The pandemic hit a lot of industries hard this year. But a lot of businesses also benefited from it. A lot of companies used outsourcing to help handle the labor crunch that a lot of them experienced during the lockdown and this has helped the outsourcing industry. However, the lack of revenue from other businesses also affected it.
With the end of the pandemic within sight and a new year has come, there are several outsourcing trends you need to be familiar with going into 2021.
More Knowledge Process Outsourcing
There has been a shift in what exactly companies need from outsourcing. Formerly, companies mainly needed a lot of their administrative work done, along with customer service. These required certain skills, but they were easily taught, which allowed for outsourcing companies to set up in places where the populace only needed some training to get up to speed.
But what companies are needing now is more skilled work that usually requires years of college to get right. It could be legal advice or even data analysis. What’s important is experts. This is where knowledge process outsourcing comes in. Companies are now offering expert services. For example, there is Pion, a scientific instrument company that offers analytical services for various drug programs.
Other knowledge process outsourcing covers other topics like legal options and other information-heavy topics. This provides companies that need extensive skills to do more without fully hiring on the experts. For your business, it means that you have access to skills you would normally require years of development.
Taking Automation To The Next Level
Another interesting trend that is happening to outsource is the increase of robotic automation in outsourcing. It is an interesting mix since the automation allows outsourcing companies to do more for their clients. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of monotonous tasks in outsourcing companies. This ranges from logging in calls to forwarding info. With automation helping out with tasks like checking e-mails and logging into various systems, a lot of outsourcing companies can have smoother processes. It can also allow for lower costs, which affects their bottom line.
Quality Over Price
One thing you can expect when you are looking at outsourcing your processes is that you will be deciding on whether to go with high-quality services or focus on price. In the past, outsourcing companies focused on delivering the biggest value for the lowest payment. But with people shifting to more skilled work, the outsourcing industry is now focused on delivering the best work possible instead of low prices. You can expect a higher price in the future but then you can also better quality in the services that you are getting.
Increased Cybersecurity
Another focus that you can expect from outsourcing companies is the promise of increased security against online threats. This is very important considering the rise of cybercrime. Additionally, with the dependence on online infrastructure when it comes to outsourcing, hackers might find vulnerabilities in your outsourcing company. This might increase the price that you pay in the short-term but if it prevents data breaches, it can be worth it.
The Move To Europe
One trend that you’ll also notice is the move towards Europe. A lot of the current outsourcing companies are based in Asia and South America. This is because of the skilled labor and comparatively low labor costs. Eastern Europe is catching up. It started in 2020 and the trend is continuing.
2021 can be a boom year as the world recovers from the pandemic. With the help of outsourcing, you can aim to be part of that boom. Recognizing what outsourcing brings to the table can be a big help in maneuvering your business into greater heights in the new year.
