Outsourcing Archives - GUJRAT INDIA

Project Outsourcing: Why ALL Businesses Should Consider Outsourcing An Integral Part of Business

OUTSOURCING: AN OVERVIEW

Businesses of all kinds can and do benefit from the tool of outsourcing every day. Businesses large and small have been outsourcing every day projects for many years. The businesses that use outsourcing as a tool to enhance and grow their business already know the value that outsourcing brings to their organization. Outsourcing is a business process term for what has literally become known as hiring a consultant, independent contractor, or freelancer to do a specific task or tasks for an organization in which the organization either does not have the time or the expertise to do on their own. The organizations that have used outsourcing for many years know that with the positives it brings to the organization that it is also important to have a well managed plan of action for hiring a consultant or contractor for a business task. This includes deciding which projects or tasks to outsource, whom to hire for these tasks, how to manage the project, how to agree on payment terms, and how to achieve the desired results. There are many forms of outsourcing ranging from outsourcing payroll to outsourcing package handling, to everything in between. Small businesses hiring a self-employed accountant to handle the corporate tax returns are in essence hiring a tax consultant. Large corporations that hire outside customer service firms to handle their customer support are outsourcing that function of their business to focus more on their core business functions. It is entirely possible to outsource practically every business process within an organization.

OUTSOURCING TOOLS

There are a wealth of tools available for the organization looking to outsource business processes. Companies such as SmartyLance.com, enable a business to post a project to a project marketplace and receive bids from experts in the field. These type of freelance sites match companies with freelance professionals, consultants, and independent contractors. There are many advantages for a business to use services such as SmartyLance. First, the marketplace enables businesses to use a centralized location to post their project, receive bids on that project, communicate with potential providers, choose a winning bid (either based on lowest cost or based on the credentials, expertise, or prior feedback of a particular provider), manage the project specifications, receive the delivered project and make final payment based on the terms of the auction. This centralized marketplace provided by SmartyLance greatly streamlines the entire outsourcing process and enables the business owner or manager to have greater control over the entire outsourcing process.

INCREASING COMPETITION

Competition is a complicated subject for many people. Ultimately, competition is good for the consumer, whether the consumer is an individual or a business, competition enables products and services to maintain high quality and low cost. Although many people dislike competition because it forces action to improve quality, the benefits to the overall economy even result in improved products and services for the very people that dismiss competition and the headaches it sometimes brings. Freelance marketplaces such as SmartyLance are no exception in that competition improves the overall quality and value for the project buyer and causes the freelance provider to adjust to market conditions in a practical, intelligent manner to win new business. The benefits to the company looking to hire freelancers are obvious. For example, Company A can compile a list of consultants to work on the design of their new company logo. This list may include a multitude of design firms from the same geographical area. Company A would be required to submit an RFP by contacting each design firm individually, stating the requirements of their project and requesting a quote based on the requirements. Many factors come into play in deciding which design firm Company A will choose. Chances are, that using this approach, Company A will end up paying too much for the project and will only have a handful of providers to choose from. Company B also must outsource the design of their new company logo. Rather than compile lists of design firms, which can result in overpriced quotes, Company B decides to post their logo design project to the SmartyLance marketplace. Doing so enables Company B to get competitive bids that help ensure that Company B gets the most competitive price for their project. By posting the logo design project to SmartyLance, Company B not only reduced costs associated with the project, they had access to specialists and skilled professional designers from around the world that were competing to give Company B the best cost and highest quality design for their money. The entire process was managed easily through Company B’s SmartyLance account enabling them to keep in contact, manage project specifications, manage competing bids, and send payment easily and securely through one of several different payment methods. An escrow account enabled Company B to ensure that payment wasn’t released to the provider until all project requirements were met. Company B successfully outsourced the logo design project and was able to save several hundred dollars. They also received the project several days quicker than Company A. In this example of Company A and Company B, we see that Company A had limited its ability to find a skilled professional and limited its ability to save money on the project. Company B took full advantage of all the resources and benefits of the SmartyLance marketplace and was able to save time and money. By outsourcing critical business functions that are not core business functions, the organization greatly benefits through a savings of time and money which in turn benefits us all through decreasing costs that are passed down to the consumer.

