Today’s volatile and ever-evolving market requires that business owners adapt to a new customer-centric model that ensures exceptional quality services and perfect outcomes. Multinational organizations and start-ups alike outsource business processes to fulfill growing consumer needs.
photo credit: Canva Studio / Pexels
Business process outsourcing is where business owners outsource specific or multiple business processes to be managed or serviced by a third-party. Before you decide to outsource business processes, consider doing research and learning its pros and cons.
Here we discuss what the different types of business process outsourcing are and their many pros and cons:
What are the Different Types of BPO?
Business process outsourcing organizations fall into the following categories based on their location:
Onshore Outsourcing
Otherwise known as domestic outsourcing, these companies would be in the same country as you.
Nearshore Outsourcing
Nearshore outsourcing refers to when your business hires a service provider in countries that are geographically closer to you.
Offshore Outsourcing
Offshore outsourcing comprises an organization contracting services from a service provider present overseas. It’s also known as offshoring.
What is Business Process Outsourcing Used For?
Organizations may outsource business processes for the following two reasons:
Back Office Services
They include the internal business functions of a company. It mainly comprises administrative tasks such as payment processing, quality assurance, and order processing.
Front Office Services
These include services that require your BPO service provider to interact with consumers and clients directly. It includes sales, customer relations, marketing, customer support, and grievance redressal.
The Pros of Business Process Outsourcing
Outsourcing the business process provides you and your business with several benefits. These include:
Ensures You Can Focus on Core Competencies
You successfully free up time and focus on business functionalities by allowing a third party to handle your business processes.
This way, you and other team members can focus on the business’s core competencies. It helps improve your business’s efficiency and productivity as well.
Save Costs on Workforce, Technology Costs, and Infrastructure
Outsourcing business processes instead of hiring an in-house team helps you save space for various processes and save costs on upgrading tech and training employees.
Better Cost Predictability
When you outsource business services, you’ll know the exact fees to pay. Your agreed pricing structure will make it easier for you to predict your expenses and savings.
Hire the Best Talent
Outsourcing the business services you need from the best available experts provides you direct access to professionals boasting expertise and in-depth industry knowledge.
The Cons of Business Process Outsourcing
Now we discuss some of the cons of BPO companies:
Requires Proper Planning
Deciding to outsource business processes can be a daunting task. It requires extensive planning, including determining who will be responsible for managing the relationship between the third party and your organization.
Careful consideration and in-depth research are also necessary when choosing a service provider.
There may be Hidden Costs
Be wary of hidden costs like legal expenses when determining whether you want to work with a BPO company. Ensure there’s full transparency and no financial shocks later.
Security Risks
Outsourcing the business process means you’re trusting a third party with sensitive, confidential information.
The Bottom Line
The BPO service market in the U.S. is valued at $54.8bn.With the help of BPO companies such as Accenture, Canon and , your business can effectively streamline workflow.
