Getting started
At Conscensia we focus on making outsourcing easy and manageable for you and your business. Our start-up phase action plan is described in steps below:
- Partner selection
- Get to know your partner
- Decide what country to outsource to
- Investigate language issues
- Contact and contract
- Make a plan
- Price your finances
- Manage ownership
- Project completion
- Remember resources at home
At Conscensia we help you quickly and efficiently to implement this process so that we jointly ensure a strong and successful partnership between your business and its new employees.
Choosing and working with a partner
Just as in recruitment, outsourcing is all about chemistry and internal understanding. When you sign a contract with an outsourcing partner, you should view it in terms of a job interview. Remember to take the partner's experience on similar projects into consideration and do ask for references.
When the contract has been signed and the partnership commences, it is important that you and your partner learn to work together. For example, it may be a good idea to visit the country and the people who will be working on your project. Ensure that you arrange regular assessments and follow-up meetings.
Country, culture and language
Different countries have different cultures. Depending on your project, national preferences may impact on your choice of partner. On some projects, it may be important that your partners have extensive insight into the challenges facing your business. In which case you should probably select a partner whose culture has a great deal in common with Danish culture.
Are you able to communicate directly with the people working on your project? Or do you need to communicate through a project manager or interpreter? On some projects, it may be a great advantage if you are able to pick up the phone and call a specific developer yourself. Examine language levels from top to bottom in the organisation you will be working with.
Contact, contract and plan
Get professional help when you are signing the contract with your outsourcing partner. There are many pitfalls. Is your contract, for example, governed by Danish law? Or does the law in your partner's country apply? Ensure that you have written agreements in place that specify who your contacts with your partner are.
Ensure that you have a clear and manageable plan in place for e.g. partial delivery, deadlines and transfer of knowledge. Ensure that your plan is dynamic and can be adapted to your requirements. It is much easier for both you and your partner if you have precise plans in place governing the entire process.
Value and finances
Outsourcing is usually about reducing costs. This is why partners are most often selected on the basis of price. But remember to take elements such as quality, delivery time and the ability to scale projects into consideration. Outsourcing is not just about saving money – it is also about increasing value.
Ownership
Who owns the knowledge and experience being built up with your outsourcing partner during a project? Is everyone clear about the fact that you own the products being developed? Ensure that you have clear agreements in place on how ownership will be handled. Ensure that you are able to exploit the knowledge and experience being built up with your partner in subsequent projects.
Future plans and resources
You can become so focused on completing a project that you totally forget about life after it. Remember to consider product support as well as further development and correction of errors.
Outsourcing is about getting others to complete your project. It is easy to forget that resources need to be spent at home for e.g. project management, assessment and follow-up. Ensure that you are clear about role distribution and allocation of resources before you commence your project.