When Outsourcing is the Best Solution

There are times when outsourcing is the only option available for reasons such as no in-house employees are qualified or available to complete the particular task. However, there are also times when outsourcing is not the only option but it is also the best option. In these situations, outsourcing becomes a wise business decision as opposed to a requirement or a matter of personal preference. This article will discuss three situations where outsourcing is the best option. These options include:

* When outsourcing saves money
* When outsourcing helps make deadlines
* When outsourcing increases productivity

When Outsourcing Saves Money

Outsourcing becomes the best solution when it saves the company money without compromising the quality of the work. Companies whose goals are predominately financial in nature often focus on the bottom line in determining whether or not to outsource projects or tasks. When the cost savings results in inferior work it is certainly not the best solution. However, companies who are able to outsource projects to highly qualified and capable individuals while still saving money enjoy the benefit of knowing they selected the best solution for their software related problems. 

Whether or not outsourcing saves money is a concept which many have difficulty understanding. When most people think of outsourcing, they picture citizens of third world countries working for substandard wages but this is not an accurate representation of outsourcing. Nowadays outsourcing often involves hiring high priced, domestic consultants to tackle complex software problems under aggressive deadlines. This explanation makes the issue even more confusing for some who think it is impossible for it to be less expensive to hire a high priced consultant than to complete the task in-house.

Examining labor costs is often necessary to see how outsourcing can often reduce costs. Outsourcing may carry a higher per hour rate but it is important to note that the company is often not required to pay benefits such as social security, Medicare and workers’ compensation to the consultant. Additionally, the consultant may work offsite meaning he is not putting a drain on company resources. Examining these factors is necessary to determine whether or not outsourcing is the best option. 

When Outsourcing Helps Make Deadlines

Aggressive deadlines often make outsourcing the best available option. Most companies do not want to have to turn down work because they do not have enough staff members available to complete a particular project. Having the ability to outsource software jobs makes it easier for a company to compete for more jobs than their staff could possibly handle. This is because the managements know they have a network of consultants to rely on during times when schedules are tight. In these cases outsourcing becomes the best option. 

Whether schedules are originally set to be rather aggressive or become accelerated do to problems earlier in the project they can become a hassle for many companies. Regardless of the cause of the scheduling concerns, clients may not understand if the consultant is unable to meet the required deadlines. 

When Outsourcing Increases Productivity 

Outsourcing also becomes the best solution to a problem when it results in increased productivity. Consider the tasks you intend to outsource and determine the amount of time it would take for these tasks to be completed in-house. Now consider the amount of time it would take to have these tasks completed through outsourcing. If the answer is outsourcing would be quicker, it is logical to go ahead and outsource these tasks. The reason for this is the consultant can be more efficient with the tasks.

When considering productivity it is also important to note that employees who are handling multiple tasks often take longer to complete each individual task then they would to complete each of these same tasks if they were his only responsibility. This is because employees who are multi-tasking are not necessarily as efficient as they believe they are. The main problem with multi-tasking is when switching from one activity there is a small delay each time the employee switches tasks because he often has to review his recent progress and remind himself what he intended to do next. Conversely outsourcing singular tasks allows the individual to focus 100% on each task. 

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