I’m writing this first post on outsourcing because I’m intrigued why some industries do it all the time and others don’t do it at all – or only do it when they have no other option.

I’ve worked in and for both types – those that accept and embrace outsourcing (or agency / freelance / contract project work) as a daily part of how they deliver projects – and then those that jealously try to do everything across their operations on their own, whether those things are their core business or not, and whether or not they realistically have the fixed resources on the ground to deliver the outcomes they commit to.
They guard their IP and their processes like hallowed secrets and resist collaboration with those outside “the circle”.I guess it comes down to how different businesses see themselves.

Those that recognise that they are participants in the shifting dynamics of an evolving economy with it’s fluid opportunities and unseen risks often recognise the need not only to augment their capacity but to draw broader perspectives into their business. Other businesses who perhaps consider their industry more a craft, a vocation or a platform upon which most other enterprise rests and launches itself from can often be more reticent and more protective of their own culture and their own way of moving through a process.

Even when organisations in that second group do reluctantly take the plunge and outsource specialist tasks and projects, the way that you work for them as a contractor can often be highly idiosyncratic. There is often little room for assuming that you will get what you need to do good work for them simply by waiting to be given the information.

Again it’s interesting to wonder why some industries – consumer goods manufacturers and brand marketers for instance, will go out of their way to tell a contractor everything about their business, their processes, their market and their competitive set without a hint of fear that they may be somehow undermined or infiltrated. They’re very open about their businesses and technical or product IP aside, and assuming all non-disclosure protocols are in place, are naturally collaborative.

Businesses that are less familiar with the practice of collaborating with outside agencies on the other hand, often need to be coaxed into revealing their “secrets” (or more accurately, the basic elements of their character, personality and product that you need to know in order to effectively produce work to their established standards) and these learnings are often only uncovered through trial and error and as the need for them arises rather than offered up as part of the briefing process. It is a trust issue, of course, to an extent. There can be an attitude (most probably unconscious, by the way) that “we’ll only reveal the information we think you’ll need and no more” and that can be problematic, as what is withheld may actually be essential for the contractors broader comprehension of the exact needs of the brief.

So what do you do, then…

…to establish a more mutual and natural way of working when collaboration is either new to you or is only something you do sporadically? You won’t be surprised to hear that it’s invariably all in the way a project is launched, and the following list is far from exhaustive, but these are a few essential “foundation” steps to take which will help set up successful collaborations:

1. If you’re working together, work together!

Obviously status reports, WIP meetings and briefing sessions are par for the course when collaborating, but look for other opportunities to draw your external consultant into your world if, even if only for a little while. Are there PD or trade events they can be invited to as your guest? Can they spend time with your sales force in the field or in peer forums you participate in? Can they tour your manufacturing or logistics facility? Can they work in-house for part of the project? Any exposure you can give them to the inner (and outer) workings of your enterprise will help build comprehension and a perspective that can be the difference between adequate work and great work which adds real value.

2. Your Contractor has to know not just what you do, but how you do it.

If you’re outsourcing a project you’d normally complete internally, meeting your expectations doesn’t come easily and for external consultants to understand exactly what you need back from them, they have to know how the process that normally delivers that result travels from one point to another. There will often be things that help to improve their own process out of this, but it also allows for any potential incompatibility of processes or expectations to be ironed out and adapted to suit the collaborative project.

3. You have to be prepared to open up.

There’s no way to collaborate without open dialogue – pure and simple. Mutual respect and assumptions that everyone’s particular way of working is just fine is, in itself, fine in theory, but often doesn’t hold true. Your contractor should be able to articulate their methodology to you to give you comfort that their process will deliver the outcome you need at the standard you expect, but they also need your input, your perspective and in particular, the key things you know about your business and p;roduct that you assume because of familiarity, but that someone who doesn’t live your culture every day can’t know. These are intangible things at times, but a willingness to reveal your wisdoms is the first step and will generally get you there.

4. Explore the downside before you get there.

Most briefing processes, if they are comprehensive, professional and effective, will identify the things that will make the project a success, but few spend much time discussing the potential threats to a project’s success – either in terms of the quality of the end result or the reality of meeting the intended delivery deadline. If your contractor asks for this, be objective and honest about what could go wrong, and if they don’t (because they can’t always know if they haven’t worked for you before) think about amending your briefing template to include a discussion on potential threats. This simple step will often result in a two=pronged improvement in project planning – firstly there is more chance of avoiding these traps because your contractor will be fully aware of the need to look out for them, but secondly, the discussion becomes an opportunity for you to jointly devise and build in contingencies to help you through potential obstacles if they present themselves.

Obviously there’s more to developing an integrated approach to working with external consultants than we’ve covered here, but experience shows time and again that the more time you spend up front building a sound foundation for any project, the better it runs to plan.