TO OUTSOURCE OR NOT TO OUTSOURCE?

That is the question many small business owners and large corporations alike are asking themselves each and every day. Risks are inherent in any new business strategy or thought process. However, like any business decision, risk can be managed. By intelligently choosing a provider that matches your intended skill requirements, carefully detailing and outlining your project requirements, and ensuring that you maintain the requirements within budget, the benefits can far outweigh the risks.

One of the more common fears among some larger organizations that may be reluctant to outsource projects is a fear of the unknown. This fear stems from the inherent inability to oversee each and every aspect of the project from start to finish and to evaluate each step along the way. Internal employees devoted to a project are more easily evaluated and can be guided through performance and work appraisals. Managers may feel that outsourced projects are more difficult to oversee and manage with an eagle eye. The fact of the matter is that so long as there are well-defined contractual obligations and project reporting requirements, an outsourced project can in fact result in a more manageable outcome than actually thought. Also, the talent pool and skills obtained that may be completely unavailable to the organization allow the organization to reach milestones and achieve success that may never have been possible with their current employees.

OUTSOURCING CONTROVERSY

The outsourcing controversy that is making headlines today is the public opinion of outsourcing jobs to other countries. This includes manufacturing of products, such as those that are “Made In China” as well as service outsourcing such as computer programming that is outsourced to skilled workers in India. One can argue that outsourcing projects overseas is taking opportunity away from workers in their native country. Others may contend that outsourcing projects, whether it’s overseas or in the same country is a great opportunity that will improve business processes, improve productivity, reduce costs and have an overall positive effect on the economy, thus creating more new jobs and specialized jobs in specific skill areas. All businesses are consistently looking for ways to increase productivity and lower costs. From an economic standpoint, increasing productivity and lowering costs are essential elements for business success. Business success, in turn leads to more growth, which leads to new job creation, be it in a more specialized skill area or through the development in new types of jobs in new specialized areas.

OUTSOURCED BUSINESS PROCESSES

As mentioned previously, practically any business process not related to the core business activity can be outsourced. Some examples of commonly outsourced business processes include:

Accounting and Finance

Graphic Design & Multimedia

Sales and Telemarketing

Web Design and Development

Administrative Support and Data Entry

Business Strategy, Advertising, Business Plans, Consulting

Legal, Contracts, Copyright, Corporate, Incorporation

Software and Technology, Database Development

Writing and Translation, Copy Writing, Creative Writing

Press Releases

A REWARDING CAREER

Having a specialty or skill in a particular business area can enable you to begin a career as a consultant or freelancer. Freelancing enables you to have the flexibility to work on your own and on your own schedule. You can choose which projects match your skill set and decide which types of freelance projects that you would be interested in working on. There are numerous sources available to find freelance work. Some sources include browsing freelance directories, job boards, and registering with talent auction sites such as SmartyLance. All of these resources are filled with potential jobs. In comparison, it seems that talent auctions are the most comprehensive resources offering the most flexibility to both the freelancer and the company hiring a freelancer. They offer the breadth and depth of listings and the simplicity to bid on numerous projects as well as services enabling the handling of the entire payment process through a service provider account with the talent auction site. Bidding on projects requires much discipline and planning. Before placing a bid or giving a quote on a project, the freelancer must take into account many factors including the length of time required for the project completion, the budget the service buyer can afford, and whether or not they can actually meet the requirements to complete the project. It is also important to keep in mind that developing relationships with service buyers can lead to more work in the future. Developing a relationship with service buyers and meeting or exceeding their project expectations will enable you to develop a client base that allows you to practically always have new projects to work on.

