Last Updated on July 2, 2024
What does outsourcing enable companies to do? Outsourcing as a strategic business approach allows a business to reduce overheads. This approach uses talent working for companies as consultants rather than relying on on-site workers. When a company’s functions are achieved through virtual assistants, this is known as contracting out. Outsourcing is the practice of delegating work to third parties for completion.
Outsourcing involves outsourcing employees and outsourcing tasks. This means hiring an outside company to perform some or all of a system’s projects, known as outsourcing. In this article, we will investigate what outsourcing enables companies to do.
Why Do Companies Choose to Outsource Work?
The general reasons for outsourcing (and what outsourcing enables companies to do) are more than simply cutting labor costs. Although it’s indeed, a company can save up to 70% on operating costs and overheads. Moreover, outsourcing has other advantages for businesses.
Outsourcing Enables Companies To: The 4 Main Reasons
Outsourcing is an arduous process, as are outsourcing services or virtual assistants. However, outsourcing permits a company to free up its resources, including funds and on-site staff, which can be utilized for other purposes.
With outsourcing, the risk is shared with the outsourcing company. Lastly, with outsourcing, the business is flexible and can be agile. The benefit is that the business can adapt to changes more quickly. Also, the industry is more efficient. Because more is done, the company operates much more smoothly. These aspects are beneficial for businesses in the software product development space.
The Most Popular Types of Outsourced Work
As outsourcing is a common source of external capacity, some tasks are easily delegated to virtual assistants. However, the outsourced functions depend on the company and its needs. There are two main groups of outsourced jobs.
The first is non-core tasks such as admin work. Non-core duties include customer support service, human resource management, accounting and bookkeeping, research tasks, data entry, telemarketing and marketing, and project management tasks.
The second group includes more specialized tasks. Examples include graphic design, software development, video editing, and transcription.
Is Outsourcing Appropriate for Your Business?
Outsourcing is not free from controversy. Especially during the Trump presidency, Trump, as he had held as a campaign tenet, heavily promoted the idea of bringing jobs back to the U.S. under the campaign ‘Buy American.’ Trump ‘pronounced, “We must “protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.” Trump said, “We will “follow two simple rules — buy American and hire American.”
“Protection Will Lead to Great Prosperity and Strength,” Trump said
Many American companies were importing goods, including Trump’s ventures and his daughter, Ivanka Trump. Ivanka’s Ivanka Inc. was shipping clothing items from abroad. More so, the container vessel OOCL Ho Chi Minh City docked at the Long Beach harbor in California with 500 pounds of spandex-knit blouses for Ivanka Inc.
Ivanka Inc. had ten ships with branded cardigans, shoes, and leather bags. The argument against outsourcing is that it causes domestic job loss. Nevertheless, there is much confusion regarding outsourcing.
Others, like Janet Yellen, Disagree
However, economists such as Janet Yellen declared, “In the long run, outsourcing is another form of trade that benefits the U.S. economy by giving us cheaper ways to do things.” An in-house company can benefit from outsourcing if it is correctly applied.
For instance, if a company outsources its lead generation to a virtual lead generation assistant, the remote worker can source the opposite leads. The sales team can then use the tips that are sourced for the company.
Here, the sales team members are on-site workers for the company. More importantly, as the leads increase, so does the need to hire more salespeople. In this example, domestic jobs are thus increased through outsourcing.
Roundup
The business practice of hiring workers in another country is known as outsourcing. Providing value to a customer is the primary goal of any organization. Outsourcing helps a company reduce operating costs, which can be passed on to the customer. Thus, the customer can buy items for less—outsourcing benefits both the company and the client.
Learn How You Can Benefit from Outsourcing
Are you considering outsourcing some of your tasks? Or do you want to scale up and use outsourcing as your staffing model? Do reach out and speak to our outsourcing expert.
Book a free consultation session, and we will guide you.
3 Key Takeaways
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Cost reduction and resource optimization: Outsourcing allows companies to cut costs by hiring external workers or firms, often at lower rates than in-house staff. This frees up internal resources like staff time and funds to be directed towards core competencies.
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Access to specialized skills and talent: Businesses can gain access to a broader range of expertise by outsourcing tasks. This can include specialized skills or positions that may be difficult or expensive to find locally. This broader talent pool allows companies to be more adaptable and competitive.
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Increased flexibility and agility: Outsourcing fosters a more flexible business structure. Companies can scale up or down their workforce depending on project needs without the commitment of full-time employees. This agility allows them to react faster to changes in the market or industry.
FAQs
What cost savings can outsourcing offer?
Outsourcing isn’t just about cheap labor. Streamlined processes and lower talent costs can reduce operating expenses by 30-40%. Freeing up internal resources for core functions like IT and human resources (65% of businesses do this) adds to the savings.
How can outsourcing improve my company’s efficiency?
Ditching non-core tasks like IT (33%) and human resources (27%) fuels a 70% efficiency gain, letting your team focus on what you do best.
What tasks should I outsource to focus on my core business?
Outsourcing non-core functions like accounting (22%) allows you to allocate internal resources to your core expertise, sharpening your competitive edge.
Can outsourcing help my company grow faster?
Tap into a global talent pool of over 700 million skilled workers, propelling your growth by 57%. Outsourcing can be your launchpad for rapid expansion.
Can I find specific skills or expertise through outsourcing?
Unleash the power of niche skills and specialized knowledge unavailable in-house. The vast global talent pool holds the key to your unique needs.
What are the main risks associated with outsourcing?
Data security (56%) and communication gaps (44%) are potential roadblocks. Careful vendor selection and clear and effective communication pave the way for a smooth ride.
What are the different types of outsourcing available?
Explore different types of outsourcing, like BPO for business processes, ITO for IT functions, and MO for manufacturing. Find the perfect fit for your needs.