Outsourced IT support’s biggest challenges and how to overcome
Recently, the trend of hiring outsourced IT support services has been increasingly growing. Besides famous countries in IT outsourcing such as India or China, Vietnam has also gradually attracted a large spectrum of clientele. The country offers competitive outsourcing advantages, namely a young population, stability, and diverse skill sets. As well as for other regions of the world, the control of product quality is always one of the top concerns. In this article, we want to inform you about some difficulties that you may encounter on your way to success and how to overcome them.
Outsourced IT support’s Challenges in Quality Control
1. Communication barriers
The comprehension barriers can arise from any sources such as dialects, vocabulary, or even pronunciation. Without having a fine understanding of the client’s colloquial speech, misunderstandings can happen, and the information would be hard to be exchanged between parties. Non-native speakers can also create a “strange” structure of language that is translated word by word from their native language. Needless to say, accents are another barrier that could cause tensions between speakers in terms of getting exactly what others are saying.
2. Cultural differences
Offshore outsourced IT support could come from cultures that can differ significantly from the clients. This phenomenon could lead to misinterpretations in communication, create unspoken behavioral expectations, give rise to the need to learn different cultural codes, etc. For example, in Vietnamese culture, people often have the habit of inferring more ideas when talking, so their talks often come with some hidden meanings. On the other hand, Westerners are more likely to speak up and say what’s in their mind straight.
3. Time zone differences
Another challenge that both overseas companies and outsourced IT support providers have to face is the time difference. The time-related problems can be different working hours, scheduling meetings across different time zones, the mutual amount of working hours, support from the outsourcing IT company in case of a significant time zone difference, etc. Some countries can be 8 hours ahead of each other which means that the overlap in working time could be none for companies from one country to another. In that case, a partner that provides 24/7 outsourced IT service can always support you at any time.
4. Lack of control over the process
Outsourced IT services can be challenging due to the lack of control over the process. From being unable to maintain visibility and control to the reliance on digital communication devices for meetings, clients mostly lose control over the team that executes the tasks when outsourcing, and this can make it difficult to cooperate with offshore software development companies. Furthermore, the outsourced services could be delayed, poorly done, and leave dissatisfaction for the clients if they choose an inexperienced partner.
Solutions to Overcome Quality Control Challenges When Hiring Outsourced IT Support
1. Establish clear communication channels
One of the key solutions is to set up clear communication channels to ensure the understanding of requirements, expectations, and methods of quality control between parties. Establishing a communication timetable including meeting schedules and project status updates could be an efficient way to achieve clear understanding among team members. It is also important to ensure that each and every team member can see eye to eye, and know their roles and responsibilities. As a result, issues happening during the process can be detected and addressed effectively and the necessary support from other teams can be provided in time. Furthermore, the working relationships between the outsourced IT team and the client can be highly motivated and contribute a huge part.
2. Build Strong Relationships with Your Team
As mentioned above, creating a strong outsourcing partnership is the key to success. The client as well as the outsourced IT support service provider need to work together, encourage an open communication environment, and compromise effectively. The most important thing is to have constant communication with your outsourced IT support partner, especially about business-related issues. Therefore, you can cooperate with them to resolve any possible conflicts or disputes. Besides, being open to compromise with your outsourcing provider is also considered essential in terms of building a strong relationship. In case you cannot see your partner meeting your expectations, it is the time that you need to make compromises and in reverse, you should also consider your partner’s suggestions and advice. Always remember that both parties have the opportunity to improve by the other’s recommendations and this can only bring about better results.
3. Set clear expectations and goals
Unquestionably, clarity plays a crucial role throughout the project. Thus, conversations between the client and their outsourced IT support provider should focus on expectations and business goals. By putting this into action, you can have a clear vision of performance outcomes and create a strong foundation for the working relationship.
4. Use project management tools to monitor progress
Tracking the progress by management tools may be a discouraging step but visualizing the data of the project’s progress is one of the tickets to success. By using Notion, Smartsheet, or any project-tracking software that you find suitable for your business, you can create milestones, set clear goals, track tasks, keep up with deadlines, etc. You can also estimate and control the triple constraint (time, cost, and scope) properly as well as track the statistics over any phases of the project. Moreover, a visual representation of progress could make it easier for both the client and the outsourced IT support company to see the connections between the tasks and the phases, therefore creating a mile-stone-driven environment.
Conclusion
If you are looking for an outsourcing vendor, you will probably want an agency that is trustworthy and has an experienced team with professors who will guide you step by step. Hiring a dedicated outsourced IT support team will not only provide you not only the technical benefits but also effective time-saving solutions.
With nearly 20 years of extensive experience in the IT outsourcing industry, Luvina Software understands how hard it is for businesses to hire an efficient and well-rounded dedicated development team. Therefore, we are committed to providing the most reliable and high-quality service for our clients. Over 110 satisfied clients are living testament to our dedication and trustworthiness. It’s our mission is to provide a dedicated team of experts and deliver the best service to you.
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