As outsourcing moves up the value ladder in organizations, so do the complexities of outsourcing services. It is no longer just service delivery but a partnership between the organization and outsourcing provider. This is why a collaborative environment is key to gaining success in outsourcing partnerships.
Companies have acknowledged this as 66 percent cited the need for creating a structure for collaboration as the most important action they need to undertake to motivate desired actions or results in outsourcing relationships according to the Outsourcing Center’s Outsourcing Excellence Awards Program in 2010.
Building a Collaborative Environment
Collaboration in outsourcing doesn’t just include “brainstorming”, or having the company and outsourcing provider discussing their ideas to the table. It isn’t talking to each other across the table, it’s talking with each other on the same side of the table, discussing ideas, developing plans and mapping out action steps to achieve goals.
This requires mutual trust and needs to start at the beginning of a partnership. This is why participants of the study agreed that an outsourcing provider that looks for a long-term relationship firsthand and has a track record of positive collaborative work with other clients should rank high when considering looking for a partner. The same perspective applies from the outsourcing provider. They need to look for organizations that look for partners, not just vendors.
Acknowledging that achieving success is a shared responsibility and mutual investment is required are keys to effectively building a fruitful collaborative environment. (more…)