ABS Associates White Paper Sample

Offshoring -- the exporting of work from the United States to other areas of the world for cost savings -- is gaining momentum at a rapid pace in the U.S. With firms such as GE Capital, AOL Time Warner, and Citibank all turning to foreign resources to fulfill customer service and IT functions, a clear message is being sent to corporate America: Offshoring provides opportunities to improve the performance of call center and technical support positions. The decision to go offshore is a significant one, however. Sure, we know about the potential to reduce costs, but what are the risks? When do the cons of offshoring simply outweigh the pros? Are there instances when it is better to stay onshore? The truth of the matter is that when it comes to outsourcing your contact center or employee help desk, you must make sure the decision to go offshore is a true match with your company’s top business drivers.

Success Measures

Remember the childhood game Memory? The concept is simple: The player who finds the most pairs of matching picture cards wins. Decision-makers considering offshore versus onshore resources are playing a similar game. The first step to success is to keep attuned to what you already know. In Memory you must remember which pictures you’ve already seen in order to win the game. Likewise, when making an outsourcing decision, CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs should always begin with a review of how their company measures success. Does the picture show revenue growth? Improved employee productivity? Cost containment? Top-notch customer service? Whether your company strives to achieve one or a combination of these measures, a new outsourcing strategy is not a match if the results do not align and pictures do not match.