When you outsource your implementation project, you’re allowing an external company to take care of everything. You’ll still be involved in the project of course (such as during the initial planning, monitoring progress and ultimately signing the project off) but this external team will handle the ‘dirty work’ of the day to day. But is this the right choice? In this blog, we’ll be discussing the pros and cons so you can decide.
Pros of working with an implementation partner
1. You don’t need to hire any new employees
If you don’t have the expertise or manpower to do a CRM implementation in-house, you’ll need to recruit. When you outsource, you don’t need to go through all that.
That means you’ll automatically eliminate all the costs associated with recruitment. And don’t forget that all costs are monetary (though we’ll get onto that in the next point). For example, outsourcing potentially means you can get started with your implementation much sooner as you won’t need to search for talent, train/upskill your team and so on.
And the sooner your implementation project starts, the sooner your business starts reaping the benefits of a new system (in theory)…
2. It’s usually a more cost-effective option
System implementations of any kind, whether it’s for a CRM or ERP, are complex and the best specialists who are willing to work in-house won’t come cheap. Plus, investing in the right equipment for an implementation can be expensive too.
With outsourcing, you eliminate all of these costs. Rather than paying the salaries of individual employees and investing in new equipment, you enter a contract with an implementation partner and pay an agreed fee. In most cases, it’s a more cost-effective option in the long-run.
3. An exclusive talent pool becomes an extension of your team
The best implementation partners have years of experience in such projects, working with many types of systems, products, industries and businesses. And the better their reputation, the more likely it’ll be that they’ve recruited some of the top implementation specialists.
When you choose to partner with one, you’re automatically going to gain access to their exclusive talent pool. That will give you a strong competitive advantage.
Remember, these people are involved in implementation projects day in and day out, from the actual implementing to the aftercare that follows (e.g. systems maintenance and monitoring). Will your competitors have this edge?
4. They take the implementation off your plate so you get time back
Keep an implementation in-house and the responsibility of its success falls entirely on you. Outsource and some of that weight is lifted. You’ll still be involved in setting the goals and direction of the project, of course, and the best partners will keep you updated on the progress.
However, you no longer need to worry about the ins and outs of the project. You come up with the strategy and the goals, and the implementation partner executes it. That means you and your team get time back to focus on other vital tasks.
5. It’s fairly quick and easy to find a team that’s the right fit
For whatever reason, you might find you’re not happy with the quality of the implementation team your partner has dedicated to you or the partner as a whole isn’t the right fit. If this is the case, it’s fairly easy to request a new team or find a new partner when you outsource the project.
When you keep your implementation project in-house, this ‘swap’ isn’t as simple or as quick. For example, you’ll need to follow the appropriate dismissal procedure and go through the recruitment process again.
Cons of working with an implementation partner
1. They may not know your business as well as you do
It’s a common drawback of outsourcing any business project, whether it’s an implementation or IT managed services. An external team won’t instantly know the ins and outs of your business the same way you or your internal teams might. After all, they’re not a part of your company.
However, the best and right partners will always take the time to get to know your company before they start any sort of work. Plus, you’re still involved in the process so you’re free to advise as and when.
2. It may sometimes seem like you don’t have complete control
Leading on from our previous point, because your outsourced team isn’t an official part of your business, you might feel like you don’t full control over the project. This is what will separate the right implementation partners from the wrong.
The right partner will ensure that you’re still very much in charge. You get to set the goals, direction and strategy, be updated on progress and nothing should happen without your approval.
So, even if you may not be doing the actual implementing, your business is still in full control of the project.
3. There may be potential delays in communication
Compared to an in-house specialist, it might be harder to get a hold of an outsourced team member. For example, schedules may be conflicting and they’re likely to be working on other implementation projects/accounts alongside yours.
Though, this isn’t to say you wouldn’t experience this drawback if you took your implementation in-house. Your in-house specialists could easily be working on multiple tasks at once and if you were a global corporation, time zones could get in the way.
Combat this drawback by carefully choosing the right implementation partner and considering factors such as time zones and availability.
The conclusion?
When it comes to implementations, is it worth outsourcing to a partner? The answer to that question depends on your business needs. The pros of working with an implementation partner are quite significant and we can’t lie, it seems like a no-brainer to have top talent on your team without having to go through the recruitment process.
But, like we said, it does depend on what’s best for your business. You might have the resources so keeping it in-house could be a more realistic option. Make sure you take the time to properly weigh up the pros and cons while keeping your business requirements in mind.
Want to learn what’s essential for a successful CRM implementation project?
Implementation projects are no walk in the park - as you probably already know. There are many intricacies to consider, from how to prepare for deployment to deciding whether it’s better to assign an in-house team to the project or work with an external partner.
That’s why we created a comprehensive guide, filled with tips on how to ensure a successful implementation project. We even discuss outsourcing vs in-house and the questions you should ask when you’re choosing a partner. Perfect if you want to properly weigh up the pros and cons.
Click the button below to get started.
