsourcing, which is a service, and subcontracting, which is aimed at the industry and which involves the production of a product for a client company.
• Outsourcing is a long-term mission. It is in the company’s interest to find a supplier who will become its partner, so that this collaboration takes place under the sign of sustainability.
• Outsourcing improves the company’s performance, enabling it to focus on its core business.

The outsourcing of your training management department

For a calm and collaborative outsourcing, it is essential to define all the tasks that will be taken care of by the provider. Everything will depend on your needs, your objectives and with regards to the outsourcing of the training management service of your company, we usually take into account the following elements:

• The training aspect : who will be responsible for the various stages of the implementation of the training plan for employees? From the logistical part, if necessary, to the request for training, through the organization of sessions.
• The administrative aspect : management of the relationship with organizations and funders, requests for support from financial firms, purchases, registration of documents, compliance with legal obligations, reporting and, in some cases, invoice management.
• The designing aspect of the training policy (only in some cases), if the provider proposes such an option.

Successful outsourcing depends on a supplier who has excellent knowledge of his trade!

Outsourcing is therefore a tool, a solution, that allows the company to evolve, grow and establish its position in a competitive and globalized market. It is therefore essential to choose the right provider. This is based, not on the amount of tasks he is ready to perform, but on his practical knowledge of vocational training and his ability to stay up to date on the best practices and trends.

Outsourcing helps you deal with a changing legal framework

In order to make the training system more fluid, understandable and effective, authorities have chosen to simplify it. For instance:

• The monetization of CPF,
• New governance of the training system,
• Unique contribution of the training,
• Competency development plan,
• Evolution of CEP
• The Career transition Project,
• The new « Pro-A » device »,
• Enriched professional interview,
• New quality requirements,
• The deletion of the 2486 declaration by the 2014 reform,
• And others.

These changes do not, however, concern the organisational and conceptual aspects of training (reporting, presence, budget, invoicing, etc.)

Outsourcing helps grow in a constantly changing environment

In case of jobs and skills that are changing and without any downtime, companies have to be very responsive in order to continue to develop while accompanying their employees at the same time. Add to this the advent of new technologies which require funding and trained human resources.

This is where outsourcing can become a very important asset since the provider has the duty, so to speak, to be on the page regarding tools and legal and pedagogical evolutions (virtual classes, e-learning, etc.). In addition, suppliers use standard and efficient processes to integrate and qualify instructors. They also apply specialized technologies to track and manage instructor preparation, availability and performance. Additionally, data is used to improve demand forecasting and manage training participation. To ensure successful delivery, managed training service providers often ensure performance by setting service level parameters, including sanctions and incentives.

The human aspect will always be essential!

Yes, we are living in a technological era! However, e-learning, MOOC and others will never replace the professional, flesh-and-blood trainer, himself constantly trained to deliver quality education. As part of the outsourcing of your training management, your company will be able to respond in time to the challenges that they are continually faced with. Equipped with employees trained by qualified people, your company will no longer have to invest time to adapt to the legal, economic or even technological changes that accompany the world of vocational training.

Why do companies choose to outsource the management of training resources?

Outsourcing is a strategic approach that impacts both the recruitment, qualification, planning and performance management of training staff. Service providers often have better access to a global pool of professional trainers. Thus, they can quickly provide skilled and experienced agents for a service that is straight to the point!

Outsourcing is the most accessible and the most concrete way to stimulate the growth of your business. In order to achieve this result, it is essential to choose the right provider, because this will allow the company to position itself favourably in a merciless and competitive economy that is open to the whole world.

If you are thinking about outsourcing one or more services, here are the essential factors to consider before making a final decision.

The importance of the roadmap

The first step is to write a roadmap that is clear and comprehensive enough to set out your business needs, expectations and goals. Just start by asking yourself two questions to which you can easily find the answers. These are:

• What are your exact needs?
• What is the most likely answer to those?

By answering these two questions, you will begin a journey towards an increasingly comprehensive document that will become a solid roadmap. The goal is to meet your needs in order to achieve your company’s business objectives.

Outsourcing is a process that takes time and human resources and most importantly, it is a solution used to achieve a specific goal. Since you know your business at your fingertips, it is important to write down everything you know, so that your provider can be on the same page as you are and this should be done in a timely manner.

More simply, it is not a question of delegating your services with vague explanations, chosen at random between two files, but of an elaborate and thoughtful process which is above all participatory. To sum up: in order to achieve the best possible results, you need to be accurate about your goal.

Choosing an expert service provider

Once the roadmap is established, it is time to choose your provider. To do this, start by selecting the ones that seem best suited to meet your needs and then assess each one of them based on the following factors:

• Expertise,
• The whole set of skills,
• Its use of the latest technologies,
• Experience in resolving complex cases and
• Interest in your outsourcing project.

The crucial importance of the provider’s expertise

The provider’s expertise may seem like a trifle matter, but it is the key to successful outsourcing. It is therefore highly advisable to turn to an outsourcing company capable of juggling several areas of expertise (human resources, satisfaction survey to assess the quality of your services, remote secretary services, teleprospection, telemarketing and others) rather than a company specialising in a single field. To summarise this part: the more your provider can multitask, the more likely your company will be able to achieve the expected results!

The reputation of the outsourcing provider

Quality. This is probably the « factor » which any company relies on nowadays and it also concerns, even more so, the outsourcing provider! When it comes to quality, no compromise is acceptable. So among the essential missions during the recruitment phase of an outsourcing company, one of the priorities should be the verification of its reputation with regards to respect of deadlines, training programs, crisis management and others.

