What should you outsource first?

Key takeaways

What to outsource first: the process that scores highest on hours, cover, volume, speed and cost, and is easiest to document and check. For most UK SMEs that is enquiry and inbox handling, call answering, data entry or invoicing. Run it well for 8 to 12 weeks before adding a second process.

• Pick 1 process, not a function: the inbox, not all of customer service.
• Choose work that is high volume, low judgement and easy to measure.
• Inbox, calls, data entry and invoicing are the usual first choices.
• Run the first process for at least 8 weeks before adding a second.

How do you choose the first process to outsource?

Choose the process with the highest outsourcing score that is also the easiest to hand over. A high score means it costs you most to keep; easy handover means it will succeed quickly. The overlap of the two is your first process, and a quick early success makes every later step easier.

• Score each candidate on the five triggers.
• Rate how easy it is to write down and check, from 1 to 3.
• Pick the highest combined score.
• Check it is not your point of difference.

• When should a UK business consider outsourcing?
• The outsourcing trigger scorecard

Which processes do UK SMEs usually outsource first?

The common first choices share three features: clear rules, measurable output and a direct link to owner time or customer speed. They are also the processes where cover matters most.

• Enquiry and inbox handling: first replies, triage and follow-ups.
• Call answering and booking: fewer missed calls and filled diaries.
• Data entry and CRM updates: accuracy and time returned.
• Invoicing and credit control: faster payment and fewer overdue invoices.

• Outsourced inbox management
• Outsourced call answering for UK businesses
• Outsourced invoicing and credit control

What should you leave until later?

Leave complex, judgement-heavy or cross-team processes until the first one is running well. Complaints handling, refunds, supplier negotiation and anything touching payroll or regulated advice need more trust and more documentation. Add them once the provider has shown accuracy on simpler work.

• Which tasks a small business should outsource

Why start with one process rather than several?

One process lets you learn how to work with an outside team: how to document, review and give feedback. Those habits then transfer to every process after it. Starting with three at once triples the questions, the reviews and the risk, and makes it hard to tell what is working.

A single process also gives you a clean before-and-after measure, which makes the case for the next step.

• Run an outsourcing pilot before you commit

What does a first outsourced process usually cost?

Most first processes need a part-time seat rather than a full-time one. As indicative market ranges, managed offshore teams cost £9–£18 per hour and onshore UK teams £20–£35. A 15-hour-a-week offshore seat at £12 per hour is about £780 a month. Buying the same 15 worked hours every week from UK staff at about £16.27 per worked hour costs about £1,060 a month before overheads.

Add your internal owner's time, typically two to four hours a week for the first three months, and any setup fee. Compare the total with the cost per task you pay today, not only with a salary.

• BPO cost per hour in the UK
• How much should a small business budget to outsource?

How do you measure whether the first process worked?

Set two or three measures before you start and record a baseline for at least two weeks. For an inbox, measure time to first reply and emails carried over. For invoicing, measure days to invoice and overdue balance. Compare after 8 to 12 weeks.

• BPO scorecard and KPIs

How do you prepare the first process for handover?

Write it down, gather examples and set the limits. A one-to-two page procedure covering the ten most common cases, with real examples of good replies or completed records, is enough to start. Add a short list of what the team must escalate. The provider will improve the document with you during setup.

• A one-to-two page procedure for the ten most common cases.
• Five to ten real examples of good work.
• An escalation list with names and response times.
• Individual logins with only the access the process needs.

• Document your processes before you outsource

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see in UK mortgage and insurance brokers: advisers want to outsource everything admin at once. The better first step is case chasing, because it is repeatable, time-consuming and easy to measure. Once it runs well, application packaging and CRM updates follow.

• See client work
• Admin outsourcing for mortgage brokers
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

First process checklist

Use this to pick and launch your first process.

• List every candidate process with weekly hours.
• Score each on the five triggers.
• Rate each for ease of documenting and checking.
• Pick the highest combined score that is not core.
• Record a two-week baseline.
• Run it for 8 to 12 weeks before adding another.

Next step

Send us your shortlist of processes. We will tell you which one we would start with and why, and what the first 12 weeks should look like.