The advantages of outsourcing have already been established and proven. However, it takes a lot of considerations to be able to finally land on the right outsourcing strategy, and one these considerations is whether to choose onshore outsourcing or offshore outsourcing for your business. Just because you need to save cost does not always mean that you have to go on offshore outsourcing. And just because offshore companies have different languages and culture from yours does not mean that they are less trustworthy and effective. Both strategies have their own strengths and weaknesses, which are still relative to your needs. To help you come up with a more sound decision, we list down some insights that you may also consider before making your outsourcing choice.
- Know the destination’s expertise – despite the many services being offered by offshore companies these days, there are still some projects that are too huge to be assigned offshore, or they may be skills that your own continent is good at. Most offshore destinations offer mostly the minor tasks, since the major goal of outsourcing is to let you focus on your core business functions. Basically, you need to know the outsourcing needs of your projects, first to know which destination is more appropriate.
- Gauge your willingness to trust – offshore outsourcing basically requires a stronger and more complicated kind of commitment and trust, compared to onshore outsourcing. Imagine entrusting a project to someone you haven’t met or will never meet, compared to outsourcing onshore where you can simply travel for some minutes to meet your outsourcing staff. Choose the management set-up you are most comfortable with.
- Context is very important – this idea is specifically relevant when it comes to production and design works. Although there are many ways to overcome cultural and language barriers already, when it comes to design concepts, there is no exact way on how to adapt to the design principles of other cultures. It still boils down to the cliché: “What’s beautiful for you, may not be beautiful for me.”
- Time Requirement – some employers are comfortable letting their staff work on their local time zone, while some would prefer to have their VAs work on the same time zone. Fortunately, there are more people in offshore destinations who are more willing to work in flexible schedules than in other developed countries. So the time coverage of your project or task will also affect your outsourcing considerations.
