A keep list: record what stays in-house and why

Key takeaways

An in-house vs outsource list template, or keep list, records every decision and duty that stays inside the business, who owns it and why. It turns a vague sense of 'what we would never outsource' into a short document staff and providers can follow. Most SMEs end up with 10 to 15 items, reviewed once a year.

• One row per kept decision or duty, not per department.
• Columns: item, owner, deputy, reason and review date.
• Most SMEs keep 10 to 15 items.
• Share it with staff and every provider.

Why write a keep list?

Because unwritten boundaries move. A new manager, a helpful provider or a busy month can shift a decision outside the business without anyone choosing to. A written list makes the boundary clear, gives each item an owner and makes outsourcing conversations faster.

• Which business processes should you never outsource?
• Outsourcing red lines: write them down before you sign

What columns should the template have?

Keep it to one page.

• Item: the decision or duty kept.
• Reason: which of the five A's applies.
• Owner and deputy.
• What can move around it.
• Last reviewed and next review date.

• The never-outsource test: five questions for any process
• A decision rights matrix for outsourced work

What does a typical keep list contain?

Examples from a services SME of about 20 people.

• Approving payments over a set amount.
• Hiring and dismissal decisions.
• Pricing changes and discounts above a limit.
• Key client relationships and escalations.
• Master admin accounts and bank mandates.
• Data breach and regulator responses.

• Processes only the owner should run
• Bank mandates and payment authority: keep the keys

How do you use it day to day?

Share it with staff and providers, attach it to outsourcing contracts as part of the scope, and check new processes against it before handing them over. When someone asks 'can we outsource this?', the list gives a quick answer.

• Contract clauses that keep control with you
• Review what you keep in-house once a year

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: owners describe their boundaries differently each time they are asked. Writing a one-page keep list ends the debate and makes handing over new processes quicker.

• See client work
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

Keep list checklist

• List kept decisions and duties, not departments.
• Give each a reason, owner and deputy.
• Note what can move around each item.
• Share with staff and providers.
• Review yearly.

• Never-outsource checklist: 20 checks before you hand over
• Outsource part of a core process without losing control

Next step

Write your first five keep list items now. Most owners can do it in ten minutes.