Don't Just Check the Boxes...Find the Right BPO Partner

How many big decisions do we make in our lifetimes? And how do we go about making those decisions? Typically, most people start with some basic assumptions (cost, features, etc.) and then have a secondary checklist of things as you whittle down your options.?

For example, when buying a personal vehicle, you may have a sense of what you’re willing to spend and what you’re going to use it for, and that may drive you to a decision of whether to get a car, truck, or SUV, or maybe a scooter. After that, you narrow the list further based on a checklist of features…cost per mile/kilometer, satellite radio, cruise control, Bluetooth, safety equipment…and then you may even narrow things down further as you more closely scrutinize the differences between the finalists.?

And sometimes you get to the end of the process, make a selection, and regret it a year later. Why? Was there an error in the process? Or did you forget to examine the holistics of the purchasing decision? How well does your selection’s DNA match with your own DNA? Are the things that are ultimately important to you and what will make you happy reflected in your decision?

Or how about when you hired an assistant or team member who was qualified for the job but just didn’t work out. Did you focus too much on background and resume and too little on chemistry and synergy?

When evaluating prospective BPO partners, we all have our checklist of the things we think are important. And those items usually make their way into whatever RFP or scorecard is used in the selection process. The list will typically include things like global footprint, financials, operational efficiencies, technologies, security and fraud practices, quality/training/WFM processes, and more. And these are extraordinarily useful as table stakes in understanding who meets the minimum requirements for partnering.

But at the end of the day, what these things tell you is who’s competent, less risky, and seems to have their act together. All good stuff. And you can make a safe decision based on that criteria. But down the road you can still find yourself being unhappy in your relationship.??And it very well may be because you didn’t evaluate your options based on the most important criteria…who’s a good FIT for you and your company. And you ultimately find yourself breaking up. The old cliché very much applies here…it’s not you, it’s me.

So how do you understand your DNA in order to effectively apply it to the BPO selection process? Think about those things that come up recurringly as priorities in internal discussions. Think about what it will truly take to be successful to work with you. Here are a few examples:

1)????Where is your company’s real set of contact center/customer priorities? And remember the old adage: If EVERYTHING is a priority, then NOTHING is a priority.

Is your company’s true emphasis on customer experience? Or is it on efficiency and cost savings? Or revenue generated? Or something else? Because of the nature of outsourced BPO support, BPO companies need to be chameleons when it comes to servicing clients. That said, determine where the company’s focus is in their discussions with you. Do they gravitate to areas of discussion that resonate with your needs? I’m sure your focus needs to be on a lot of things, and therefore a company can’t just be focused on one area, but you need to figure out where a company’s strengths lie by pinpointing what they talk about.

2)????Who will work best with you – an innovator or an executor?

Some companies are very good at taking instructions and executing on those very well. Others choose to differentiate themselves by bringing tools and innovations to the table. Which one are you truly interested in? If you know that your organization is very prescriptive in your requirements and demands conformity and execution, then there’s no point in seeking out innovative suppliers who will be frustrated when they bring ideas to the table that never get implemented while you’re focused on bringing up KPIs through better “blocking and tackling”.

3)????How truly unique is your company’s contact center needs? And how important is having specific vertical expertise?

Every company thinks that what they do is incredibly unique (and that applies to both end client and outsourced partner, by the way). In reality, typically 80-90% of what’s done is very transferable from one industry and process to the next. Instead, what I’ve found to be far more helpful is to understand a company’s experiences related to the needs of your project. For instance, if you’re sourcing an inbound customer care chat project and one company has experience in your vertical doing outbound sales while another company has no same vertical expertise but 80% of what it does is chat customer care, which is better aligned to you? Have your partners provide you with examples of successes on projects which closely mirror yours (in scope, compliance, and/or complexity), and don’t focus so heavily on whether or not they work with your competitors.?

Ironically, I also sometimes find that companies want you to have vertical experience but not be working with any of their competitors. So, in essence, they’re seeking to work with BPO companies that did exactly the same thing as you’re asking them to do, but they did it so poorly that they got fired. That’s not exactly my target set of suppliers.

Exception: I’ve found many healthcare, insurance, and public sector projects to be nuanced enough that there’s no substitute for experience (though not for every process)!?

4)????Which is more important to you – people or technology?

It’s important to note where a company’s investments lie. Knowing that no company has bottomless coffers, I’ve found that companies do tend to spend money and focus efforts more on one or the other…meaning that time may be spent on developing AI, desktop and Bot Solutions, all of which can make a world of difference to you as a client. On the other hand, companies may spend their money and energy on people sourcing, employee pay, heightened development initiatives, and more. And that should pay huge dividends to you as a client.?

So which do you choose? You need to determine which of these things will align better to your needs. If your technology is either in great shape, or perhaps less modifiable, then go with the better people solution. If your partner has technology solutions which could fill gaps for you now or down the road, go with the great technology solution.

And to be clear, you should expect BOTH, it’s not all or nothing…but as with your own company, not every area gets the same level of investment as every other.

5)????What makes you a difficult partner?

Think about those things that would make you difficult as a partner to work with. What makes you a challenge? Is it that your forecasting is horrible, and you require a partner which is truly flexible or can shore up your WFM deficiencies? Do you have a highly seasonal need and could use a partner that truly understands the components of the beginning, middle and end of a seasonal spike? Do you have a crazy amount of desktop apps, and you need a partner who can create a unified desktop or otherwise make things easier on agents??

Once you can figure out and communicate what makes you a unique “Clientzilla” to your partners, it’ll help your prospective partners understand how to position themselves and communicate to you how they can do their part to make sure that Tokyo does not get destroyed.?

Finally, it’s very important to understand with whom you’ll be working day-to-day to make sure that you’re comfortable with that person or people who will have dedicated ownership of your account. It is your right to get to know those people prior to a decision being made. That said, no provider will have great people sitting around in the hopes that a client will come along for them to support. If the launch date is too far out, if the project dates and scope changes, or if circumstances materially change, that will clearly impact whether that person is still available. But understanding who the person is and being comfortable with their ability to support your business, be your champion and advocate for you within the organization is key.

At the end of the day, the most successful partnerships are not made with those organizations that check the most boxes. Your best partnerships are with those partners which check your unique DNA box.

If you'd like to hear more about how LB Ventures can find you the right BPO partner, please email us at [email protected] or visit us at www.lbventures.net.