The pandemic has changed our world of work. Digitization has us firmly in its grip. Zoom or Teams are our new meeting rooms and are already standard. Home office and mobile working have found their way into companies more than ever and have convinced them.
The work-from-home movement has led to changed perspectives in many companies and opened up new opportunities for outsourcing. Whether it’s your own employees doing their work at home or external staff operating from the service provider’s office or the home office – the boundaries are fading. Outsourcing certain tasks to remote teams is an option for many entrepreneurs that they are now pursuing. A recent study by SD Worx, for example, shows that Germany has the highest willingness to outsource HR projects in Europe after the Corona pandemic. German companies are looking for external support, especially in social law matters, wage cost surveys, digitization as well as payroll accounting and recruitment.
The opportunities are obvious
Even before the pandemic, outsourcing tasks to external specialized service providers was a proven concept. Companies have access to expert knowledge that cannot or does not have to be provided themselves.
Are back-office processes such as payroll accounting or financial accounting value creation or administration? Smart companies have a clear focus on their core business and rely on the specialist, IT and digitization expertise of specialized partners for non-value-adding tasks. You will benefit from greater process and personnel efficiency, flexibility and cost transparency.
Fluctuation and internal resignations are among the biggest cost drivers in human resources. This risk is borne by the service provider. The outsourcing model eliminates the expense of short-term staff growth and the provision of in-house personnel.
According to the HR report “Monster Insights 2021” by the job board Monster, the desire for reliable personnel among employers has currently increased. 43 percent of the companies surveyed consider reliability in applicants to be particularly important, followed by the ability to work in a team (33 percent), flexibility (28 percent) and commitment (27 percent). Service level agreements agreed with the service provider ensure this reliability. They include assured performance characteristics such as scope and quality of services. Response times and processing times are precisely specified in it, among other things.
Another advantage is the cost variabilization. The services are charged according to effort, so that with a lower workload, there are also lower costs for the client.
In the past, the physical distance and the resulting lack of communication with external personnel were often seen as a disadvantage in cooperation with external service partners. With digitization and the increasing naturalization of the use of appropriate tools, this supposed obstacle is a thing of the past.
What is important now when it comes to outsourcing?
- Klarheit verschaffen Es sollte Klarheit darin bestehen, was ausgelagert werden soll und welche genaue Erwartungshaltung gegenüber dem Service-Partner besteht. Welche Arbeiten sollen im Unternehmen verbleiben? Ist möglicherweise eine schrittweise Auslagerung die beste Lösung? Welche Vorstellung von der Zusammenarbeit gibt es? Welches Ziel wird mit Outsourcing verfolgt? Zudem sollte Klarheit hinsichtlich der Konsequenzen bestehen, die mit dem Schritt der Auslagerung verbunden sind. Welche Veränderungen ergeben sich? Welche Risiken bestehen? Spezialisierung nutzen bedeutet auch sich in Abhängigkeit zu begeben. Da Outsourcing jedoch für Prozesse erfolgt, die nicht direkt an der Wertschöpfung beteiligt sind, spielt der Verlust von Know-how im Grunde eine geringe Rolle. Dennoch sollte das Vorgehen im Trennungsfall abgeklärt sein, um die ausgelagerten Prozess abzusichern.
- Zeit investieren Ein erfolgreiches Outsourcing-Vorhaben ist gut vorzubereiten. Frühzeitig sollten beteiligte Fachabteilungen eingebunden werden, um Aufwand und Kosten von Anfang an realistisch bewerten zu können. Ebenso ist ausreichend Energie in die Projektplanung zu stecken. Hierbei kann der externe Partner bereits wertvolle Unterstützung leisten. Die betreffenden Arbeitsabläufe sind detailliert zu dokumentieren, Unternehmensspezifika sind herauszustellen, um in Zusammenarbeit mit dem externen Partner den smarten Soll-Prozess zu definieren und klare Regelungen für die Zusammenarbeit zu treffen. Präzise Service Level Agreements, eindeutig formuliert und übersichtlich strukturiert, sind das Ergebnis und bilden die Grundlage einer für Klarheit und Zufriedenheit in der Kooperation.
- Sorgfalt bei der Partnerwahl Dreh- und Angelpunkt für ein langfristig erfolgreiches Outsourcing ist der richtige Partner. Bei der Auswahl des BPO-Partners sollte daher genau hingesehen werden und auch das Bauchgefühl nicht außer Acht gelassen werden. Was macht einen passenden Service-Partner aus?
The focus should be on the following points:
Check target achievability: The goal pursued by outsourcing is to be clearly formulated, to communicate openly with the BPO partner and to keep an eye on it at all times. Outsourcing must be worthwhile for the company. In an open exchange with the service provider, a realistic assessment should be made so that the project can become a win-win.
Price-performance must be right: Costs are not everything. Above all, professional quality and performance are decisive. Of course, outsourcing should generally not be more expensive than in-house work in the long run. However, quality and effectiveness also have their price. Here you have to look in detail at which points the extra for the money arises. Clearly, BPO partners can pass on the benefits of specialization to their customers. However, depending on the type of tasks to be outsourced, this should not be the only focus. This is because, in addition to monetary advantages, there are also many non-monetary advantages to outsourcing.
Check security and digitization competence: In addition to simply taking on administrative tasks, modern service providers are also strong partners in terms of IT and digitalization. Whether modern software, digital workflows or robotic process automation, the need for regular investments in the relevant areas lies with the service provider as well as maintenance and development. Great attention must also be paid to the points of data storage, data protection and compliance. BPO service providers should be able to prove appropriate requirements and certificates in this regard.
Attach importance to eye level and the “human fit”: Companies and service providers must fit together. Does it fit in terms of the size of the service provider? What will be the priority of the external partner? Does it fit in terms of attitude? Is the service provider acting rather conservatively or is it proactive and willing to take modern paths? A partnership at eye level is the key to success. Above all, the chemistry between the people involved must be right.
The future lies in specialization
With Corona and the dynamics of the demands on one’s own corporate world, the awareness of the separation of duties is higher than ever. Outsourcing makes sense, but it is not taken lightly. Companies can use the expertise of external specialists to uncover the potential of their support processes and thus prepare themselves for the future.
Are you thinking about outsourcing and digitization in payroll or accounting? Feel free to come and exchange ideas with our experts.
Image Credit: Unsplash, Photographer: Raj Rana
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