The Skills Required in an Outsourcing Management Office

Working in harmony with an outsourcer takes effort. On larger outsourcing engagements, it’s necessary to have an outsourcing management office. This can be staffed by the outsourcer, by the client, or can have members from both parties.

The outsourcing management office (OMO)requires people with sound relationship skills. As the management office leads the outsourcing engagement, the OMO sets the tone. The success and endurance of the outsourcing relationship is heavily influenced by the OMO’s relationship skills.?

On top of that, additional key skills are required to operate an outsourcing management office.?

First, is good analytical skill. The management office needs to have a keen focus on what is happening on a day-to-day basis. This is important as the outsourcer needs to report the work they have performed, such as the number of service requests processed, the priority level of each service, availability of the systems or processes supported, and other factors. The analysis the management office performs also includes an understanding of HOW performance data was gathered, along with how service delivery data gathering and reporting could be improved.?

Speaking of reporting, the next vital skill is good reporting management. The outsourcer needs to hold themselves accountable to deliver against contractual obligations and report their performance accurately and efficiently. In addition, they need to set up that reporting so the client can confidently validate and approve the reports provided by the management office. An effective management office understands the reports produced and is willing to assist and make adjustments as needed to ensure reporting is accurate.?

The last vital skill for the management office is the ability to see the “big picture.”?Having a big picture perspective provides insights for improving end-to-end delivery processes, and how to anticipate client requirements.?

A good management office will confidently fulfill its responsibilities for reporting the outputs of the outsourced services, monitoring compliance of the contractual obligations, and ensuring the end-to-end outsourcing processes operate as efficiently as possible.?Without an appropriately skilled management office, the outsourcing engagement can resemble working without a compass. ?

These tips are taken from my Outsourcing Management course on LinkedIn Learning. It’s one of a series of six courses on outsourcing that I have on the LinkedIn Learning platform. You can access the course via this link: https://www.dhirubhai.net/learning/outsourcing-management/outsourcing-management-practices?autoAdvance=true&autoSkip=false&autoplay=true&resume=true&u=2125562

Not a member of LinkedIn Learning? You’ll get to view the introduction to the course and will be given the opportunity to get a free trial which will give you access to the entire LinkedIn Learning Library of courses.?