Exclusive interview with Venkatesh C.R - CEO Dot Com Infoway on "Top App Firms"

In this exclusive interview, he shared his insights on outsourcing and several more things. Let’s check his success story and thoughts.

1. What are the different types of outsourcing?

In my industry, the most popular types of outsourcing are professional and IT outsourcing. Professional outsourcing always keeps experts within arms’ reach and even allows people to build an entire team composed of freelancers, customer service included. IT outsourcing,  on the other hand, is more concerned with hiring offshore developers as well as mobile app developers, which is popular among businesses and enterprises for cost reductions. 

2. Why do you think companies outsource, what benefits does outsourcing provide them?

Lowering costs and saving time are undoubtedly the most compelling reasons why companies resort to and even encourage outsourcing. You can completely forgo the lengthy hiring process as well, which only saves resources further. Also, we can’t deny the fact that companies get to interact with professionals who are experts in their respective fields, opening up opportunities for knowledge-sharing and building one’s professional network.

3. What would you say are the top risks of outsourcing?

For me, there’s always the question of the kind of quality you will be getting from each new freelancer or agency you choose to work with. Of course, this can always be mitigated by closely examining your prospects, but since every company and individual is different and has a lot of variables, we can never really be 100% certain about this. With poor performance comes reputational damage to the brand. 

4. What challenges do companies face when outsourcing their call center functions and how should they minimize risk to their core business?

There are a lot of factors to consider here. But the top issues for me are possible loss of control, low service quality, and data breaches. To effectively address them, companies need to adopt a strict selection process and be clear about their goals from the start -- this way, they won’t end up getting results that fall short of their expectations. It also won’t hurt to maintain transparent communication. 

5. What are the top 3 questions a company should ask a potential outsourcer?

What kinds of companies have you worked with and can you show the feedback that you got from them?

Have you completed projects that are similar to mine?

What collaboration tools will we be using?

6. What industry sector outsources the most?

Trends in outsourcing have pretty much pointed to IT as the sector that is most likely to outsource the most tasks and projects. Digital Marketing and Web Application Development follow closely behind.

7. What are the top 5 reasons organizations outsource?

Reasons for outsourcing are practically uniform in most fields. More or less, companies do it because:

They want to reduce operational and labor costs.

Need to have more time to focus on more important aspects of their enterprise.

Expose themselves to and learn from experts in the industry.

Helps them to mitigate risk.

Aids in optimizing their internal resources that improve their entire business process. 

8. What effects do legislation (e.g. DMA/FTC etc) have on the outsourcing industry and what are your views on this?

I believe these laws are crucial for maintaining security and trust in the outsourcing industry. It may appear like it’s limiting and handicapping companies, but these laws only stimulate the creation and growth of high-quality outsourcing companies. For one, companies that adhere to them are the ones more likely to train and supervise their staff. 

9. What challenges do offshore outsourcers face that domestic ones do not?

The difference in culture (both in the workplace and outside it) is one of the most pronounced hurdles of offshore outsourcing. With this comes problems like language barriers. There’s also the problem of the possibility of the vendor to fail in delivering the service or product in full. What happens then? How can you maintain contact with the people you worked with?

10. What are the key drivers for companies to outsource offshore?

It’s almost always that labor is cheaper yet the quality of the service is more or less the same as what the local services can provide (if not better). It also provides companies with that inimitable international clout that is becoming ever increasingly valuable in a globalized business world.

11. How have the campaigns and projects companies outsource changed over the last 5 years?

Thanks to the high-end telecom infrastructure we maintained and developed over the years, our BPO industries grew to include services that aren’t just limited to customer care. Dot Com Infoway offers services involved in Digital Marketing, Mobile App Development, App Consultation, Dedicated Developers, UI & UX Design, Education Solutions and Business Consultation.

12. What would you say are the top 5 questions a company should ask a prospective outsourcer?

What is the range of cost-saving I can expect when I work with you?

Are your services aligned with my needs and requirements?

Can you explain your entire work process to me?

May I see your track record and client feedback?

What security measures do you take?

13. Do you feel that a client of an outsourcer should have unrestricted access to agents/reps working on their behalf and why do you believe this?

It’s necessary for me as it only aids in reducing management risk. This kind of risk is always high when outsourcing. Simply put, they know them better (assuming they took the time to train them for a long time), and with this kind of arrangement they’ll always have free reign to intervene should the hired team encounter work difficulties of various kinds. 

14. What industry sectors tend to outsource more than others (e.g. financial services, utilities etc)

I think the software and customer service industries remain on top as well as entertainment, utilities, and financial services. 

15. What management and motivation challenges do outsourcing companies face with their staff?

While this varies a lot based on the services offered, I’ve found that stress and burnout due to unusual working hours are the top culprits. The monotony of the job is also a big factor in plenty of industries, which could not be more apparent in the high attrition rates in a lot of organizations. 

16. How can outsourcers and clients ensure a fair partnership agreement?

Both parties should do their best to be transparent from the outset. Even should be crystal-clear to the two before the agreement is finalized. It creates trust after all. Now, the key to maintaining this I believe lies in making an effort to maintain that relationship over time.

17. What are the main advantages of using brokers when considering outsourcing some, or all, of your contact center functions?

Oftentimes, they’re almost always the ones that can get the job done the way it was planned out and promised. And I think it’s due to the fact that I tend to choose brokers that take the time to train their agents to maintain their reputation. Of course, this only means I don’t have to do that training myself, which only leads to time- and cost-savings on my end. 

18. What is the role of service standards when outsourcing?

Obviously, they serve as the yardstick of service quality. It’s crucial when outsourcing simply because you’d be working with experts that aren’t an integral part of your organization. You don’t have the ultimate say in the kind of performance they are expected to render, hence, necessitating the role of service standards. 

19. What role do associations play in helping companies select and use outsourcing services?

For one, they often take the initiative to recognize the agencies that continue to deliver top-notch performances over the years and at present. This helps companies narrow down their options easily. Also, associations often provide invaluable support should various issues that arise in the course of a partnership. 

20. Have you seen any trends in your area on the type of outsourcing companies that have established themselves in your area and what would you attribute this to?

There’s obviously clear and abundant attention being paid to promoting security. Outsourcing companies that can harness high technology like AI, IoT, and automation are also being preferred. I think these are only natural since these technologies are slated to take over (if they haven’t already). Security, on the other hand, remains a prevalent challenge, which is why any company that can provide solutions to it will inevitably be encouraged and favoured.