Software development in Sri Lanka is a thriving market sector that caters to clients from around the world. However, it’s an industry that goes beyond simply undertaking monotonous tasks that are otherwise associated with the concept of business outsourcing. Software outsourcing in Sri Lanka is home to a variety of highly strategic projects which require deep skills and specialized insight – from fresh entrepreneurial ideas to leveraging business processes of some of the world’s leading brands. What was previously chosen as a means of reducing costs and overhead maintenance has now evolved into a strategy powerhouse which offers clients guidance on how to optimize their business processes.
Thanks to an increase in remote work and the ability of numerous outsourcing agencies to drastically step up their game in terms of what they offer, outsourcing now delivers much more than just financial value. With competition steadfast across various online channels, having a partner that is able to scale and evolve with shifting demands is something that every company needs, in order to stay competitive and on par with their customers’ expectations.
Outsourcing, as it turns out, is able to meet those requirements and more – in comparison to internal teams that need to be exclusively hired and maintained. By reaching out across the seven seas to source only the very best in outsourcing, companies are opening up to a world of opportunity that is geared by the finest talent. Coupled with real-time project management tools and advanced video conferencing capabilities, working virtually is more effortless than ever before – and perhaps even more productive, as teams get to work at their convenience.
However, what truly sets outsourcing standards apart in comparison to what they were before is the capability of many agencies to assimilate with the norms and etiquette that are characteristic in the environment/region from which clients hail from. Ultimately, the final choice to outsource or not is your own. But being aware of how this particular industry has evolved to offer the best in strategic execution is worthwhile, before you make that final decision. Read on to know more!
In spite of all the technological and economical developments that have taken place, the most fundamental reasoning behind outsourcing still lies relevant – and at the top of the list. Being able to significantly save on costs pertaining to labour, space and equipment is still valid justification when it comes to taking the outsourcing route, simply because it is beneficial for your business all around. By outsourcing repetitive or operational processes to a third-party agency for a fraction of the cost, your business need not invest and maintain these areas, while being free to focus on tasks that require strategic and/or analytical insight.
As outsourcing companies have now diversified to offer an entire suite of services that go beyond simply executing the tasks you have delegated, even IT infrastructure will be taken care of by your outsourcing provider. With many agencies today forming dedicated business partnerships with vendors that specialize in cloud support services (such as being an AWS partner, for example), allocating responsibilities pertaining to infrastructure to your outsourcing agency shall further streamline business operations, in addition to reducing overhead costs and the like.
As traditional business environments are being overhauled to accommodate remote workspaces, outsourcing tasks and other operations now feels more viable than ever before. Although IT outsourcing had been at the very forefront of all long-distance outsourcing operations well before business continuity garnered buzz, other industries are also gradually opening up to the possibility to do the same, for a variety of reasons. With remote work being the sole option to continue business operations like normal, physical proximity of team members is pretty much void. This therefore opens up the opportunity for even the most orthodox organizations to consider outsourcing.
With benefits pertaining to cost and overhead reduction, the option of outsourcing has become all the more enticing. As outsourcing agencies are well equipped to handle long-distance business operations, coordinating feels straightforward, seamless and familiar – as opposed to the befuddled communication of yesteryear that would consist of odd hours and accent-related incoherence. With traditional, brick-and-mortar establishments slowly dwindling, companies (especially those that were keen to operate in a more conventional way) now see the value in hiring only the finest talent, irrespective of distance – since teams have to work virtually either way.
With video conferencing tools more accessible and affordable than ever before, corresponding virtually feels like a breeze – with leading video conferencing vendors also possessing technologies that are advanced enough to stabilize call quality in the wake of poor internet connectivity. Add to this the scope that real-time project management and collaboration tools provide; share a master plan across teams and departments, and never miss a thing, including all what other team members are up to.
All of this together has now created a remote work ecosystem that is highly efficient, yet consumes less time overall thanks to automated workflows and the need to never (or seldom) commute. In turn, this has made outsourcing an attractive prospect even for organizations that were otherwise previously strict about only working in a traditional, in-person environment.
While AI has also undertaken many mundane tasks to free teams up for more demanding operations, it has taken the future of technology to a brand new height. With consumers constantly being bombarded with options online, abandonment is all too real. This can happen even with the slightest lapse, since users know they can go elsewhere to satisfy their needs. From a consumer standpoint, AI has been a lynchpin for conversational technologies to take flight, such as intuitive chatbots and voice assistants. As these handle common questions, staff is free to attend to more complex issues, so less overheads are once again required by your organization.
