We’ve encountered more than one accountant who was absolutely on board with the idea of getting their share of the benefits offered by outsourcing. But they still refrain from pulling the trigger because working with an outsourced group of people is outside of their experience. It’s a little… weird. We here at BOSS accounting outsourcing have put a lot of effort into making sure you have to put in as little effort as possible when you first start working with your team.
Our experience working with firms big and small shows that you’ll probably start out treating your overseas team a little different than you do your in-house staff. Not poorly, mind you, just different.
These differences can sometimes interfere with your efficiency working with your overseas staff. So with that in mind let’s take a look at two ways you can best work with your overseas team.
1. Ask Your BOSS Accounting Outsourcing Manager What They Need
When you sign on with BOSS you’re automatically assigned a manager who is there to make sure there’s a good flow both in file information as well as information back and forth to you. They act, amongst other things, as a form of Quality Assurance.
As you ramp up you and your client are going to have certain tweaks you want implemented in your processes. That’s natural enough.
But we suggest you also make time to listen to requests from the other end of the line. All of your overseas team members are highly experienced and, chances are, have worked on dozens of files just like the ones they’re working on for you.
So get the most out of that experience. See what tweaks you can make from your end that will help them. They might even have some great tips on how you should work with your client. Leave yourself open to suggestions and watch your efficiency take off.
2. Your BOSS Accounting Outsourcing Team Isn’t Made of Glass
Tangential to the point above is that sometimes accountants don’t always ask for what they want. They sometimes treat the overseas team like they’re always on the verge of running off, taking their specialised skillset with them.
Your team overseas wants very much to make you happy. So don’t worry if you have a request, or even a criticism – they’re pros. Don’t let your work processes (and thus your clients) suffer because you’re reluctant to say something about a problem.
A quick “Would you mind if we tried doing X this way instead?” can go a long way.
Check In With Your Workflow Manager
As you ramp up with your BOSS accounting outsourcing team we suggest assigning someone in-house to be your office administrator, the person responsible for collating all the info that will get passed on to your overseas team (you can learn more about the procedure here).
Just like you’ll have a scheduled meeting with your overseas manager (how frequent these meetings are is up to you) we’d suggest leaving a few minutes open each week to check with your in-house administrator.
It’s all about the flow. Is your administrator getting all the info they need in time in order to pass it along to your overseas team? Are there trouble clients who are continuously late with info? What can you do to make the administrator’s life easier, and thereby make life for your overseas team easier at the same time?
Document Your Processes
As your business gains experience you’re going to grow the best version of how your work should flow.
Document these processes. Make them a part of your corporate culture.
Now you’ll have a roadmap that will let you see where files are getting bogged down be it at the client’s end, in-house, or with your BOSS accounting outsourcing team.
Don’t be afraid to share this documented process with your overseas manager so that he or she can be in-the-know about how your company does its best work.
What it all comes down to in the end is that communication is your friend.