COMPETITION FOR PROJECTS

There will always be competition in all forms of business. Competition for freelance projects is fierce. One of the major ways to compete and win is to make yourself stand out from the rest of the crowd. You can start by fine tuning your resume. This will force you to think about your accomplishments as well as your exact skills and abilities. There are numerous services that can help you with your resume, including ResumeEdge. Using a service to help you with your resume will enable you to better explain your accomplishments and present them in a manner that will captivate and impress the reader. Especially if you are an independent freelancer, having your resume retooled by ResumeEdge will allow you to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Many freelance service buyers will wish to see a list of your accomplishments and your skills. If you register as a service provider with a freelance marketplace such as SmartyLance, they offer several different options that enable you to stand out above the crowd. First, there are different subscription levels when registering. There is a Limited subscription, a Novice subscription or a Professional subscription. Each higher level subscription offers more options to the service provider. Every service provider does have the ability to post a profile, detailing various information about their abilities. Limited subscriptions limit the cost range in which a service provider can bid. For example, a Limited service provider can only bid on projects with a price range less than one thousand dollars. Novice subscription service providers can bid on projects less than five thousand dollars, and Professional subscription service providers can bid on any service level project. Several added bonuses with the Novice and Professional subscription levels include the ability to purchase credential verification services as well as the ability to post “Buy Now” projects. Credential verification services enable you to post information related to your references, certifications, licenses, education and previous employment. Simply adding these options to your account gives you a special designation stating that your information has been checked and verified as being true and accurate by the freelance marketplace. This designation gives you an added level of credibility making you stand out from the rest of the service providers and enabling you to showcase your achievements and abilities, giving a service buyer confidence in choosing you to complete their project. This will undoubtedly lead to more work and more projects coming your way. In addition to verifying your credentials, you have the ability to showcase a portfolio of your previous work. This allows you to show the service buyers your achievements and your successes with previous clients. Showcasing your portfolio is another important aspect that gives the service buyer confidence in your ability. Finally, the higher level subscriptions enable you as a service provider to offer “Buy Now” solutions. Similar to purchasing products immediately without bidding as on major product auctions such as Ebay, “Buy Now” solutions enable freelance service providers and consultants to make a solution available to all service buyers for a specific set price. For example, a freelance graphic design firm may create a “Corporate Identity Package”, enabling a service buyer to purchase this package that may include the graphic design of a logo, along with designs for letterhead, business cards, and banner ads. Another example could be from a lawyer or legal consultant who creates an incorporation package that includes corporate setup and incorporation services for all fifty states, creation of shareholder agreements, employment agreements, and registered agent services all for a set price. These simple examples of “Buy Now” services enable freelance consultants and independent contractors to create easy options for service buyers who are looking for simple solutions and quick turnaround time. Service providers also enjoy creating these type of services because it enables them to focus on their core interests and abilities. Only higher level subscriptions such as the Novice or Limited subscriptions enable freelance service providers to post “Buy Now” projects. The beauty of these additional options as a freelance service provider is that you can focus on one specific aspect of your business. If you are a consultant for a graphic design firm and you simply enjoy creating and designing corporate logos and identities, then you can find work specifically in this area by posting your own “Buy Now” solution. If you are a lawyer working for your own legal firm and your passion is new business setups and incorporation services, then you can steer projects your way with a “Buy Now” solution posted on a freelance marketplace like SmartyLance.

CONCLUSION

These are only a few examples of the many opportunities that exist as a freelancer. Whether you are a small business, an individual, or a large corporation, this article simply serves as a guide to help you in your quest to use outsourcing to your advantage to help your business grow and flourish. Outsourcing, when done correctly, can benefit your business in so many different ways. The two most obvious benefits are a savings of time and money. From the freelancer’s standpoint, this article has been developed to help educate and guide you with the many options available to find work as well as to delve into the minds of freelance service buyers. Knowing their concerns and understanding the reasons for choosing one service provider over another will greatly benefit you by enabling you to increase your odds for getting new business. Understanding the concerns and needs of service buyers will lead to your gains as a service provider. If you are able to provide enough people with services that they wish to have, then you will always be in demand.

Outsourcing Transcription to Offshore Providers – Key to Reducing Healthcare Costs?

Outsourcing medical transcription work to offshore service providers has proven extremely effective in reducing overall transcription costs of individual health practitioners, clinics and hospitals. Organizations who outsource their work to offshore transcription providers save anywhere from 40 to 70 percent of the cost compared to doing the transcription in-house, or utilizing U.S.-based medical transcriptionists.

