Are you interested to know about the outsourcing problems and plan to address them? For cost-efficiency and company continuity, outsourcing has recently emerged as the most popular trend among businesses. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, most businesses are now functioning remotely, yet they are still expanding under the guidance of their preferred outsourcing partner. But don’t businesses still encounter issues with outsourcing? In this blog, we will go over outsourcing issues in-depth, along with their equivalent solutions and strategies for avoiding them so that you can enjoy the unique advantages of outsourcing.

10 Outsourcing Problems & Their Solutions

1. Loss of Control

Losing control over an outsourced project is one of the most frequent outsourcing problems businesses encounter in their early stages. Every business must get past this stage because their internal personnel handled the previous duty. The vendor’s location and communication capabilities will determine how much control you have over the outsourced job. Since they will be informed of your most current requirements, poorly managed service providers may reduce the quality of your project’s delivery.

Solution

Before choosing an outsourcing partner for your business, you should thoroughly examine the tracking strategy used throughout the process and the company’s experience with clients. In addition, designate the point of contact, track KPIs and other indicators, and create meeting timelines.

2. Communication Barriers

Companies new to the industry encounter outsourcing problems with their outsourced partner effectively. Language and cultural obstacles greatly increase the likelihood that you won’t be able to communicate with your outsourcing vendor. One of the most frequent outsourcing issues businesses encounter that might occasionally result in lower-than-expected project delivery quality is the communication barrier.

Solution

You can establish appropriate business hours to speak with each other to close the communication gap. You may establish a uniform communication format using efficient project management systems, which can be improved by establishing suitable escalation processes.

3. Additional Expenses

Additional and unforeseen expenses may become the biggest problem with outsourcing. Gaining a competitive edge over maintaining an internal workforce to handle non-core company tasks is the major goal of outsourcing. Always weigh your internal team’s cost estimate against the vendor’s price quote before selecting a provider. There are frequently extra costs associated with redeployment, troubleshooting, software upgrades, etc., that weren’t initially considered. Collectively, these things can add up to a budget overrun on the road.

Solution

The only way to reduce outsourcing costs is to speak with the vendor and request a clear cost estimate when closing the agreement. For the vendor to provide you with an accurate cost estimate for the outsourcing process, you must precisely identify the project’s criteria.

4. Vendor Issues

Businesses that effectively expand into international markets typically have a trustworthy outsourcing vendor. Finding an honest and professional vendor is crucial and a big outsourcing problem. It might be time-consuming to select the ideal partner for your outsourcing needs. Since they do not conduct a thorough background check on the contractors, it is one of the main outsourcing issues many businesses encounter. It can result in the project you outsourced being of poorer quality.

Solution

When choosing the best vendor, there are a few things to keep in mind, like the firm’s experience, the number of projects and clients it has worked with, the typical project size, the company’s ranking and reviews, its access to the most recent technology, and so on. The list differs from one company to the next, however. Before choosing your outsourcing partner, prepare your questions and get clarification.

5. Security Concerns

You may expose some or all of your company’s assets to your outsourcing partner during the outsourcing process. The security procedures, data protection policies, privacy concerns, and intellectual property issues involving trade secrets, patents, and copyrights must all be examined because they may become irreversible outsourcing problems in the future. You should always choose organizations that adhere to stringent security protocols because there is always a chance that the vendor may disclose your important information.

Solution

Making a contract with a non-disclosure agreement and service level agreement, as well as checking the company’s security procedures and data protection system, are the only ways to mitigate these kinds of outsourcing issues.

6. Lingual & Cultural Differences

The most frequent outsourcing problem that most businesses encounter when considering outsourcing is cultural and linguistic difficulties. Businesses that encounter linguistic and cultural hurdles need help to innovate and pay attention to detail on outsourced projects. Cultural and linguistic disparities can result from a lack of knowledge and communication and greatly impact the outsourcing process.

Solution

Only when there is open communication between the two businesses can a discrepancy in corporate culture be resolved. Verify if company employees can communicate effectively in English or your preferred language.

7. Lack of Experience

Lack of experience may become a thorn in the throat, and this outsourcing problem must be addressed. Smaller businesses that are relatively new to outsourcing may find the process intimidating compared to a corporation with outsourced experience. You can know the workflow, prices, and best practices while communicating your ideas to another organization. One of the frequent outsourcing issues that can be resolved if addressed correctly is a lack of experience.

Solution

Finding an experienced outsourcing partner is an option that will assist in identifying the bottlenecks and reducing potential hazards if you lack outsourcing experience. These suppliers will aid you in outlining the entire procedure, helping you to match expectations with project specifications.

8. Outsourcing Approach

Choosing the proper strategy and approach for outsourcing your project to a third-party vendor is crucial if you want to get the desired outcome and cut costs. A lack of a well-thought approach may become an outsourcing problem for your business. The outsourcing strategy you’ve chosen greatly impacts how well the project turns out.

Solution

Your outsourcing model should be framed based on the scope, nature, goals, needs, budget, duration, etc. The most common outsourcing types are time and materials, dedicated development teams, and fixed-price agreements.

9. Time Differences

One of the main problems with outsourcing many businesses have when choosing to outsource to other countries is time zone discrepancies. There will be a time zone difference when your outsourcing partner is in another country. You can get in touch with someone who can communicate conveniently even though your vendor doesn’t work around the clock. A clear time zone visual aid makes selecting the ideal outsourced partner easier.

Solution

You can minimize time zone discrepancies by communicating regularly with your outsourcing vendor. Establish a time that works for both parties to communicate updates on the project so that everyone is aware of its status. Alternatively, you can choose a vendor who is open 24/7 so that you can communicate more effectively, and time zone variations won’t affect you as much.

10. Expectations

Expectation and goal mismatches are extremely common when outsourcing requirements need to be properly defined. Before beginning the outsourcing process and choosing an outsourcing vendor, goal planning is crucial. Keeping your expectations and goals on track is crucial to maintain the contract’s consistency, transparency, and sincerity.

Solution

The most effective strategy to define a correct goal for your outsourcing process and prevent goal and expectation mismatch is through proper communication. Always confirm your project outsourcing requirements, then communicate those requirements to your vendor to keep the two businesses on the same page.

Conclusion

The outsourcing issues mentioned above should be identified and discussed before any outsourcing project to avoid potential complications before, during, or after the software development process. If outsourcing is new to you, you will likely have some difficulties first, so picking a trustworthy company or agency is crucial. A trustworthy outsourcing provider has a substantial body of work demonstrating their experience, glowing client testimonials, and a committed staff of experts who will guide you through every step.

Arturo Back Office caters to businesses with outsourcing requirements, including logo design, website design, animations, branding solutions, and application development. We can vouch for our team of expert designers to deliver the best product for you and solve all the problems with outsourcing you have faced before. Send an email to us and book a consultation meeting.

See More: The Two Big Drivers of Outsourcing and Their Impact on BPO