One of the best ways to boost productivity, reduce costs and maximise growth is to supplement your staff with an off-shore team of specialists in the Philippines. Managing an off-shore team, however, isn’t always intuitive. So here are ten tips that will help you get the best out of your off-shore team.

1.    Treat your offshore employees as part of your team

The best way to integrate your off-shore employees is to treat them no different to your on-shore employees. So, for example, ask them to meetings and include them in company announcements. That’s because, despite being employed by Outsourced, your full-time off-shore team is 100% dedicated to your company.

2.    Get to know them personally

Don’t treat your off-shore employees like a number. Instead get to know them, as you would your on-shore team. Find out about their family, hobbies, goals and what they do to relax and have fun. The more you understand your off-shore team, the better their integration and the higher your gains.

3.    Learn about the Philippines culture

Understanding the Filipino culture is key to unlocking their potential. So for example, it’s important to know that whilst most Filipinos speak fluent English, they don’t always understand slang words. Also, most are Catholic, so they prefer not to work on Sundays and Christian holidays. Many can also travel up to two hours on unreliable public transport to arrive at work, so it’s understandable if they are a few minutes late.

4.    Communicate daily with your off-shore team

Nominate a staff member in the local area to keep in touch with your off-shore team every day. This means that problems won’t become overlooked and everyone is on the same page.

5.    Get your on-shore team on side

When your on-shore employees don’t feel threatened by your off-shore team, but realise they are there to help them (not replace them), everyone’s performance levels lift.

6.    Visit your off-shore team in the Philippines

Integration becomes easier when you attend team bonding or training events with your off-shore team. To facilitate team bonding, Outsourced invites our clients to join monthly team events where they meet and get to know their Filipino team. We have clients visiting us all year round, as they cycle through the Philippines!

7.    Don’t underpay your off-shore team

Whilst salaries in the Philippines are approximately 75% of your on-shore team, you really do get what you pay for! So don’t opt for the cheapest employees, instead hire the best candidates you can afford.

8.    Assign a local Filipino team leader

If you ensure that one of your first hires has leadership qualities, they can help to build your off-shore team as well as help with cultural differences. They can be responsible for training, leading and monitoring your off-shore team’s daily tasks, becoming your main point of contact.

9.    Create clear systems and processes

If you train your off-shore team correctly, there won’t be any mishaps or misunderstandings later down the line. So create clear systems and processes and a set of training modules that will pave your way to success.

10. Appreciate your entire team

Treat your of-shore team as you would your on-shore team with positive feedback and encouragement that creates a good working relationship and increased productivity. A simple ‘Thank You’ can go a long way to solidifying your team and maximising their dedication to your business.

For more information on building your own off-shore team in the Philippines, contact Outsourced today.

Did you know that more than 60% of workers support a flexplace working environment? With this arrangement, employees no longer need to work exclusively from the office, but instead are able to work remotely. This arrangement can also be called telework, telecommuting, work from home or remote work. It’s fair to say, however, that a flexplace working environment has always been a contentious issue for many employers. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated that remote working is a viable business model.

As restrictions begin to lift and businesses are starting to reopen, this hybrid working model may help employers navigate the post-lockdown world. It’s a strategy that has the potential to not only help keep everyone safe, but also boost productivity and reduce a company’s overall operating costs in the Philippines.

What is the flexplace business model?

This arrangement allows employees to spend part of their working day, week or month working outside their normal working environment. So if people normally work in an office, they can be given the option of working from a pre-approved location, usually their home office. It’s important that employees understand that if they sign up for the flexplace business model their workload doesn’t change. They are still expected to manage the same workload at the same level of quality as if they were in their normal working environment.

What are the benefits of a flexplace business model?

Whilst most employees are looking forward to returning to work, it’s apparent from local studies that a large proportion of employees would prefer to work at home, either full-time or at least one or two days a week. Remote working allows employees to configure a more balanced work/home lifestyle that involves less commuting and more time spent with their family. Employers also benefit from this model because research has shown that productivity increases, infrastructure costs go down and employee health and wellness improves.

It might not be a surprise to learn that people over 60 years of age actually prefer to work from home at least 80% of the time (some also want to work at home all the time). However the largest and youngest segment of the workforce, generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2010) also support working from home with nearly 75% supporting this model. Having said this, more than 30% of baby boomers, gen X and millennials also support working from home full-time, whilst another 30% support a flexplace model.