The other important advantage is that aside from the cost savings, there is the important aspect of a significant increase in quality of transcribed work because of the multiple editing and quality assurance steps built into the processes of offshore transcription providers, unlike U.S.-based individual transcriptionists which are primarily one-person operations. With outsourced transcription, you have an entire transcription organization servicing your needs: transcriptionists, editors, quality assurance specialists, efficient organizational processes.

The cost savings are possible because of the availability of highly-skilled, low cost medical graduates in prominent outsourcing destinations such as India and the Philippines. Based on a salary survey report for medical transcriptionists conducted by Payscale, the median salary for hospital-based medical transcriptionists is around $31,287 per annum, or approximately $2,600 per month. In contrast, the average salary of a medical transcripionist in the Philippines, based on an online salary survey conducted by Jobstreet, the leading online job portal of the Philippines, is a maximum of $280 per month! This is 89 percent cheaper compared to the salaries of their U.S. counterparts. Even if you factor in the supporting quality check personnel, Philippine-based service providers still offer significant savings compared to U.S.-based transcriptionists. To illustrate:

A Philippine-based transcriptionist earns $280 per month
The support costs (salaries of editors, quality assurance specialists, admin, office costs, utilities) are more or less equivalent to effectively $300 per transcriptionist
Assume that the medical transcription service organization marks up by around 30%, therefore, you add another $174 per transcriptionist per month representing profits of the service organization.
Combine the three items and you get a figure of $754 per transcriptionist per month cost, significantly lower versus U.S.-based costs.
Compare this $754 per transcriptionist per month cost for outsourced transcription with the $2,600 per month salary of U.S.-based medical transcriptionists, and you get savings of $1,846 per transcriptionist per month, or 71 percent in potential savings!

The forecast U.S. medical transcription spending in 2010 is around $16.8 billion. Currently, only 40 percent of U.S. transcription work is outsourced to offshore providers. Outsourcing the remaining 60 percent transcription work to offshore providers represents a significant cost savings opportunity. Outsourcing this remaining 60 percent of the work to offshore providers, therefore, represent possible savings equivalent to $6.2 billion per year ($16.8 billion x balance 60% outsourced x 60% cost saving). Outsourcing transcription work, therefore, is a significant opportunity for reducing U.S. healthcare costs.

Rapidera Technologies IT Outsourcing Services and Web Solutions

Rapidera Technologies is one of leading software company in India. We provide IT Outsourcing, Website Development, iOS app Development, Android App Development, Salesforce Development services, Data science services. We have Expertise teams in Android, iOS, ionic, Java, UI Design, WordPress, PHP, Salesforce, Angular JS, React Native, HTML, CSS and Many Technologies.

Rapidera Technologies Providing IT Services / IT Outsourcing services since from last seven years. We have IT Outsourcing clients from USA, UK, Australia. We successfully completed and served 35+ of enterprise level software outsourcing projects.

Rapidera Technologies started in May 2011 with the explicit aim of building great products on mobile and web for its customers. The founder is a B.Tech. From IIT Delhi and MBA from IIM Calcutta and 16 years of industry experience. He spent eleven years in the US in consulting and in several senior management jobs in technology space. The board of advisors are Silicon Valley veterans in mobile and SaaS space.

IT Outsourcing-

We are an Indian software development company focused on one thing – IT Outsourcing. Rapidera offers IT Outsourcing services for developing innovative software’s & web applications. IT outsourcing services is one of the most Cost optimum and convenient method of reducing overall operational cost of a business while furnishing it with high quality solutions for all the IT requirements. Our global software outsourcing model makes sure we deliver maximum targeted result to you. We provides IT outsourcing to many small and medium business in UK, USA, Australia etc.

Website Development –

Rapidera Technologies is a website designing company in Pune. We provide services such as Static Website Designing, Responsive Website Design, Dynamic Website Designing with Content Management System (CMS) also we provide Web Development, E-commerce Web solutions, Ecommerce website development, Ecommerce development using open frameworks like joomla, WooCommerce, magento, WordPress, opencart, Shopping Cart Development, PHP & Mysql Portal Development.

