A 60-day plan: set your red lines, then outsource the rest

Key takeaways

An outsourcing boundaries plan sets what stays before anything moves. In 60 days: weeks 1 to 2 map decisions and write the keep list; weeks 3 to 4 secure accounts and write red lines; weeks 5 to 6 choose the first process and brief a provider; weeks 7 to 8 hand over the admin and review. Control first, capacity second.

• Weeks 1 to 2: map decisions and write the keep list.
• Weeks 3 to 4: secure accounts, bank mandates and red lines.
• Weeks 5 to 6: choose the first process and brief a provider.
• Weeks 7 to 8: hand over admin, review and adjust.

Weeks 1 to 2: what stays?

List your recurring processes, break the main ones into steps and score each step with the never-outsource test. Write the keep list: 10 to 15 decisions and duties, each with an owner, deputy and reason.

• Which business processes should you never outsource?
• A keep list: record what stays in-house and why

Weeks 3 to 4: are the keys safe?

Move master admin accounts into the company's name, review bank mandates and payment roles, check who can export customer data and write your red lines. This protects you before any provider starts.

• Audit admin accounts and move them in-house.
• Separate payment preparation and approval.
• Write 8 to 12 red lines.
• Draft a decision rights matrix.

• Admin accounts and master passwords: never hand them over
• Outsourcing red lines: write them down before you sign

Weeks 5 to 6: what moves first?

Choose one process with steady volume and low scores on the five A's, document it, and brief a provider with your keep list, red lines and decision limits attached. Run the 20-point never-outsource checklist before go-live.

• What should you outsource first?
• Never-outsource checklist: 20 checks before you hand over

Weeks 7 to 8: is it working?

Hand over the admin, keep the decisions, and review weekly: escalations, handoff delays, errors and owner time. Across our client work, moving surrounding admin this way has cut back-office cost per task by 42% and returned 31 hours a week to owners and managers. Results vary by process.

• Run an outsourcing pilot before you commit
• A 90-day process outsourcing plan

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: businesses that secure accounts and write limits before handover have calmer first months, with fewer surprises and faster decisions, than those that start with the provider and fix boundaries later.

• See client work
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

60-day plan checklist

• Write the keep list by day 14.
• Secure accounts and payments by day 28.
• Brief a provider by day 42.
• Hand over admin by day 49.
• Review weekly and adjust by day 60.

• Mistakes owners make about what to keep in-house
• The never-outsource test: five questions for any process

Next step

Block two hours this week to start the keep list. Everything else in the plan builds on it.