As discussed in "An Introduction to Outsourcing," just about any function of a company’s operations can be outsourced. Outsourcing office functions can benefit the company, but before you jump into the "outsourcing boat," you need to determine which areas, if any, could benefit from outsourcing. Think about the reasons why companies outsource as you consider the following areas that are outsourced on a regular basis.
Secretarial Outsourcing
If you are a small or one-person office, secretarial duties such as scheduling, confirming appointments and making travel arrangements can be outsourced on-site or to a person sitting at another location. Remember, with today’s technology, employees can be any where in the world. There is also opportunity to share an outsourced secretary across two or three offices if they are located in close proximity to each other.Every type of business has unique functions, most of which can be outsourced. For example, there is a company in California that can do your Real Estate back office operations for your business. In addition to secretarial duties, they will perform preparation of listing presentations, Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) and listing packages, closing transaction management and Multiple Listing Service (MLS) Management (just to name a few!).
Typing / Transcription Outsourcing
Clerical work that must be converted to written words in a specific format can be dictated and sent via e-mail or regular mail to an outside service specializing in that type of service. For example, medical or legal notes that need to converted to written words.Accounting / Financial Outsourcing
Opportunities are endless in this area. A quick glance in your local Yellow Pages® and you will find a list of accountants ready to help you prepare financial statements, general billing functions, special services for medical and legal billing, and payroll processing.Human Resources Outsourcing
With all the paperwork and forms that it takes to hire (and fire) an employee, outsourcing this area could benefit a small company that has a low hire or turnover rate. In addition, the administration of employee benefits can be outsourced.Customer Support Outsourcing
If your business manufactures or distributes a product that is technical in nature, customer support can become a major issue. Routine customer support calls can be answered by a call center to free up your employees to focus on pressing business issues. There are a variety of sizes to fit all needs, from small local companies to large centers located across the ocean.Sales and Marketing Outsourcing
Unless you have a degree and training in marketing, this area is best left to the professionals. Advertising campaigns, telemarketing and public relation tasks are just a few of the services that can be outsourced.I.T. Support Functions Outsourcing
Information Technologies (IT) is one of the largest areas of outsourcing. There are endless opportunities to outsource any range of services. In addition, this does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Some companies only outsource the areas that they do not have internal expertise for. These areas include:- Help Desk Operations
- Desk Top Support
- Network management
- Telecommunications
- Software Development
- Hardware Support
Distribution Outsourcing
Product distribution can be outsourced to common carriers such UPS and FedEx. In order to make this cost effective, a certain volume of commerce must be made every month. Every need is different and you should contact you local sales representative.Highly Specialized Functions
Finally, a multitude of high specialized functions can be outsourced, such as:- Project Management Outsourcing
- Engineering Outsourcing
- Construction / Contracting Outsourcing