What are the concerns of a flexplace business model?

There are two main concerns with a business plan based on working remotely. These are the infrastructure, technology and resources each employee requires to fulfill their role when working from home, and how to ensure that sufficient security systems are in place to guard your company’s data. However, when you hire remote workers from Outsourced, we provide all the resources, infrastructure and technology they need to fulfil their role with your company. We also work with you to ensure that all company data is fully secure.

If you want to explore a more permanent flexplace model for your company in the Philippines, contact Outsourced today.

Have you considered hiring an offshore logistics coordinator in the Philippines for your company? Offshoring or hiring a remote logistics coordinator has become an increasingly viable business model for many companies across a variety of different sectors. In fact, any business with a supply chain can benefit from hiring an offshore logistics coordinator, analyst, officer or clerk.

An offshore logistics coordinator manages, monitors and plans projects, people and processes, depending on the industry in which they work. Their roles revolve around purchasing orders, managing inventories, warehousing, distribution and transportation. They can respond to customer enquiries, review purchase orders, prepare invoices, and communicate with airlines, trucking and shipping companies. Whilst your revenue depends on your supply chain, your supply chain depends on the expertise of your remote logistics coordinator. 

Benefits of hiring a remote logistics coordinator

As a key element in streamlining your supply chain and outperforming your competitors, you need people who are qualified, experienced and hardworking in these roles. Offshoring these positions to the Philippines means that you not only leverage local expertise, but you also significantly reduce your costs. 

Whether you want a remote logistics analyst, clerk, officer or coordinator, there are a number of distinct advantages to offshoring these roles. These benefits include reduced operational costs, refocussing on your core business objectives, access to overseas talent pools, increased capacity and greater service quality.

• Reduced operational costs: Relocating your logistics operations overseas allows you to take advantage of the lower costs in the Philippines. These costs include wages, infrastructure and IT, all of which can be very expensive in your home country. Offshoring allows you to operate your logistics department more efficiently and cost effectively for less financial outlay. 
• Refocussing on core objectives: When your senior staff no longer need to pick up the slack in your logistics department, they can turn their focus to achieving your core business objectives. Hiring an offshore logistics officer, clerk, analyst or coordinator allows you to streamline your operations, because senior staff no longer need to multi-task. Essentially, you can leverage the strengths of your in-house and offshore staff to increase productivity and reduce costs. 
• Access to overseas skilled workers: When the local talent pool is limited, offshoring lets you expand your operations by accessing skilled professionals in the Philippines. An offshoring company can recruit staff who are highly qualified and experienced in logistics, ensuring that your department not only works more efficiently, but also quickly increases its capacity.
• Increased capacity: When you want to grow and expand your business, whether regionally, internationally or even globally, you need an organised supply chain and a sophisticated logistics department. Hiring an offshore logistics coordinator in the Philippines gives you the expertise your company needs to increase capacity and gain an edge on your competitors.
• Greater service quality: Providing value to your customers means that your products are delivered promptly. A remote logistics coordinator has the expertise to finetune your operations by improving efficiency, cutting costs, optimising service quality and essentially, streamlining your business.

For more information on hiring an offshore logistics coordinator in the Philippines for your company, contact Outsourced today.

If you are ready to expand your IT company and take on more work, you might be considering offshoring vs outsourcing. Given changes in the global economy and recent advances in technology, both of these strategies are becoming more and more popular. There’s definite benefits to both of these strategies, but which is right for your IT company?

What is offshoring and outsourcing?

Both of these strategies are based on leveraging the experience of outsourcing or offshoring companies to engage additional IT staff, often people who are specialists. These new staff are qualified and experienced and have been vetted thoroughly by the hiring companies. It’s a good way to reduce your recruitment expenses and hire employees for additional IT work.

Why do IT companies use outsourcing?

Outsourcing is popular with IT companies that don’t have the resources to manage a project themselves, so they outsource this work to a third party company. This company is located and hired via an outsourcing company who specialise in finding the right staff for the job. The hired company takes control of the project using their own employees and resources to complete the work.