Page Coders is one of the best service providers in Pune using latest technologies like HTML5, AngularJs, CSS3, Magento,PHP, MYSQL, WordPress, jQuery, Joomla, CodeIgniter etc to make your website perfect & user-friendly.

iOS app Development –

Rapidera Technolgoies is a leading mobile app development company stand up’s among the best mobile app development companies when it comes to developing inventive customized mobile apps. We are skillful in iOS app development team with our promise towards creating the best apps with the latest technologies available. We are a leading iPhone app development company in India with experts team of iPhone app developers.

Rapidera Technolgoies is a complete custom iPhone apps design and development company Proficient and experienced in the iPhone application development service space, Rapidera Technologies is an iPhone Application Development Company which boasts of enterprise-grade quality of iPhone Application Development Service.

Android App Development –

Rapidera Technologies is prominent Android app development company offering professional android app development services. We are here to make easiest for you to get your Android application developed and deployed.

Salesforce Development services –

We are an offshore custom Salesforce development company based in India with a Global Customer footprint with 7 Years of Salesforce Development experience developing Custom Solutions and Workflows for Salesforce CRM.

Data science services –

We offer Data Science Consulting which helps companies to get value from these large amounts of data to help business growth and efficiency. Rapidera Technologies provides Data Science services and solutions which best suit the client’s ETL Process.

For more information visit our website –

Rapidera Technologies

http://www.rapidera.com/

703, Deron Heights, 7th Floor,

Above Ranka Jewellers, Baner Road, Baner

Pune 411045 India.

rapidera_phone

India – 020-27293428

USA – (001) 4158831568 / 4156869061

Email – sales@rapidera.com

Data Entry and Benefits of Data Entry Outsourcing for Business

Data Entry is a procedure for handling, processing and entering of data or information into the computer. Data or information is a found new ways for business. Without data or information, company cannot go ahead and become successful. Data is most essential for any type of organizations of various industry verticals like medical, insurance, banking, commercial, financial, educational, social, etc. Data entry is the best option for proper management of information and helpful to keep the business running smoothly and effectively. It becomes very easy, with the help of outsourcing.

In present competitive market, there are large number of outsourcing company available and providing customized data entry solution as business need at very reasonable rate. Outsourcing companies are providing wide range of business and professional services like online and offline entry, document and image processing, image entry, insurance claim entry, book typing, medical record entry, report copy typing, copy typing etc.

Outsourcing data entry has a large list of benefits for business some of few are mentioned below:

All in one: Outsourcing company have an ideal collection of allied services, which include, data conversion, PDF conversion, word conversion, OCR clean up, PDF to DOC conversion, data processing, and much more.

Best services: All outsourcing companies have vast experience and highly qualified professionals with latest technologies to deliver proper result quickly. To meet accurate output for your business they developed advanced infrastructure with reliable technological instruments, security systems etc.

Save cost and resources: Outsourcing is very helpful to save up to half and cost behind total operations. You can lower down your capital cost behind in house process. By outsourcing you can save your resources and spend it into further business productivity.

Maximized ROI: Outsourcing brings an ideal deal to the companies for maximize return of investment. In this way, the companies can reduce the expenditure of resources and increase the efficiency and productivity. As the result of which, a clear result with high profits.

I think that all above benefits are enough for data entry outsourcing. But it must require outsourcing a genuine company.

4 Types of Outsourcing Data Entry Services

In present era of globalization, it is required for any type of business to manage all data and information handy and easy accessible. Data entry is a best option with its multitude advantages but it consumes your times. In this competitive business world no one can afford time so outsourcing is become most favorite term. And data entry services are become most popular term for outsourcing.

Internet and batter communication strategies made data entry outsourcing easier. Low pricing, rapid service and accurate result also attract business for outsourcing. There are many types of data entry services available in market depth here we are talking about most important 4 types as defined as below:

Online data entry: It is a process of entering information into online databases or applications. This service includes medical forms, shipping documents, insurance claims, e-books and catalogs data entry. Outsourcing companies have reliable resources like high-speed broadband connection and well configured computer system to accomplish the task rapidly and accurately.

