Why Preparation and Training are Essential for Successful Outsourcing

A successful outsourcing strategy can provide benefits and cost savings for your company.

However, the risks of an unsuccessful arrangement? Can actually compromise those anticipated benefits and cause real problems in your business later down the track.

How Do You Minimise Those Risks?

1. Don’t expect “miracles” at the beginning
2. Prepare to “succeed” from the very start

Importance of Policies & Procedures

Some things to consider:

1. Make them “simple” to follow. Go through them step by step. Think of it as the other person’s point of view. Are they going to be able to step through that process easily? And are they going to understand the way that you intend to tell it?

• Look at screen recording tools
• Create training videos (to avoid misinterpretation)

2. Have them placed in an area that is easy for your resource to access them.

• Using google sites / project management tool (to keep resources)

Using “video” As Your Training Tool

Is one of the successful ways to train and prepare somebody to work in your business.  These resources allow you to show somebody in real time what you’re doing for them. It also creates doing something in less time.

If you actually record what you do as you’re doing it:

1. There’s no extra time. You’re doing it as you’re doing it.
2. It’s there for you to keep for the future for when you need it.

Some of the tools that we can use are ScreenFlow, Jing, Snagit, and a video library like ScreenCast.

The First 4 Weeks

You know what they say. First impressions last. That is true! With every new encounter, you are evaluated. These first impression can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, making those first encounters extremely important, for they set the tone for all the relationships that follow.

In the outsourcing industry, it’s more of nurturing a new relationship. You’re showing someone and guiding them about what you want them to do. Successful outsourcing isn’t different from any other business relationship. It requires nurturing and smart management. The more time you dedicate to training and working with them, the more value you’ll get back in the end. Be prepared to walk them through all necessary details.

When to concede it’s not working?

Always remember you should do your part. You should try to do a few things to try and make it work. Don’t give up just after a few fails in a short period of time. Make sure you have done everything possible to help them succeed in the first place.

• Have you invested enough time?
• Have you given them the benefit of the doubt when they tend to not understand something and actually listen to them?
• Or provided them with constructive feedback?

When outsourcing relationships work, they can deliver value well beyond your initial expectations.