With just a few months left in 2021, many are looking forward to what 2022 brings. And that is true for the outsourcing industry, just like other fields. A startup company would definitely want to know what to expect before embarking on its outsourcing efforts.
For that, Virtua Outsourcing Solutions founders Frank Guintu and Penny Lat gave their predictions on what lies ahead for next year. Let’s take a look at what they see in their crystal balls.
2022 Outsourcing Trend No. 1: A Greater Emphasis On Security
While cybersecurity has always been an essential aspect of outsourcing, Lat says it will likely receive a stronger emphasis in 2022. She attributes this to the general shift from working in offices to working from home. The still ongoing COVID-19 restrictions brought about much of that shift.
Lat says in the traditional face-to-face office setting, it was easier to track and support employees and agents. However, the growing move towards remote offices has made the task a lot more challenging. She notes that such work setups can create various security vulnerabilities.
In particular, Lat singles out the payment and personal records departments as especially vulnerable. She says that since these departments work with sensitive customer data, they become popular targets for security attacks.
The Virtua co-founder says that to prevent such attacks, outsourcing firms will invest in technologies to beef up their security. One of these tech solutions will be cloud storage. It will allow companies and their outsourcing partners to access and share data safely. Another advantage cloud storage brings is that it lets these companies maintain their work even if their teams are distributed across different regions.
But Lat noted that, for the move to cloud storage to succeed, companies would need additional expertise. She sees increased demands for professionals like security specialists and cloud architects to maintain the servers. Meanwhile, database administrators will be vital for keeping the data accessible to everyone that needs it.
Outsourcing Trends 2022: The Growth Of Startup Company Strategic Partnerships
Lat says that the current business climate will also encourage companies to look for more strategic partnerships. Whereas before, outsourcing firms were seen as just third-party contractors that merely provide additional support. Now, companies view being more integral team players in the former’s business efforts.
With that, companies will likely seek a more long-term relationship with these firms. Such arrangements will require both parties to be more prepared in making significant changes in their business strategies. Here, Lat says that a startup company is likely going to give its outsourcing partners more decision-making responsibilities. These include a more active role in business planning and risk assessment.
On the other hand, Lat says that there is likely to be an increase in consultancy outsourcing next year. With the current economic environment, many companies are still reluctant to appoint permanent consultants, she explains.
Using this option, a startup company can easily enlist the help of experts without having to enter into long-term employment. This gives them a greater degree of flexibility to adapt to changing market uncertainties.
In particular, outsourcing consultants can help these companies build learner organizations. This helps them scale up or down faster depending on their current needs. For their part, consultants can get more freedom in working for multiple clients.
Outsourcing Trend no. 3: The Rise Of Virtual Assistants
Virtua co-founder Frank Guintu, meanwhile, speculates that virtual assistants are another job class that will grow significantly next year. He notes that the travel restrictions that have been in place in the last year have limited the ability of startups to hire more onsite staff. This option gives them a much-needed fallback to fill their teams.
According to Guintu, companies have also realized the benefit of getting VAs on a project basis. He says it gives a startup company an unparalleled degree of freedom in reorganizing its workforce as needed. Guintu added that getting virtual assistants is a risk-free alternative to hiring full-time staff.
The Right VAs For A Startup Company
But Guintu notes that companies will be more meticulous in selecting the virtual assistants they would sign up for. Aside from the specific technical skills that the work might require, companies will be looking for candidates with a good assortment of soft skills. These most notably include communication and interpersonal skills.
Guintu says that startup companies have always put a high value on such skills. But the current work environment has made them more relevant. He says that startups might often find themselves having a hard time keeping their remote teams together. Through the experienced use of these skills, virtual assistants can help in building a more productive workplace.
Outsourcing Trend No. 4: Expansion To New Markets
Guintu and Lat agree that outsourcing will see an even greater increase next year. And it wouldn’t be just about growing in scale. The field is expected to grow into entirely new markets. This is as companies continue to discover more ways to utilize it.
One of the biggest developments here would be the growth of the multiple outsourcing model. Guintu notes that the current business environment also creates this necessity. With their current capabilities being affected, startups will need several partners that can help them fill the gaps.
Growth Of Provider Partnerships
The Virtua head said that this also opens greater opportunities for outsourcing firms. Here, they can explore potential new markets as they cater to more diverse clients. This also opens up the opportunity to partner with other firms and get a better chance of capturing these clients.
As such, Guintu says that providers need to focus on developing more effective communication and collaboration techniques. This will greatly help them to coordinate not just with clients but also with their fellow providers. They will also need to be more flexible to better adapt to such arrangements.
Get Your Startup Company Ready For These Outsourcing Trends
With the industry becoming more dynamic, Guintu and Lat say that businesses should expect more developments by next year. They both agree that a startup company can take advantage of these trends by being prepared. They encouraged small businesses to explore these trends further and see how they can benefit from them.