Offline data entry: It includes offline form filling, offline database entry, URL list collection, offline data collection etc. It is most requirements of various types of businesses like telecoms, medical, insurance, social, commercial, financial and others. To complete this task speedily, offshore outsourcing company have skilled experts with good typing speed and latest IT equipments.

Numeric data entry: It is a process of managing digits or numeric information and data into various formats like HTML, XML, EXCEL, WORD and Access. In this service includes medical billing, examination results, identity details, business reports, survey report, estimated budget, numeric information and more… It is very complicated task, outsourcing company make it easier with its expertise. For outsourcing just send requirements in any format and sure get quality output.

Textual data entry: It is mainly used for E-book creation as it is easy to keep and easy to access anywhere. It involves mailing lists, word processing, yellow page listings, manuscript typing, e-books and legal documents. This service offer outputs in various formats like HTML, Frame Maker, XML, PDF, GIF, JPG, TIFF, PageMaker, Excel, Word and QuarkXPress.

All above services is vital for any sized business and organization. With the help of IT outsourcing services you can get effective solution with huge savings of time and cost.

Outsourcing Your Payroll Can Save You Time and Money! What Can Outsourcing Your Payroll Do For You?

It is that time again; time to process your payroll. Why not make that headache go away and see what outsourcing your payroll can do for you. It does not matter rather your business is big or small hours can better be spent on the operational and financial aspect of it. Payroll itself can be time consuming, and with law as, changing on a regular basis in this difficult economic time this is just one more thing that you cannot afford to make mistakes that will cost you money. This is because so many factors play into it like; full-time hourly, part-time hourly, seasonal, salaried part-time, and the list keeps going. To top it all off you have vacation accruals and even bonuses to configure, not to mention handling the direct deposits and manual checks. After all that than you have taxes that come up. No wonder just the thought of payroll and getting everything ready for payday can give you a headache.

Take a moment and see how much time and money that you spend processing your payroll. There are many business’ still tracking their payroll for their employees in spreadsheet, hand-written checks or in the worst case not paying payroll at all. Processing the payroll by hand can become a full-time job by itself, not only have to do it weekly or biweekly, and sometimes monthly there are other deadlines and commitments that have to be met. Quarterly and annual requirements, which easily can be forgotten, the potential penalties that you may incur can put your business in financial distress. With all this payroll information in it’s ever changing from; daily posting, hours worked, vacation pay, sick leave pay, accruals, union reports and requirements, employee changes that all have to be recorded into the payroll system. This process may take a lot of time and effort but it also lacks the efficiency. The only easy part of the whole process is the check writing. By streamlining your payroll process, you can save a substantial amount of time and money, and add to the bottom line. Outsource your payroll to a payroll processing company.

There is that light at the end of what seemed like the darkest of all tunnels. After all, just remember that the purpose of a payroll processing company is to utilize the wide range additional tools and professional expertise that can help your company. It can help with things like; efficiency, reduce costs, access the information you need at your fingertips and the most important thing, getting your employees paid on time. So if you want to take the hassle out of processing your payroll, look at outsourcing your payroll and see just how much of a difference it can make for you and your business.

Outsourcing Services – Which Country is Good For an Outsourcing Company?

If you are planning for outsourcing services of your company, what is the one thing that will matter to you the most while choosing an outsourcing company? For some people it is ‘cost’, for some it is quality and for some it is both of them.

Before outsourcing, the first thing you should ask yourself is what exactly you want. I keep reading on Internet how so called ‘experts’ try to convince people about ‘low-cost-good-quality’ factor for a number of countries. But let me tell you something, this is all a trap. There are millions of websites on Internet ready to trap you the moment you think just about low cost services. In my view, outsourcing should always be based on quality.

When you think about outsourcing, think about countries where you can get quality services. For example, if you think, India is the best suited for your type of business, give yourself a strong reason for it. Know about the culture of India. You will get to know that they are number one in terms of IT professional population. English is official language for them. As this country was ruled by Britain, their educational system is influenced from the west and they add thousand of English friendly professionals every year in their country.

Now, make a comparison with other countries which offer similar potential, cutting edge communications systems and great deals. May be you will end up finding countries like Philippines.

