subject: Basic Tenets To Build Successful Outsourcing Relationships [print this page] Here are a few basic tents to make an outsourcing relationships work
1.Desire to make it work: The number one driver to a successful outsourcing relationship is the desire to make it work. If all parties have a genuine desire to make it work, it will work. If any company feels pressured into outsourcing or is just doing it to "try" it or "see how it is" chances are it will not work well. I have seen many projects, both as a client and as a supplier of outsourcing relationships, fail to achieve their full potential because the desire and commitment was lacking.
2.Develop the approach: Every market research company has its own approach or model toward building new relationships. It is best to develop a robust and comprehensive approach to move client processes to its offshore service delivery locations, an approach that is enhanced with every new relationship or process. Our approach is simple and the fundamental philosophy is that the more time and energy we spend on upfront planning, the better the eventual outcome will be. When clients do not have time for upfront planning, using a four step methodology designed to set up a successful outsourcing relationship. The four steps involved are
a.Project planning and setting standards/points of reference
b.Staffing, training, and process kick-off
c.Live operations
d.Feedback loops and continuous improvement
These steps, coupled with detailed process sheets, dramatically influence the quality of deliverables and reduce the chance of errors.
3.Build Playbooks: For all significant engagements, creation of customized playbooks to ensure every process and quality step is followed. These playbooks establish clear standards,protocols, and processes to be followed by all parties to ensure consistency, error-free deliverables, and success. The Playbook clearly details roles and responsibilities, timelines,process flows, and quality control procedures. We have created playbooks for project setup,data processing, operations management, data collection, sample vendor selection, reporting, survey programming, and many other elements of the market research outsourcing process.
4.Focus on the "COPS": While there are many elements involved in building successful market research outsourcing relationships, the four key areas to focus on are Communication, Operations,Planning, and Staffing (COPS). Invariably these areas can make or break successful outsourcing relationships. Complying with these can ensure fewer headaches and a significantly enhanced probability of success
