How to Maintain a Sustainable Partnership with Your Outsourcing Provider

With the challenges brought about by an ever-changing changing business landscape, more and more companies have been shifting to a sustainable business model to remain competitive.

However, implementing this shift requires monumental effort, and all hands need to be on board – even third-parties such as outsourcing providers.

Partnering with outsourcing companies that get the job done and have genuine care for your company and its goals is essential to help sustain your business.

But enlisting the services of a reliable outsourcer is only the first step. To further develop this partnership into a fruitful one, building a good working relationship with your outsourcer should be the next (and constant) step.

Benefits of a Well-Managed Outsourcing Relationship

Fostering a sustainable partnership with your outsourcing provider offers the following benefits:

⭐ Better synergy equals better results

Synergy means much more than just “working together.” It is also about producing better results from your cooperation, thus growing your business and making it more competitive.

One of the critical factors that affect synergy is proper communication. Having a good relationship with your outsourcer reinforces a positive feedback loop because it can further develop the communication lines between teams.

Having a clear and open communication line with your outsourcing provider entails hashing out problems as they arise and clearing up ambiguities to avoid further issues.

⭐ Improved efficiency

Once the outsourcer becomes better acquainted with your business processes, they will become more efficient over time. Not only will it result in better productivity, but it will also reduce the chances of errors occurring or not being able to resolve them quickly.

⭐ More ideas and recommendations for your business

An outsourcer who knows your business processes intimately can suggest improvements to your system, granting you increased savings on operational costs.

⭐ Faster and quality service

With clearly defined processes and standards between your company and your outsourcer, the outsourcer has a definite guideline on how to quickly and efficiently handle routine customer concerns, improving your brand of customer service.

6 Tips to Maintain a Sustainable Partnership

As they say, teamwork makes the dream work.

However, teamwork does not appear out of thin air. You need to cultivate it and create the right environment for it to develop. Here are some tips to help you build a sustainable relationship with your outsourcing provider:

1. Define expectations for both parties

Defining your expectations should be the first step when building a relationship with an outsourcer. It will be difficult for them to meet your expectations If they don’t know what you expect from them.

Setting clear expectations for each other reduces confusion and overlapping responsibilities. The best way to do this is to set a SMART goal. That is:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

A good practice is to put everything in black and white. This will not only make it more professional, but it will also serve as a document that you can go back to and invoke when you see that the outsourcer is not holding things up on their end.

2. Invest time in training your outsourcer

To quickly bring the outsourcer up to speed with your company’s operations, you should devote time to training them with the tools, branding, and styling that your company uses. Give a comprehensive explanation of your methodologies. This will eliminate gray areas and let the outsourcer work efficiently as they already know what you want and how you want it.

Also, it would be best to consider imparting your culture to the outsource staffers. They are part of the team too!

3. Be proactive in communication

As stated earlier, proper communication fosters a sustainable partnership between your team and the outsourcing provider.

Your internal team and your outsourced staffers need to be on the same page to prevent overlapping duties and confusion. Call out problems when they arise, and address concerns that can lead to bigger problems with grave consequences.

A good way to develop your communication line is by setting up a communication channel that both parties are comfortable using.

4. Practice collaboration in screening and building the team

While most outsourcing companies will handle the hiring process on their end, you can shape your team by giving the outsourcing provider a checklist of skills you’re looking for in your staff.

Once you’ve built a team, measure the performance indicators of your outsourced staffers and give a regular evaluation report to the outsourcer. This will help them improve the team on their end and mold it to your liking.

5. Keep your outsourced staffers engaged and motivated

Keeping your outsourced staffers engaged and motivated will do wonders for a company.

A Gallup report says companies with engaged employees are 21% more profitable than businesses that lack employee engagement. Good employee engagement will also help you retain staffers, maximizing your investments in training. By contrast, 33% of employees leave their boring jobs for new challenges.

Apart from incentives, a good way to make your outsourced staffers feel more motivated is to have an effective communications system in place. This means that you should regularly share news about your company and industry. It would be best to impart your company’s culture to the outsourcer’s team. While they may be from a different company, they are still an extension of your team.

6. Be a good client

Forging a sustainable relationship is a two-way street. As a client, you have to hold up your end of the bargain as well.

A good working relationship is founded on mutual respect. Speak politely and professionally. Think of the outsourcing company as a business partner.

Always follow the contract to the letter. Do not change the scope of the project at the last minute, and set realistic expectations. Don’t forget to pay their invoice on time!

If you feel that your expectations are not met, do not react emotionally. Set a meeting with the outsourcer to realign your strategies and commitment.

Have you found the right partner for your business?

Developing a good working relationship with your outsourcing company will not only make your day-to-day operations smoother but also play an active role in your business’ success.

Finding a suitable outsourcing company from the get-go is an excellent way to start the relationship on the right foot.

Does your current outsourcing partner provide the following?

• Operational excellence
• A great, high-performing healthcare team specifically designed for your unique needs
• Operational cost savings of up to 70%
• Industry certifications: ISO 27001, ISO 9001, GDPR, HIPAA, and DPA2012
• 67+ Net Promoter Score, a measure of clients’ sense of security and peace of mind

If not, Infinit-O can help you build an effective and high-performing team of professionals who will keep your business running smoothly.

Start small. Exceed expectations. Think infinitely. Think Infinit-O.