Next thing you should ask yourself is the tenure for your outsourcing project. If you want stability in your business, never choose any country which has a poor or ‘not-so-growing’ economy.

I know, as the economy grows, the companies in such countries will raise their costs but in long terms, it will be better for you.

Remember the global credit crunch in US? Many poor economies which were majorly influenced by US market had surrendered that time whilst countries like India were least affected. That is all because their economy is growing, becoming self dependent and that is how they do not just collapse in hard times.

This was just an example, for a detailed report of your own business types, you can consult any free online expert for outsourcing services.

Eight Pitfalls To Avoid When Outsourcing Software Development Overseas

The benefits of outsourcing software development overseas are widely recognized. Gaining access to software developers trained in the latest technologies can be very difficult, and international outsourcing gives companies a much bigger talent pool from which to choose.

Not only does international outsourcing offer companies greater access to highly skilled individuals with in-demand technical talent, but it also provides the opportunity for companies to save money. Eliminating the costs and risks associated with increasing the number of full time employees (FTEs) may be a matter of survival for new business ventures operating with lean budgets and/or high start-up costs.

8 Things to Avoid When Outsourcing Software Development Abroad

Recognizing the many benefits of outsourcing software development overseas, it is important to keep in mind that it is not always a smooth and easy process. There are some potential pitfalls to be aware of before deciding to outsource. Follow along for more information about things to avoid if you are considering international outsourcing.

Language Barriers – Depending on the location that you choose for international outsourcing, sometimes language barriers can be a real issue. Determining and communicating technical specifications can often be difficult even when speaking the same language. Before choosing an international outsourcing company, make sure that there are not any language barriers that could pose difficulty.

Cultural Differences – As a U.S.-based company, you are familiar with major U.S. holidays and the way these events may impact a typical work calendar. Depending on the location of your international outsourcing, there will likely be entirely new holidays and other cultural differences around what defines “a standard work week” that may impact project deadlines and overall productivity.

Major Time Zone Differences – Major time zone differences can be a major challenge if you are outsourcing software development work that requires collaboration with U.S. team members. Many companies engaged in agile development with scrum, for example, may benefit best with employees located in the same or a similar time zone. While countries like India and China are situated in far-away time zones that make every day work collaboration very difficult, nearshore locations in places like Costa Rica may provide a better outsourcing solution.

Danger of Distance – You know the old saying “out of sight, out of mind.” When it comes to outsourcing software development, this phrase sometimes rings true. There is a risk to having a team of software developers situated in a faraway location. Not only is it possible for you to forget that the offshore help is there, and to underutilize this resource, but distance can make regular communication, including project status updates more challenging.

Technical Infrastructure – Though your internet access may be mostly seamless at your U.S. office location, many regions of the world have a much more unstable technical infrastructure. This may include frequent power outages and difficulty obtaining consistent internet access. Before outsourcing software development overseas, make sure the location you are choosing provides a sound technical infrastructure.

Employee Turnover – Whether you are outsourcing software development to a U.S. company or to an overseas firm, it is important to ask about employee turnover. Software Development outsourcing is best done by firms that have strong employee engagement and low turnover. Not only will your work be more likely completed in a timely manner, but the quality of your code will also be better.

Safety Issues – It is very important to consider safety issues in whatever country you are considering for international outsourcing. This is important for a number of reasons. Most obviously, safety concerns will impact the local employees that are working on your projects. Safety concerns may also impact whether you or a member of your team is able to visit your offshore software developers. Factors like domestic, regional and international conflict, societal security and militarization are all important to consider as you choose an offshore partner.

Quality of Code – If you are a company considering outsourcing software development, you are likely concerned about the quality of the work you will receive. You do not want to try to save money by outsourcing, only to have to spend more when your onshore team has to spend hours reworking buggy code. Work with companies that hire top technical talent and ask about certifications like those offered by Microsoft.

Outsourcing software development overseas makes a lot of sense for many businesses. If you are located in a region of the U.S. with a lack of technical talent, outsourcing can give you access to outstanding software developers. You may also find that international outsourcing helps you save money while becoming more efficient.

As with any new venture, it is important to ask the right questions before you begin so that your experience with international outsourcing is as positive and productive as possible.

