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Key takeaways
An outsourcing discovery session is the first working meeting with a possible provider, and it goes much further when you bring your shortlist of tasks with hours, volumes, systems, risks and what a right result looks like. A good provider will ask about exceptions, data and how you will check the work, not just headcount. Thirty minutes is enough with the right preparation.
- Bring your shortlist of 5 tasks with hours and volumes.
- Bring systems, data types and risks for each.
- Expect questions on exceptions, checks and access.
- Leave with a view of the first task and a costed outline.
Want to book a 30-minute discovery session? Message us on WhatsApp.
Chat on WhatsApp →Why prepare before the session?
Because without a task list, discovery becomes a general chat about outsourcing. With one, the provider can judge fit, spot hidden judgement, estimate effort and indicate cost for your actual work. You also learn more about the provider from how they question your list than from any sales deck.
What should you bring?
One page per shortlisted task is ideal.
- What the task is, its trigger and its output.
- Volume and hours a week.
- Systems used and access needed.
- Personal or sensitive data involved.
- Common exceptions and who handles them.
- What a right result looks like and how you would check it.
What should a good provider ask?
Listen for questions about exceptions, quality checks, data protection, access, peaks and the person inside who will own the relationship. A provider who only asks how many people you need, or promises to take everything, has not understood the work. Ask them how they would run the first four weeks.
What does this look like in practice?
A pattern we see: an owner arrives with one-page sheets for each shortlisted task. Within the session, two tasks are confirmed as strong first candidates, one is found to contain a pricing decision that should stay, and the owner leaves with a clear next step for the first handover.
Discovery session checklist
- Bring one page per shortlisted task.
- Include volumes, hours, systems and data.
- List exceptions and how you would check results.
- Note what the provider asks, not just says.
- Agree the first task and next step.
Next step
Prepare one page for each of your top five tasks. Then book a session and see how the provider questions them.
Message us on WhatsApp to book a 30-minute discovery session, or use the consultation form on our homepage.
Chat on WhatsApp →Sources and further reading
- The Sourcing and Consultancy Playbooks · Cabinet Office
- International transfers of personal data · Information Commissioner's Office
Frequently asked questions
What happens in an outsourcing discovery session?
You walk through the tasks you are considering with the provider, covering volumes, hours, systems, data, exceptions and how you will check the work. A good session ends with a view on which task to start with, what the handover would involve and an indication of cost.
What should I prepare for a first meeting with an outsourcing provider?
A shortlist of tasks, ideally one page each, with the trigger and output, volume and hours, systems and access needed, personal data involved, common exceptions and what a right result looks like. This lets the provider judge fit and effort accurately.
How do I judge a provider in discovery?
By the questions they ask. Good providers probe exceptions, quality checks, data protection, access, peaks and who owns the relationship on your side. Be wary of any provider who promises to take everything without asking how the work is done.
Written by
Global Bridge Labs (GBL) is a UK–Sri Lanka partner for social media, websites and BPO. Everything here comes from client delivery, not theory.