Outsourcing pros and cons

The main advantages of outsourcing is that saves IT companies a significant amount of time and money, otherwise spent on the resources needed to complete these additional projects. As you can imagine, it’s costly to purchase new IT infrastructure and can be stressful finding the right specialists for the project. On the flip side, your IT company loses control over the project, because it’s now in the hands of the outsourced company. So if you want to expand your business and keep projects in-house, outsourcing isn’t the best strategy.

Why do IT companies use offshoring?

Offshoring is different from outsourcing because it allows IT companies to move some of their operations overseas, reducing their costs and leveraging local expertise. This is a strategy that’s becoming more popular with many IT companies, regardless of their size, simply because it makes good business sense. It works because your IT company can contract a third party IT company in another country to perform various tasks, leveraging the overseas company’s lower operational costs.

Offshoring pros and cons

Offshoring benefits include reduced operational costs as work is relocated overseas, allowing your core staff to refocus on your company’s main business. Capacity issues are also resolved, service quality enhanced and your company gains access to intellectual capital and talent pools that may not exist locally. The only real disadvantages of offshoring relates to different time zones and language issues. However, both of these can be overcome quite easily, particularly if you contract to offshoring companies in the Philippines where most people have a high proficiency in English; they are also willing to work unusual hours to get a job completed.

So which strategy is best for your IT company?

If you want to take on a few additional staff without the responsibility and costs of hiring and employing them yourself, then outsourcing is your best strategy. However, if you want to expand your business offerings at a much lower cost than in your home country, it’s clear that the offshoring advantages mentioned above make it the clear winner. Companies that decide to leverage the offshoring model tend to benefit both short term and long term from reduced costs and access to specialised IT staff.

To find out how you can leverage these offshoring benefits for your IT company, contact Outsourced today.

FIND & RETAIN THE BEST POSSIBLE PEOPLE AT THE BEST PRICE

People are the most important asset a company has and one of the biggest challenges you are probably facing is how to find and retain the best possible people at the best possible price.

In recent years, offshoring business processes has become a popular way to cut back on expenses and get menial tasks done more efficiently. While there are a few different options in regards to the country you may choose to outsource to, more Australian companies are outsourcing/offshoring to the Philippines every year.

Why do these Australians outsource to the Philippines, and why might this be a good move for your company as well? Let’s talk about the benefits of offshoring to the Philippines and why this could be the perfect fit for your business.

Cutting Back Costs

The cost of living in the Philippines is significantly lower than in other Western countries. In fact, living costs may be up to half of what they are in Australia!

Obviously, this means that wages are also much lower than in other countries. Your company benefits from this arrangement due to the cost reductions of offshore workers. You’ll be getting the same tasks accomplished for as little as half of what it would cost you to employ someone in Australia!

Another reason that offshoring to the Philippines saves you money is due to the similar time zone. Since the working hours there are pretty much the same as in Australia, you won’t have to pay for a night shift. (We’ll talk more about the benefits of a similar time zone below!)

Plenty of Talent

Education is a high priority in the Philippines. In fact, the education system has been modeled after the United States and parts of Australia. In recent years, they have converted to the program of K to 12, meaning that youngsters are getting a fantastic opportunity for better education.

Also, due to the incredible increase in outsourcing/offshoring to the Philippines, this industry has changed its reputation in the eyes of many Filipinos. Now, positions as offshore workers are considered typical middle-class jobs, and are highly sought after. This competition breeds better workers for companies who want to offshore to the Philippines.

In fact, many universities now offer specialised courses and training that helps students learn how to do outsourced tasks, and provides them with the skills needed to be very valuable to Australians offshoring to the Philippines.

Continued Economic Growth

The economy of the Philippines has greatly stabilized in the last few years due to alignment with other governments and the good relationship this country maintains with the United States. More than this, the Philippines has been nurturing an environment of economic growth. This pattern shows no signs of slowing down, but instead is constantly increasing.

Language Advantages

The priority of a company looking to outsource will probably be the English language level of the workers. When Australians outsource to the Philippines, language is not a problem.

In fact, Global English has conducted a study regarding Business English skills around the world, rating each country on a scale of 1 to 10 in their Business English Index. The Philippines ranked one of the highest on this list, achieving an unprecedented 7.1. They easily beat out competitors like India (ranked at 5.5 BEI), China (4.4 BEI), or Malaysia (6.0 BEI).

This is due mainly to the fact that the Philippines was governed by the United States until the late 1900’s, meaning that English was used widely. Beyond that, the Filipinos have kept up their English skills since they achieved independence.

