Tips for managing outsourced projects

This article describes a number of the simplest practices I even have observed getting used by firms that excel in project management. Although the list is by no means comprehensive, it reflects strategies employed by organizations with extensive outsourcing experience.

Entrepreneurs and little business people are always trying to find creative ways to accomplish more of their business goals for fewer money. One strategy which will assist you save time, money and frustration as you begin and build your business is to outsource the maximum amount work as possible to skilled, but cost-effective, external service providers.

Clarified the Requirements and Procedures:

Convincing people from different professions, organizations, and cultures to figure together is difficult. If expectations and requirements are fuzzy or hospitable debate, this is often even harder. Effective firms are exceptional in selecting the work to be outsourced. They often prefer to contract/outsource only work with clearly defined deliverables with measurable outcomes. Give vendors the maximum amount information, what you would like delivered and therefore the way during which you would like the work done. Also, be clear and realistic about your schedule requirements - project schedules can have an enormous impact on project costs.

Hire a Full time Candidates:

When you’re evaluating proposals from service providers, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Just like hiring a full-time employee, selecting a vendor may be a very subjective experience.

Frequent Review and Status Updates

Project managers and other key personnel from all involved organizations meet on a daily basis to review and assess project performance. Collaborating as partners is considered a legitimate project priority which is assessed along with time, cost, and performance. This provides a forum for identifying problems not only with the project but also with working relationships so that they can be resolved quickly and appropriately. Finally, when the time to celebrate a significant milestone arrives, no matter who is responsible, all parties gather together if possible, to celebrate the success. This reinforces a common purpose and project identity. It also establishes positive momentum going into subsequent phase of the project.

Don’t Choose a Vendor Based Solely on Price

Though it'd be tempting, never select a vendor based solely on price. Experienced buyers who have outsourced many projects and evaluated many proposals nearly always recommend discarding the highest-priced and lowest-priced bid. Buyers report that their most successful projects are those where they felt the seller offered a balance of excellent value and quality results.

Make sure everyone’s working off the same files

“Empower all around distributed teams to collaborate as if within the same office by ensuring that there's one authoritative version of a file. “This allows teams to work on the same file at the same time without overwriting work of others. This is particularly significant for applications like design, software development, architectural, and engineering where document integrity issues can cause major delays [and] incur significant additional expense.”

Being outsource of your team with respect

“Take a while to urge to [know] the members of [the] team,” advises Fountain. “Whether through a video conference or other means, put faces to names and obtain to understand what makes them tick. Bottom line: treat your outsourced team just like the partner you expect them to be” and that they are going to be.