AI Magazine Issue 2 2017

Acquisition International - February 2017 35 Advice You Can Count On outsource the hassle and expense of directly employing people, training and managing them. For specialist services, it can also include getting rid of the investment that would be needed in software, machinery and specialist equipment that would be required to do the work in house. Another advantage for smaller businesses, and especially for start-ups, is that it allows you to try out new business operations with minimal investment and if it doesn’t work the supplier can be switched or that area of the business operation can be dropped. This allows small businesses to operate in a more flexible way without tying up large amounts of capital in people or processes. BPO Sourcing and Agreements HIS Cummings have a network of experts and advisors that we work with. Although some of our experts may take on business processes directly for smaller businesses we more commonly help with sourcing of BPO suppliers. One of the keys to successfully outsourcing businesses processes is having clearly defines service level agreements (SLAs) written into the contract. This will include response times, quality levels and cost responsibilities. To arrive at a satisfactory SLA, it is necessary to assess what your business (and customers) need and then break this down into measurable performance indicators which can be easily monitored. Our consultants can help both with the initial assessment of your business needs, the drafting of agreements and then sourcing and selecting the appropriate organisations to outsource your processes to. To find out more about how we can help your business benefit from business process outsourcing give us a call on 08000 460 604.