Outsourcing: the key to effective business operations

Outsourcing specialist projects and pieces of work to skilled consultants and consultancies is a natural day to day process in business today. It is the most efficient and effective way to run an organisation, right?

Well maybe in most business sectors.

However, I am still shocked every time I hear someone from the NHS, in particular within the general practice side of the ‘business’, suggest that outsourcing is an almost alien word and/or concept to get their heads around.

To many in general practice the only way to solve a new short term strategic or tactical problem is through the old ‘traditional’ route: to create a new post and recruit someone to it on a permanent basis. Yes you heard me right, a short term cost-effective outsourcing ‘solution’ would hardly ever be considered. Instead, a lengthy and more costly, permanent answer would nine times out of ten be the one that was opted for.

Yes holidays, pensions, sickness, along with all other add on costs (on top of basic wages) will be incurred for years to come with the additional member of staff. But what makes the situation seem even more nonsensical is when the headache that needed to be fixed only took six months to complete. From that time onwards the additional member of staff is then moved from pillar to post within the organisation in a square peg, round hole type of situation, as their skills mix no longer matches any of the roles being assigned to.

How is that a cost effective business operation?

A 21st century approach

Buying in specialist consultant and/or consultancy expertise as required is very much how 21st century businesses operate. Such personnel and agencies bring with them a wealth of fresh, modern, rounded, expert knowledge and experience, as is suggested on the tin.

They can really enhance projects by providing a short-term boost of professional skills and information to the organisation. Headaches and problems will be overcome in a more timely and cost effective way. They won’t need to take months to get their feet under the table to understand the business and its problem, before they start to show results. And the solution that they provide at the end of the contract will be drawn from a wide portfolio of experiences, leaving the organisation with an optimum result.

To me it feels like a no-brainer: cost and time savings and an enhanced solution at the end. What is there to lose? Surely it is all to gain? Come on NHS ‘businesses’ get with the modern way of working and start to really reap the rewards.