English is taught in schools from an early age. In fact, it is the second official language of the country. Movies or television shows that are originally in English are not normally subtitled, and it is the norm for the business world to communicate in English.

Thus, from a young age up until adulthood, Filipinos learn and use English in daily life. Also, Filipinos are known for having a very neutral accent when speaking English, making their language skills even more valuable for Australians that outsource to the Philippines.

High Literacy Rate

With education being such a high priority in the Philippines, it’s not a surprise that the literacy rate for the country is very high. However, the astonishing rate of 97% literacy beats all expectations. Compare this rate with India, at 72%, and you’ll see that offshoring to the Philippines is truly a great investment.

Similar Time Zone

The time difference between Australia and the Philippines is minimal. Between Eastern Australia and the Philippines there is a slight difference of 2 hours, but Western Australia is actually on the same time zone as this Asian nation! This leads to a number of different benefits when Australians outsource to the Philippines.

We’ve already mentioned that the time zone similarities result in monetary benefits to Australian companies that offshore to the Philippines. However, this also means that work can be done simultaneously, and without interruption.

This working condition means easier adaptability for the Filipino workers, and has more long-term success. It may also lead to higher productivity in workers.

Government Support

The government of the Philippines has taken note of the increase of the offshoring industry in their country. As a result, they have taken steps to make the process easier and more appealing to Australians that outsource to the Philippines.

In this regard, the government has initiated financial incentives such as tax holidays, duty waivers, and reduced taxes. Also, the government has provided more resources for training and education in the field of offshore working. These initiatives make outsourcing/offshoring to the Philippines more appeal to outsourcers, and also to the Filipino workers.

Infrastructural Improvements

In recent years, infrastructure in the Philippines has continually improved. This means better and more plentiful office spaces available for BPOs, and higher connectivity to the internet. Transportation has also improved, meaning that BPO centers are linked by highways and commuter railways.

Not only that. There is an opportunity in the Philippines for the growth of the transport outsourcing industry. This means, you can literally outsource part of your operations in the Philippines and let local staff handle the warehousing and transport of your delivery goods. If you are doing business in the Ecommerce and dropshipping fields, these advancements in transportation within the Philippines can be extremely beneficial. More savings for you in terms of inventory management, especially if you have a market in Southeast Asia. 

All of these measures have and will continue to contribute to the growth and efficiency of offshoring to the Philippines.

Conclusion

Australians who choose offshoring to the Philippines find that the benefits are outstanding. These companies are able to improve efficiency and marketability for their company, all while lowering business process costs. Take advantage of this great opportunity to outsource processes such as IT services, accounting, SEO, and more!

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Outsourced Quality Assured, Inc. is a leading IT outsourcing company that continues to dominate the IT BPO Philippines market. We offer high quality outsourced it services and provide a highly professional offshore staff for businesses worldwide. As one of the leading IT BPO Solutions expert today, our goal is to find and place exceptional remote staff who are sure to exceed your expectations. 

For many years, India was the country that was known for outsourcing solutions. However, other Asian countries have started to rise up as new and advantageous opportunities for outsourcing. One of such countries is the Philippines.

When looking into business process outsourcing (BPO), you’ll see that this industry has been steadily increasing within the Philippines. It is currently the second largest contributor to GPD for the country. The Philippines serves as a resource for business process outsourcing for countries around the world, including the United States.

So why should you consider Philippine outsourcing, and what kind of services can you outsource to the Philippines? Let’s discuss these points in more detail.

Benefits of Philippine Outsourcing

·       Good Economic Situation

Continuous economic growth over the last few years has led to good projections for the future of the Philippines. Also, the good relationship between the Philippines and the United States creates an environment that supports further growth.

·       Language and Culture

The official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English. Actually, the Philippines is one of the largest countries of English speakers. Beyond the fact that most Filipinos are fluent in English, their accent is known to be somewhat neutral. This is a huge advantage for customer service providers.

Along with the language, the culture of the Philippines is also conducive to outsourcing. The Philippines was colonized by the United States between the years 1899 and 1946. The influence that the United States left on this nation is clearly evident.

As a people, Filipinos also tend to be very adaptable.

·       Cost Reductions

The cost of living in the Philippines is significantly lower than in the United States, meaning that wages are also quite a bit lower. In fact, a contact center agent may earn as much as 20% less in the Philippines than in the United States.

