One of the biggest errors in outsourcing, according to a senior professional of the Outsourcing Institute is the lack of communication. But, according to me, communicating the right messages with the outsourcing partners, especially in the case of captives (might work differently if the delivery center supports other clients as well) is the biggest obstacle.
For example, in India growth is viewed in terms of headcount while to the outsourcing party, it may sound pompous. Instead should we talk more about outsourcing has helped the partner get better mileage and smoother delivery?
Usually, client testimonials used to highlight key achievements of a project. To the partner, this may not make much sense. Can we instead showcase how the maturity of the process, steps taken to move up the value chain has built an experience for the partner?Â
Newsletters often talk of delivery centers taking up ‘larger’, more complex value-added assignments. So are we saying that maintenance work is passé? Or that back-end processing is really not that fancy? But the fact that businesses are operating out of India and other outsourced destinations are because of the scale and clarity with which we help the clients get successful. By doing it over time, we only get better at provided consistent experience.
The other point is on training and development; while knowledge workers in outsourced destinations expect to get trained and skilled on better and more advanced technologies, it is also critical to understand that client’s want these professionals to spend time learning more about the business and brand. That is where they can add more value.
So in case you are planning your partner communication newsletter, it may be helpful to consider some of these pointers.
