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The Secret to Your
Organization`s
Success: Do You Need
to Outsource?
Reprinted with the
kind permission of
Charity Times
www.charitytimes.com.
The choice as to
which outsourcing
partner to select
cannot be taken
lightly, as many of
the services usually
involved are central
to an organization’s
success.
Like many commercial
organizations,
charities are
increasingly looking
to outsource third
party services in a
bid to reduce costs,
attract new sponsors
and increase both
the amount and
quality of benefits
available to their
members. There is a
near endless queue
of agencies claiming
to offer a perfect
union, but despite
this apparent
multitude of choice,
many charities are
still finding it
difficult to find a
suitable partner. It
can be hard to
differentiate
between the merits
of service providers
and the final
decision
unfortunately too
often boils down to
a financial one. The
choice as to which
outsourcing partner
to select, however,
cannot be taken
lightly, as many of
the services usually
involved are central
to an organization’s
success. The aim of
the guide below is
to clearly layout
the factors that
need to be taken
into account during
the selection
process, and
hopefully make the
decision that little
bit simpler.
A five-point guide
for charities
considering
outsourcing:
1.
Clarify your
objectives – before
even starting your
search, have a good
think about what
your organization is
trying to achieve
through outsourcing.
Is your organization
looking for cost and
efficiency benefits?
Do you need an
outsourcer to give
your organization a
competitive edge in
your drive for new
members, or is an
increase in revenues
from existing
members essential?
Thinking about the
strengths and
weaknesses of your
organization and
consulting with your
staff and members
may help prioritize
the services you
decide to outsource.
Set out what you
want outsourcing to
achieve in a tender
document to make
sure your potential
partner understands
your objectives.
2.
Do your homework –
make sure you
understand the
companies that you
propose to partner
with. Your homework
should involve a
thorough check on
the background of
the outsourcer you
are considering. You
may want to pay
particular attention
to industry
accreditations and
relevant experience
as good indicators
of quality. Don’t be
afraid to ask which
organizations your
potential partner
has worked for and
the precise details
of this work.
3.
Fit with your
organization – your
outsourcing partner
will be an essential
first point of
contact for existing
members and
potential supporters
alike, so it is
important that your
partner can
transform itself to
embody your brand
values and literally
become an extension
of your
organization.
Equally important is
a fit between your
outsourcing partner
and your
organization in
terms of day-to-day
working practices.
You should like the
people you plan to
do business with and
make sure their
values, vision and
ambitions match your
own.
4.
Meeting your needs –
does your potential
outsourcing partner
have the capacity to
deal with your
organization’s
requirements as they
develop? Check your
potential partner
has the ability to
handle all the
communications
channels that your
members and
supporters want to
use – from fax to
text message. Does
your partner also
have the flexibility
to cope with peaks
in demand caused by
emergency appeals or
successful marketing
campaigns? It is
sensible to check
whether your
potential partner
has the necessary
staff and systems in
place. Selecting a
service provider,
which carries out a
business analysis
before being taken
on, should prevent
any
misunderstandings
later in the day and
will also give you
an indication as to
whether there is a
clear understanding
of your needs.
5.
Get it in writing –
secure legal
agreements covering
all the services you
decide to outsource.
These agreements
should help protect
your organization
against unplanned
events and secure
your physical and
intellectual assets.
Any agreements
should also define
how the relationship
with your
outsourcing partner
is to be managed at
an operational
level. Setting
service level
agreements at the
start of the
relationship should
clarify your
requirements and
help ensure you do
not pay for a
quality of service
you do not receive.
Jan Rogers is
business manager for
Associa. |