Phone: 01242 260066 | Email accountants@mitchells.org

Is outsourcing the best strategy?

At Mitchells we can provide businesses in the Cheltenham area with help and advice. The following outlines the pros and cons of outsourcing core functions.

Outsourcing non-core operations has become very popular in recent years. Businesses now routinely outsource processes from cleaning to customer enquiries.

Other common areas for outsourcing include: payroll functions; human resources (insurance, recruitment etc); marketing; information and IT systems; and delivery.

The advantages

There are obvious potential benefits:

  • Management is free to concentrate on the core business
  • The use of resources, including human resources, is streamlined and more focused
  • Cost savings are achieved through economies of scale
  • Both risks and rewards are shared
  • Quality of service benefits from specialisation
  • Budgeting costs becomes more reliable in these areas because they are tied into contractual agreements.

Possible pitfalls

But there are also disadvantages to outsourcing:

  • Your customers do not draw a distinction between the core services that you provide and the outsourced services supplied by others, so any shortcomings on the part of the contractors reflect on you.
  • Some companies have also experienced dissent and demotivation within their own ranks as a result of outsourcing functions such as IT to contractors who do not share the same corporate culture and so do not treat employees in the way they expect to be treated.

A question of balance

As with most things outsourcing is a question of balance. For most businesses there will always be operations they can safely put in the hands of others and achieve both improved efficiency and cost savings.

But equally there will also be operations over which they will want to retain control. The art of good management is to know which is which! We can help you make the right decisions.

If you are in the Cheltenham area and would like professional assistance from experienced accountants and business advisers, contact Mitchells.

Try a site search Tax returns, budget, pension, rates and allowances...

Contact details

Office: 01242 260066

Company Registration No: 4161638
Company Registered in England and Wales.
Company details
Mitchell Glanville Limited
Registered Address: 41 Rodney Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1HX

Mitchell Glanville Limited regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales If, during the provision of professional services to you, you need advice on investments, we may have to refer you to someone who is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, as we are not. However, as we are licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, we may be able to provide certain investment services where these are complementary to or arise out of the professional services we are already providing to you.

© 2023 Mitchells Chartered Accountants. All rights reserved. We use cookies on this website, you can find more information about cookies here.