Post-implementation review: did outsourcing work?

Key takeaways

A post-implementation review checks whether an outsourcing change delivered what the business case promised. Hold it about 90 days after the handover settles. Compare the baseline with current KPIs, list what went well and what did not, and make one of three decisions: continue as is, adjust, or stop. Keep it short, factual and written.

• Hold it about 90 days after the handover.
• Compare baseline KPIs with current results.
• Ask what went well, what did not and why.
• Decide: continue, adjust or stop.

What is a post-implementation review?

A post-implementation review is a structured look back at a change once it has bedded in, to see whether it achieved its aims and what was learned. The UK government's Green Book guidance on appraisal and evaluation treats evaluation after implementation as part of good decision-making. For a small business it can be a one-page document and a one-hour meeting.

• How outsourcing can improve business efficiency
• How to build a business case for outsourcing

When should you hold it?

Hold it about 90 days after the handover, once the learning period is over. Earlier, the numbers still reflect settling in. Later, problems may have become habits. Book the date when the handover starts, so it happens.

• How long before outsourcing makes you more efficient?
• Run an outsourcing pilot before you commit

What should the review cover?

Cover results against the baseline, cost against the business case, the experience of staff and customers, and what was learned. Keep each to a few lines.

• Efficiency KPIs before and after.
• Cost per task before and after.
• Senior hours returned and how they were used.
• Customer and staff feedback.
• What went well, what did not and why.
• Decision and next actions.

• Outsourcing efficiency KPIs: prove the work got faster
• How to measure the time outsourcing saves you

What does a review look like?

In an illustrative review of an outsourced customer inbox: first response fell from a day to three hours, resolution from four days to two, right first time rose from 85% to 95%, and the owner's time on the inbox fell from eight hours a week to one. Refund decisions still waited too long. Decision: continue, and delegate refunds under £50. Example figures.

• Response time vs resolution time: which one to improve
• Approval bottlenecks: when sign-off holds up the work

What should you decide at the end?

Decide one of three things. Continue, if results meet the case. Adjust, if results are mixed and the causes are fixable, with named actions and dates. Stop, if the process or the fit is wrong and cannot be fixed. Record the decision and the reasons.

• Switching BPO provider without losing service
• Continuous improvement in outsourcing: savings past year one

When does a review go wrong?

Reviews go wrong when there was no baseline, so opinions replace numbers, or when they turn into blame. Keep the focus on the process and the decision. If there was no baseline, use the review to set one for the next quarter.

• Why outsourcing sometimes fails to save money

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: an outsourced process runs for a year without a formal review, and nobody can say whether it worked. A 90-day review with the original baseline would have shown the gains and the one fix needed far earlier.

• See client work
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

Review checklist

Prepare these before the meeting.

• Baseline and current KPIs.
• Cost per task before and after.
• Senior hours returned.
• Customer and staff feedback.
• A proposed decision.

• Outsourcing efficiency checklist: 20 checks

Next step

Tell us what you outsourced and when. We will help you prepare a short review and reach a clear decision.