Outsourcing a process you do not understand

Key takeaways

Outsourcing a process you don't understand is risky, because you cannot judge whether it is being done well. You do not need to be able to do it yourself, but you do need to know what good output looks like, how to check it and what it should cost. Learn enough to manage it, or buy expertise and oversight together.

• Learn what good output looks like before you hand over.
• Ask the provider to explain the method in plain terms.
• Agree measures you can check without expertise.
• Get an independent check in the first quarter.

Why is outsourcing an unfamiliar process risky?

Because you cannot tell good work from poor work, a fair price from an inflated one, or a real problem from an excuse. A provider will run a process faithfully to its own standard, which may not be yours. Problems surface late, often as a penalty, a complaint or a failed audit.

• Which business processes should you outsource?
• Outsourcing decision mistakes UK SMEs make

How much do you need to understand?

Enough to answer four questions: what is the output, how do you know it is right, what could go wrong, and what should it take. You can learn this from a short walkthrough with the provider, a conversation with someone who has run the process, and the provider's own measures.

• What is the output?
• How do you check it is right?
• What could go wrong, and how would you know?
• How long should it take, and what should it cost?

• Can you measure it? The test every outsourced process needs
• Document your processes before you outsource

What should you ask the provider for?

A written method in plain language, the measures they use, a monthly report you can read, a named contact who will explain anything you question, and samples of output. A good provider welcomes questions; one that cannot explain its work simply is a warning sign.

• Questions to ask a BPO provider before signing
• BPO SLA examples you can adapt

When should you buy expertise instead?

When the process needs professional judgement, such as tax, legal or specialist technical work, buy it from a qualified professional who takes responsibility for the advice, rather than from a processing provider. An independent review in the first quarter is cheap insurance either way.

• BPO vs KPO: which one does your business need?
• Regulated processes: outsource the work, keep the duty

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: owners outsource a process precisely because they never understood it, then cannot tell whether things improved. A one-hour walkthrough before go-live usually gives them enough to manage it.

• See client work
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

Unfamiliar process checklist

Complete these before handing over.

• Walkthrough of the method.
• Plain-language description of good output.
• Measures you can check yourself.
• Monthly report format agreed.
• Named contact for questions.
• Independent check booked for month three.

• The process selection score: outsource, split or keep?
• Outsourced the wrong process? How to tell and what to do

Next step

Tell us which process you are unsure about. We will walk you through what good looks like and the measures you should ask for.