How is AI leveraged from an outsourcing perspective, though? The bots mentioned above are a good example in this case; they need to be trained prior to being put on the frontlines for serving customers. The right software/application development team is essential for this purpose, since bot training will require specialized skills that need to be sourced mindfully. Outsourcing is a viable option here, since extending your search beyond physical borders shall give you the best possibility of hiring a development team that is ideal for your business’s unique AI/automation requirements.
With big data highly common amongst even smaller businesses, putting these massive repositories into productive use is something that every organization needs to think about. By enabling decision making that is backed by data-driven insights, companies will be well on their way to satisfy their customers even in the wake of rapidly shifting preferences. In turn, this shall also establish the necessary competition that is required for businesses to thrive, thereby maintaining consistency and reliability among different stakeholders – especially customers.
Cyber breaches are rampant in this day and age, and no business is immune. Therefore, cybersecurity solutions are an absolute essential, in order to protect business networks that connect across various stakeholders, especially with your customers. Every endeavour made for your business needs to be integrated with relevant cybersecurity protocols, to ensure protection. Outsourcing is also no exception, and making sure your offshore teams are skilled and equipped to handle the cyber-based challenges of tomorrow is of immense importance. When it comes to software development, securing your applications at the code level is a proactive means of cybersecurity – something your software outsourcing team needs to be on par with in order to offer the very same to your application that is being developed.
As applications garner vast amounts of traffic, securing them with the right authentication protocols also matter. Identity & Access Management (IAM) solutions can be utilized either standalone, or as part of a larger cybersecurity suite. Add to this the protection that is required for cloud-based workloads, including any on-premise infrastructure that your outsourcing agency may own.
However, cybersecurity isn’t a commitment that only your outsourcing agency can undertake from a DevSecOps standpoint. Numerous cybersecurity providers offer round-the-clock monitoring and remediation via their dedicated SOCs (Security Operations Centers) to offer complete protection without ever missing a single compromise that may head your way.
Inversely, outsourcing your cybersecurity operations (whether you have a dedicated in-house IT security team or not) is a significant outsourcing initiative that one can take as a business owner or leader. By protecting your IT systems across the cloud, on-premise or a combination of the two, your business will be well on the right path towards detecting and preventing threats before they get a chance to strike.
As businesses become more globalized, diverse and virtual, regulatory bodies have raised the stakes in terms of what is acceptable, and what is not. As a result, companies venturing into foreign territories are faced with challenges pertaining to policy regulations that govern those territories, thereby increasing the chances of complications. The same also applies to outsourcing agencies that serve a region outside of their own. Are they equipped, and familiar with policy regulations of the region in which they are looking to serve clientele?
When you are searching for an outsourcing partner, you and your team members need to ask this question in order to gauge whether the outsourcing agency you eventually choose will be able to rise up to the expectations of the regulatory bodies that govern your specific region(s) of operation. Numerous leading outsourcing agencies, especially those that are based in destinations that are renowned for their outsourcing capabilities, are already facilitated with the essential knowhow in order to adhere to policy regulations of regions they specialize in, for and on behalf of their clientele.
Whether it’s managing access rights appropriately or if a fully-fledged audit needs to be carried out in order to satisfy a government regulation, GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) is bound to form a significant part of your overall business operations. As SaaS proliferates the digital landscape, solutions dedicated to GRC are also available which integrate with existing business components to keep track of operations companywide, and ensure that every team member adheres to policy codes as required. Whether it’s outsourcing agencies that utilize such solutions, or your business itself does so, integrating GRC is of absolute importance, in order to help your business stay compliant.
Consumers are increasingly depending on online services to satisfy both needs and wants – while businesses are increasingly going remote in an effort to establish business continuity owing to the pandemic. Scope for businesses have been magnified, thanks to a vast and thriving digital landscape. However, competition has also increased manifold, since companies of all shapes and sizes do their mighty best to attract the attention of customers. In an environment that is so fiercely competitive, how does one stand out?
Outsourcing has been a solution for reducing costs and overheads for a long time, especially in the IT and software development industries. However, it can now offer much more than that, in order to help your business stay competitive in the market. By being equipped with the latest technologies such as AI, outsourcing agencies across the world have stepped up their game for offering nothing short of the finest in services – even if it’s across time zones and hemispheres. Companies that were otherwise set in their conventional ways are also gradually starting to open up to the idea of outsourcing, since the need to work virtually has paved the way for teams to work from practically anywhere.
Today’s outsourcing agencies are also robustly equipped with the tool sets needed to help their clientele stay secure and compliant – even if it’s in regions outside of their own. Such a high level of specialization has created massive breakthroughs in the world of outsourcing, so the prospect of delegating internal operations to an otherwise third-party entity now signifies an initiative that is erred towards powerful business processes and robust strategies, as opposed to simply aiming for a reduction in costs.