Niyamath Parveez

Having already examined the who and what with regards to outsourcing the next obvious topic to consider is the where but some people may be wondering if the where has not already been examined? It is fair to say that when thinking about which firm to work with or the services they need to offer in order for the partnership to be a success that the location of the outsourcing firm needs to be factored in. This is very true but it is vital to give a deeper level of consideration to the geographical location of the outsourcing firm as there are many issues, some of which will not be thought of immediately, that will have a huge impact on the partnership.

There are many countries in the world which have benefitted greatly from outsourcing with India, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the Philippines all offering a great service for firms looking for outsourcing opportunities. This proves that many different nations can be a success in this role but they all have their own difficulties and problems to overcome and this is something that needs to be remembered when working with offshore providers. Do they have the same level of quality control or enough talent in the workforce? Will they be able to call on an adequate level of suppliers to make the best product possible or will they be let down? If an outsource supplier is let down, this will inevitably lead to problems to the firm who outsourced the work in the first place so it is extremely important to ensure that the full supply chain will be able to cope with any difficulties that may arise. Partnerships that appear perfect on paper can be extremely difficult in the real world and this need to be remembered by firms and companies who are looking to offshore their outsourcing needs.

Not every country has the same level of electrical or IT support which means there may be certain hours of the day when difficulties are more likely to occur. With the difference in time zones, this may not be as treacherous as it could be if the timing is of a beneficial nature to the firm but if it is going to negatively impact on the ability of the firm, there has to be a consideration made about these factors. Even the transportation infrastructure has to be considered because if staff cannot make it into their work on a scheduled basis, the firm will have difficulties in providing a finished product. This is true for call center work as much as it is for manufacturing and production.

Utilizing offshore outsourcing services is a tremendous way for firms to get great value for money and reduce their own costs but if there are geographical issues and problems that will negatively affect the product or service then it may not be in the best interest to use this supplier. It is important to consider every aspect of location and geographical impact when trying to make the best possible decision for outsourcing.