To do this, you will find information on the net, but also from old customers and even from current customers. The idea is to be fully convinced by the selected supplier about his good reputation in the market, his ability to align himself with your business objectives and to respect deadlines.

A budget that is clear and written in black and white

For an effective, transparent, productive and cordial partnership, it is important to consider the cost of your outsourcing project, a factor that is too often neglected. In the event of a breach of this precept, the consequences can range from a bad relationship with the provider to a complete breakdown of your outsourcing project.

Before approaching any provider, you must set up the budget that your company is able to invest in this project and to communicate clearly about it with the outsourcing company that interests you.

Data and intellectual property protection

As we live in an extraordinary digital age, data privacy and security are the two most important concerns of businesses. As part of an outsourcing project, it is only natural to share sensitive business information with your provider. However, the latter must be perfectly capable of protecting this data and this must be stipulated in writing, for example, through the signing of a confidentiality agreement. If data protection is a crucial element for the viability of your company, why not turn to another provider specialised in network and security auditing?

An outsourcing provider that is able to adapt to your customers!

The current market being what it is, it is important for your company to respond quickly and effectively to your customers’ needs which are constantly changing. To do this, choose a provider who can work closely with your company.

A flexible outsourcing provider

Flexibility is another determining factor in the choice of an outsourcing provider, so that he already knows how to respond to any urgent requirement or problem. Flexibility is a critical element in offshore outsourcing!

To conclude

Outsourcing is the perfect solution to boost the growth and efficiency of your business. As such, by carefully choosing your provider, you will manage to stay on course while developing your company. Offshore outsourcing is the answer to many problems, be it in terms of skills, schedules, training management, to name but a few success factors.

Outsourcing non-core or low value-added services is considered as a good management strategy. This solution allows managers and employees alike to focus their attention and know-how on the core business of their company. It is therefore natural to define the services that will be entrusted to a provider and those that will remain in-house. However, if you are thinking about an outsourcing project, it is also important, not to say vital, to formulate, analyse and implement solutions in order to quickly and effectively circumvent the risks that may arise in such a framework.

Why?

As a company, it is vital for your development to gain value while minimising risks if you want to outsource one or more services. At the same time, you also need to consider your organisation in general; consisting of employees, processes, specific tools and others.

By striking a balance between value and risk, your outsourcing will succeed. This will allow your company to grow, to place itself firmly in the context of strong competition, including rivalling with larger structures.

Another key point to take into account during your outsourcing project is that the provider you entrust with running the outsourced services will be on the front line when it comes to delivering results to distributors, customers, employees and regulators of all kinds. More importantly, these results testify to his reputation.

The risks involved

A few years ago, Cathy Alegria, director of studies at Xerfi, drew up a non-exhaustive list of risks to be considered in an outsourcing project:

• Loss of in-house skills that can be detrimental over time,
• Dependence on providers, especially if they make themselves essential, for example by mastering a key technology,
• Risks of quality deterioration when the supplier or subcontractor is not faced with the final contract,
• Loss of information on the production process and cost formation, for example,
• A disconnect between external partners and internal functions that may cause communication difficulties or loss of synergies and
• The dangers associated with the irreversibility of an outsourcing decision that would involve strategic value chain links for the ordering firm.

Principles to be applied to risk management

Outsourcing is therefore a solution that continues to attract many companies, which turn to overseas providers, including Mauritius, to offload low value-added services. These may include human resources, the satisfaction surveys to assess the quality of services, remote secretary services, teleshopping or telemarketing. Regardless of the service to be outsourced, there are four fundamental principles related to risk management:

Even if they are outsourced, the services concerned must remain within the scope of the enterprise’s risk management. While there is a tendency to move away from this principle in favour of lower costs, it is essential for the company to continue to manage the risks arising from an outsourced activity.

The company must ensure that it maintains the skills that will enable it to supervise its provider, its services and its billing. These skills are essential for the operational management of the contract, for assessing and appreciating the provider and for the maintenance of risk management related to the activities concerned.

The outsourcing contract must be clear, complete and precise about:

• The services and level of quality expected (Service Level Agreement- SLA),
• Duties and obligations of the client,
• The duties and obligations of the provider,
• Procedures for managing incidents and crisis situations,
• Business continuity obligations,
• The content and methods of reporting of the service provider on the functioning of its production processes, the incidents that have occurred, the result of its controls and the methods of control by the client,
• Clauses of confidentiality, professional secrecy, intellectual property, etc., if applicable.

The company must be aware and be able to adapt its risk management system in accordance with its expectations and needs and in a proportionate manner. When entrusting a service to a provider located, for example, in Mauritius, it will be necessary to take into account the local culture, languages, schedules and other factors.

Legal rules and risk management

Outsourcing projects are composed of two essential aspects to study and solve for a serene success:

Legal rules (labour law, respect for personal data, professional secrecy, digital economy law, certification of the provider in certain cases, etc.), which will make it possible to know and apply the requirements related to your outsourcing project, both at your level and that of your provider. This will also make it possible to produce tangible and logical specifications. Why? Any poorly understood or identified legal aspect can lead to over-costs and delays, not to mention outright cancellation of the outsourcing project.

The risk-based approach, i.e. taking into account, in your analysis:

• Project costs and benefits,
• The risks, including operational risks, that may arise from it.

The risks specific to the service to be outsourced must be identified well in advance in order to reduce them.

The risks specific to outsourcing, i.e. legal, destination-related, skill level, equipment, etc.

For a successful outsourcing, it is necessary to set up processes and an adapted, contractual supervision.

Risk management is an essential, strategic aspect of any outsourcing project. Taking into account the various parameters mentioned in this article, you will set up a successful and win-win outsourcing for both your company and the provider.