Outsourcing has
become extremely popular with the IT function of larger businesses, due
to the high acquisition costs of computer hardware and software,
coupled with the high management costs of employing support staff.
IT services outsourcing are reinforced
by a long-term service level agreement (SLA), which defines every aspect
of service delivery, including call to fix response times, hardware
infrastructure provided and supported, asset utilization and
responsibilities of the client. 10 ways to choose your best outsourcing
partner are-
1. Communication, Everything is in Communication
Cultural differences apart, the strength
and effectiveness of communication channels employed by a company
speaks for itself while you take stock on the expectations Vs delivered.
It would be a good idea to see what kind of systems the company has
employed to enable efficient communication with their customers.
Things to look for would be online
communication and collaboration systems. Some examples would be
basecamp, online conferencing solutions, centralized project commit
space and a smooth execution of the same while interaction with you as a
customer. Look for openness in communication.
The amount of transparency seen at the
communication channels also shows a strong process oriented service
delivery as well as it shows the strength of communication abilities of
the team members. This results in better understanding of the project
and gives more time to do the right things.
Also, when dealing with an outsourcing
company, the language of choice must be addressed upfront. It is crucial
to effectively and clearly communicate the scope and direction of the
task/project to a contractor, and this is especially true if you are
working with someone for whom your language is not his or her native
tongue.
Communicating using several channels is
advised. This way you can determine ability to communicate both verbally
and in writing. Additionally, I recommend requesting an email or phone
conversation in which they repeat back to you what you conveyed to them
about the project/task to make sure nothing was lost in the translation
and they grasp the assignment.
2. Exposure to country specific work/business culture
I strongly feel that as business
continues to expand globally across communities, cultures and countries
and brings different people closer, it is absolutely necessary for
people to understand, appreciate and respect the religious and cultural
differences existing between the two business communities.
Understanding the business culture of
the country and then learning the skills of proper etiquette, manners
and inter cultural communication is a must for industries functioning
internationally. Years of exposure with international customers and face
to face interaction are very important for both the businesses to
sustain the work and deliver with utmost satisfaction to both business
parties.
Many vendors put employees through tough
training schedule. In addition, cultural differences include religions,
modes of dress, social activities, and even the way a question is
answered. Most offshore companies
have cultural education programs, but executives should not assume that
cultural alignment will be insignificant or trivial. Because, such kind
of training helps to maintain good relationship with clients.
3. Taking Ownership of the projects and past experience
When I speak about Ownership, I am
basically talking about a company’s ability to convert a problem into a
solution. To get a trusted partner who you can outsource your IT requirements
is a humongous task, and, knowing about the company’s background and
the level of ownership that they put into each and every project they
handle can be an important criteria of judging their capability. Read More...
Source: CodeWebber
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