— the practice of using outside firms to handle work normally performed within a company — is a familiar concept to many entrepreneurs. Small companies routinely outsource their payroll processing, accounting, distribution, and many other important functions — often because they have no other choice. Many large companies turn to outsourcing to cut costs. In response, entire industries have evolved to serve companies' outsourcing needs.
But not many businesses thoroughly understand the benefits of outsourcing. It's true that outsourcing can save money, but that's not the only (or even the most important) reason to do it. As many firms discovered during the outsourcing "mania" of the early 1990s, outsourcing too much can be an even bigger mistake than not outsourcing any work at all. The flat economy caused many companies into huge layoffs and subsequently outsourced functions that were better kept in-house. Wise outsourcing, however, can provide a number of long-term benefits:
1. Control capital costs. Cost-cutting may not be the only reason to outsource, but it's certainly a major factor. Outsourcing converts fixed costs into variable costs, releases capital for investment elsewhere in your business, and allows you to avoid large expenditures in the early stages of your business. Outsourcing can also make your firm more attractive to investors, since you're able to pump more capital directly into revenue-producing activities.
2. Increase efficiency. Companies that do everything themselves have much higher research, development, marketing, and distribution expenses, all of which must be passed on to customers. An outside provider's cost structure and economy of scale can give your firm an important competitive advantage.
3. Reduce labor costs. Hiring and training staff for short-term or peripheral projects can be very expensive, and temporary employees don't always live up to your expectations. Outsourcing lets you focus your human resources where you need them most.
4. Start new projects quickly. A good outsourcing firm has the resources to start a project right away. Handling the same project in-house might involve taking weeks or months to hire the right people, train them, and provide the support they need. And if a project requires major capital investments (such as building a series of distribution centers), the startup process can be even more difficult.
5. Focus on your core business. Every business has limited resources, and every manager has limited time and attention. Outsourcing can help your business to shift its focus from peripheral activities toward work that serves the customer, and it can help managers set their priorities more clearly.
6. Level the playing field. Most small firms simply can't afford to match the in-house support services that larger companies maintain. Outsourcing can help small firms act "big" by giving them access to the same economies of scale, efficiency, and expertise that large companies enjoy.
7. Reduce risk. Every business investment carries a certain amount of risk. Markets, competition, government regulations, financial conditions, and technologies all change very quickly. Outsourcing providers assume and manage this risk for you, and they generally are much better at deciding how to avoid risk in their areas of expertise.
1. Reduce overheads, free up resources
2. Minimize capital expenditure
3. Eliminate investment in fixed infrastructure
4. Offload non-core functions
5. Redirect energy and personnel into the core business
6. Free your executive team from day-to-day process problems
7. Focus scarce resources on mission-critical projects
8. Get access to specialized skills
9. Reduce need for internal commitment of specialists
10. Save on manpower and training costs
11. Control operating costs
12. Improve efficiencies through economies of scale
13. Improve speed and service
14. Level out cyclical or seasonal fluctuations
15. Eliminate peak staffing problems
16. Provide the best quality services, products and people
17. Be reliable and innovative
18. Provide value-added services
19. Increase customer satisfaction
20. Establish long-term, strategic relationships with world-class service providers to gain a competitive edge
21. Enhance tactical and strategic advantages
22. Focus on strategic thinking, process reengineering and managing trading partner relationships
23. Benefit from the provider's expertise in solving problems for a variety of clients with similar requirements.
24. Obtain needed project management and implementation consulting expertise
25. Acquire access to best practices and proven methodologies
26. Spread your risks
27. Avoid the cost of chasing technology
28. Leverage the provider's extensive investments in technology, methodologies and people
29. Reduce the risk of technological obsolescence
30. Increase efficiency by consolidating and centralizing functions
31. Keep pace and minimize the impact of rapid changes in technology without changing your infrastructure
32. Reduce the overall management burden while retaining control of strategic decision making.
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