Satisfaction with a purchase comes when our expectations are met or exceeded. The same holds for outsourcing: if the decision to switch to an external provider was based on certain assumptions, but what you got at the end of the day did not meet your expectations, it's time to figure it out.
The prerequisites and reasons for transitioning to outsourcing can vary from company to company, but the expectations and hopes of each party at different stages of interaction are often as follows:
During the negotiation stage (before signing the services agreement)
Company:
- verifies the provider's viability (compliance with declared criteria, ability to resolve doubts, etc.)
- hopes the provider will solve its problems in the present, future, and even past.
- thinks the simpler the request and the less information it contains, the lower the final cost of services will be.
Provider:
- hopes the company provides accurate and complete information
- strives to understand the client's specifics (e.g., details of the steps for approving employee leave requests).
During the implementation stage
Company:
- expects the provider to do everything earlier than agreed
- is confident that the provider will puzzle out all the 14 versions of the databases that were shared ("they are professionals, after all!").
Provider:
- assumes the company is ready to provide accurate and comprehensive information within the agreed timeframe
- expects the client company to have a specialist who can answer questions about processes.
During the service delivery stage
Company:
- expects the provider to perform better than the company's internal staff or the previous provider
- thinks the provider will do everything as instructed by the company
- hopes the provider operates 24/7 and can process the request of any complexity within 10 minutes.
Provider:
- expects the company to promptly inform them of circumstances affecting service delivery and to provide necessary data
- hopes the client company values both their own and the provider's time.
Of course, this list should also include the personal expectations of all participants involved in the negotiations and service delivery. Sometimes these expectations contradict those of the team as a whole, complicating the interaction process. However, many points overlap, meaning there is a basis for mutual satisfaction from cooperation.
What needs to be done?
- Carefully read the text above
- During initial negotiations and contractor selection, provide maximum information about the specifics of accounting in the company.
This information is crucial for the provider to correctly model the process and anticipate all possible scenarios in advance (ranging from the number of process participants to potential software customizations). This will help the company avoid risks associated with additional costs for unforeseen stages and work not covered by the contract. - Ask 1001 questions about everything that interests you.
The more transparent each stage of the project is to you, the more aspects of service delivery you discuss with your partner (both before and after signing the contract), the easier it will be for you to create a Customer Journey Map (CJM) that will be easy to manage and adapt in the future. -
Talk about your concerns, discuss potential risks, and the conditions under which they may arise.
This is the only way to avoid inflated expectations from both sides, establish quality relationships, and demonstrate readiness for a partnership approach. -
Make the contract accessible to all participants in the service delivery and receipt process before it is signed by the parties.
Often the managers not being daily practicing experts, may overlook a sub-clause in the service specification or its wording, while for a specialist, this may be of fundamental importance. Consequently, the result of service delivery/receipt may also differ. -
Involve all the participants in the service delivery process in discussions after developing the project roadmap.
This should be done on the one hand to create a common information field between the client's and the provider's representatives (both during the implementation phase and later) and on the other hand agree upon all possible nuances to avoid misunderstanding. -
Keeping the arrangements.
Just as the client expects timely and quality service delivery from the provider, the provider expects the client to adhere to the terms, formats, and procedures for providing information. For the provider delays in receiving input data or its constant revision can be critical.
In any case, the process of service delivery is always a matter of interaction between the parties. And our satisfaction with the result depends on how well this interaction is structured.