Outsourcing projects is something many large organizations do on a frequent basis in order to free up schedules of high-level professionals so they can focus on the bigger picture. Outsourcing work helps businesses grow, speeds up project turn-over time, and boosts overall revenue. However, outsourcing at the wrong time during any particular project can be fatal to the organization and the overall completion of the work required. Before you outsource, ask yourself three questions.
Is it worth it?
Ask yourself if the job at hand is capable of being completed by an outsourcing team. The elaborate day-dream that CEO’s and management create about outsourcing a project and having it come back 100% perfect is an absolute myth in most cases, so outsourcing projects should be handled with care. Technical projects take the expert eye of the personnel located within an organization and will oftentimes require tweaking by an in house team. Plan and account for this before deciding to use an outsourcing team over an in house team.
What’s the technical standard?
As a rule of thumb, the more technical jobs (engineering, coding, software, etc.) should not be outsourced in the long run. These particular jobs need up to the minute changes, customization, and expertise in order for them to operate as intended. In conjunction, you need to be aware that these products are being sold and used by the clients within your sector. If there should be troubleshooting involved, how will you handle the problem if you weren’t the one who created it?
Can an outsourcing team make changes needed in real time?
Things change constantly in technology. Google, one of the biggest tech giants today, accidentally created a translation feature during their creation of the email client known as Gmail. The path on the road to finishing a project often spirals, turns, and twists into something that you had previously not imagined. These efficient side-projects come as a result of constant communication and a testing of the waters. This kind of mindset and scenario is difficult to incorporate with an outsourcing firm and many great ideas may be lost.
Outsourcing is terrific for jobs that need to be done quickly and efficiently. However, taking a more technical approach to a project requires the touch of internal employees of the current organization, situations where outsourcing is detrimental.
Most successful organizations will outsource low-level tasks such as database administration, hiring virtual assistants or finding someone to do cold calls and sales follow up. When it comes to these tasks, outsourcing is a perfect fit. Consider using sites like Up Work or Guru to find someone who has the right skillset for your outsourcing tasks and evaluate them based on prior performance to avoid making a bad hire.