How to effectively leverage Business Processing Outsourcers (BPOs):

Recently, my team and I have been collaborating with BPOs, and I wanted to share some valuable insights for customer service organizations considering offshoring certain processes.

Maintain open lines of communication:

BPOs may not have access to the same knowledge management systems, support, and updates as your internal team. Keeping them informed about significant changes in systems, processes, and personnel is crucial.

Start with simple processes:

It's best to begin by offloading straightforward processes to ensure successful onboarding. Once the BPOs become familiar and experienced with these simpler tasks, gradually introduce more complex ones.

Emphasize partnership:

Business needs evolve over time, and it's important to involve your BPO partners in understanding how the business is changing and what adjustments are necessary for success. For example, we recently collaborated with a vendor to develop a staffing plan that required more flexible staff resizing based on seasonal demands. Our goal was to ensure a plan that benefits both our business and the BPOs, without negatively impacting their operations. Striving for a win-win solution is vital.

Share a long-term capacity plan:

My capacity planner highlighted the importance of having a shared long-term capacity plan with the BPO's forecasting team. This alignment ensures both internal and BPO teams have clear expectations for staffing, leading to cost certainty and accurate service level projections.

Ultimately, treat your BPOs as essential stakeholders in your operations, and you'll establish a reliable partnership that enhances your customer service operations!