IT Outsourcing, Philippines – Helping Companies Cut Costs And Enhance Productivity

In the old times, most businesses used to conduct all their major functions through an in-house department or service provider. However, with the recession hurting the pockets of many corporations and medium-sized firms, many have begun transferring some of their “non-core” functions to third-party providers. Today, the concept of outsourcing has spread like wildfire among companies in the developed world; hence the birth of the term BPO, or business process outsourcing. Here’s a quick look at how outsourcing can help a company cut costs, and increase productivity at the same time.

The Benefits of Outsourcing

Business process outsourcing offers a wide array of benefits to overseas companies. It allows them to transfer some of their non-core company processes to external providers, who are often referred to as BPO firms. Many companies based in countries like the US, Canada, Australia and Europe have now outsourced a number of their core and none-core operations to countries like India, the Philippines and China, where labor costs are low, and there’s a large supply of talent. These countries are known for providing, and maintaining, good-quality output, and are preferred because they easily conform to strict international standards.

The Services Offered By BPO Companies

Business processing outsourcing firms offer a wide array of services. They provide software development, animation and content development, technical support and customer service, medical and legal transcription, finance, logistics, accounting, account management, accounts receivable collection, insurance claims processing, engineering and design, payroll processing, human resource, financial analysis and auditing, data processing and other essential back-office functions.

IT Outsourcing Philippines – The Advantages And Perks

The Philippines ranks high when it comes to the realm of business process outsourcing. The country currently ranks in the top 3 preferred global outsourcing destinations, which include India, China and others. The company consistently ranks as a favorite outsourcing destination because it has a large volume of English speakers, and it also churns out a large number of college graduates annually, who are proficient in information technology, business, accounting, and other skills. The country also is also seen as a better alternative to India because it offers more affordable operational costs.

Outsource Philippines has steadfastly clung to its reputation as one of the top business process outsourcing destinations in the planet. The country’s BPO industry has risen by 46 percent yearly, and the boom is mostly driven by the establishment of offshore call centers. According to the country’s Board of Investments, the BPO output for 2008 alone was a whopping $6.1 billion. In 2009, the nation’s BPO sector was forecasted to rake in from $7.2 to $7.5 billion in revenues. The IT outsourcing Philippines sector is expected to earn as much as $11 to $13 billion in 2010, and employ an additional 900,000 people.

To sustain the growth of the Philippine outsourcing industry, the government has offered a wide variety of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to attract more foreign direct investments. The Board of Investments has also drafted an Investment Priority Plan, which focuses on the further development of the BPO sector, and other major industries.

Benefits and Latest Trends of IT Outsourcing Services

Outsourcing IT related services has become a very popular and lucrative business move in recent times. A growing number of companies are resorting to web development firms to accomplish various Internet related initiatives. This recognized cost effective and hassle-free strategy is very appealing to all kinds of organizations. Outsourcing services such as website design, flash design, content management system development, internet marketing, multimedia, graphic design, website maintenance, search engine optimization, database application development, and online store management, from professional and experienced IT outsourcing organizations can give a website what it needs to get the online results it strives for.

There is immense growth potential in this field, as it is clearly witnessed that the ratio of businesses opting for outsourcing is doubling day by day. Unlike any other field, one can notice fascinating trends in outsourcing. Let’s see in brief some of these movements:

1) Outsourcing the workforce

Instead of employing regular full time employers, companies are turning towards hiring professionals for defined time durations on a part-time or full-time basis. For instance, web experts like web programmers or website designers are hired on a contract basis through an outside IT services company.

2) Preference for environment-friendly options

The entire world is witnessing rising energy rates that have led companies to resort to more eco-friendly measures to reduce the burden over the environment, as well as overhead costs.

3) Globalization of the Internet

India is the most preferred and successful destination for outsourcing services, but other developing countries are also testing the waters in this field. Countries like China, Pakistan, Russia, and Mexico, are leading players in the IT outsourcing services industry.

4) Mergers

The competition in this segment is cut-throat given that there are literally thousands and thousands of IT services companies around the world. Some firms opt for mergers for more cost effectiveness and better profitability and market control.