How to outsource for export
You will also need to put in place an internal coordination process of the personnel requirements within your own company to facilitate a successful functioning relationship with your outsourcing partner. Brief the relevant employees who will be working with the new partner and appoint a liaison person to provide them with all the information and background they need and to act as the go-to contact in case of inquiries or problems.
To be outsourcing-ready means being positioned to dispose of well structured organisational units as well as having the willingness and ability to invest in the outsourcing process.
Ready?
Outsourcing part of your company’s services or even whole departments can be a powerful and efficient tool to stay competitive in a globalised economy. Small and medium sized companies particularly can benefit from transferring important tasks to outsourcing professionals and gaining from their expertise and experience in foreign markets.
Outsourcing specialists can work more cost efficiently and react faster in case of market fluctuations but a company seeking an outsourcing partner has to be analyse and structure their own business effectively and be prepared to enter into a long term relationship in order to guarantee a successful partnership.
Freight forwarders
Freight forwarders are an another important business resource that you can outsource but you must fully understanding what they are doing on your behalf. The role of the forwarder should be to consolidate cargo, manage freight services for international goods movements and documentation services.
Managing the relationship involves understanding the forwarders role, know the limitations of what can be done, providing plenty of information and allowing adequate lead time.
How to choose a freight forwarder
- Ask others for their recommendations.
- Is the freight forwarder local? Visit the premises.
- Find out about their affiliations. Do they handle air and seafreight?
- Are they available 24/7?
- Compare prices, but realise cheap price = cheap service.
- Do they suit your needs? You may want a freight consolidator if you requirement is small.
- What is their market expertise? If you are freighting perishables you should seek an expert.
—Dianne Tipping
Case study
Trade Advertising is a Sydney based company specialising in marketing communications for the trade and construction sector with clients including international and multinational organisations. Managing director Deane Waldron outsourced his bookkeeping and management accounting to Intelligent Accounts at the beginning of this year. Intelligent Accounts uses cloud computing to provide the service from Colombo in Sri Lanka.
Waldron says the benefits have been:
- significant cost reductions
- improved attitude to performing the outsourced functions
- freedom to focus on the core business
- same day generation of invoices
- proactivity in terms of compliance and statutary obligations
- readiness for end of financial year accounting.
Waldron says he supplies weekly spreadsheets and summaries of financial outgoings which he can compile when it suits him. Intelligent Solutions provides an online portal that enables Trade Advertising to access accounting information at any time.
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