Besides this, property prices and operational overhead are all significantly lower than in the United States.

·       Government Support

Due to the fast growth of Philippine outsourcing, the government has aided in making this a profitable industry for the country. Thus, there are investment incentives and other government policies that help outsourcers to save money.

Another government aid has come through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. This department has government-sponsored programs to train outsourced workers.

·       Diverse Experience and Talent

Due to new government policies towards the growth of the BPO industry, many universities in the Philippines now offer BPO-specific courses to help train new workers in this field. As a result, the skilled workforce is more willing and able to meet the needs of outsourcers from around the world, no matter what the focus.

What to Outsource to the Philippines

Now that we’ve seen why outsourcing to the Philippines is a good idea, what business processes could you outsource there?

Here are some:

• SEO services
• Managing Business Processes
• Social Media
• Copywriting
• Customer Service
• Webmaster

Outsourcing is a great way to optimize business profits while saving money. See what doors of opportunity you can open for your business with this fantastic tool.

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Outsourced Quality Assured, Inc. is a leading IT outsource philippines company that continues to dominate the IT BPM industry market. We provide a dedicated offshore staff to handle any outsource task for businesses worldwide. As one of the top IT outsourced philippines experts today, our goal is to find and place exceptional remote workers who are sure to exceed your expectations.  For more information on how to get started, contact us today.

Outsourcing, although not an unfamiliar term in the entrepreneurial sphere, it’s still a fickle to deal with. As a small business owner, outsourcing is your ticket to expanding your team without compromising your company profits. However what can be difficult to most is knowing which jobs are suited as an outsource task and which is better for someone you can interact with face-to-face everyday. When attempting to discern this, consider the skills required for the jobs you currently handle and what has the least skills needed, yet takes up a ridiculous amount of your time. It’s usually this tasks that can be offloaded for a small, yet worthwhile price.

Still stuck? Here are some of Outsourced’s tips on what to outsource to free up your time and increase your productivity:

Outsource Task #1: Social media

Whilst you can be particular on how to word your tweets or which filter you want to use for your Instagram posts, delegating this task to someone else frees up a lot of time. To save even more time, task the same person with writing your blog posts and manage your publication deadlines.

Outsource Task #2: Customer Service

Once you have clear company guidelines in place, there’s no reason why you need to be the first POC. Outsource this job to someone with strong personal and communication skills to handle the brunt of the calls, and allocate yourself to manage serious customer matters only.

Outsource Task #3: Book Keeping / Account Management

Cashflow and the intricate finances of your business is probably something you would want to keep an close eye on. However you can still outsource account management tasks such as invoicing, book keeping and other general management tasks to help keep your paper work neat and in order. But remember to schedule regular check-ins to review the accounts yourself. Having instant access to the bookkeeping account would be ideal.

Outsource Task #4: IT Support

Updating and maintaining software AND hardware systems requires a significant amount of time and money. By delegating this particular job to a third party outsourcer, it means they’re responsible for being technologically up to date. Time differences between your offshore outsourcing company can be used to your advantage, as their office hours may be after business in your part of the world, which means round the clock IT care.

Outsource Task #5: Production or Labour

An initial problem usually faced when in the early days of a company is that you have more business than manpower. If your resources are already stretched thin and you are offered a new client, you risk not being able to meet the requirements that your customer is expecting or over-burdening your employees. In this scenario, you can outsource jobs on a contractual basis, allowing you to continue to expand your business without compromising quality or the wellbeing of your employees. Tip: Ensure you stipulate everything in your contract agreement, including the quality of work expected, salary and deadlines. Consider getting a legal advisor to assist you with this.

This is only just some of many tasks that can be outsourced. Remember that you’re not necessarily sacrificing quality. By looking in the right places, you can get qualified degree holders who can deliver to an exceptional standard. If you’re not convinced that outsourcing is a reliable business process, be sure to read this article.

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Outsourced Quality Assured, Inc. is a leading IT outsource philippines company that continues to dominate  the IT BPM industry  market. We provide a dedicated offshore staff to handle any outsource task for  businesses worldwide. As  one of the top IT outsourced philippines  experts today, our goal is to find and place exceptional remote workers who are sure to exceed your expectations.    For more information on how to get started,  contact us  today.