Is geography an import consideration with your outsourcing? Most of us are used to being able to pick up the phone or walk across the hall to discuss projects that we are working on. When we outsource we often give up that option. Depending on the outsourcing choice you choose, you may never actually talk to or meet the person/group that is doing the work for you. Geography may not make a difference, it can be an obstacle or for some it can be an advantage. A lot depends on whether you are outsourcing task based work or product based work.
Time Zones
I used to have a boss that split his time between Europe, the Caribbean and the US, so you never knew what timezone he was going to be in. I would do conference calls at 11:30 PM at night or 6:00 AM in the morning depending on what time zone they were in. If you are outsourcing to someone half a world away, one of you is likely to need to make adjustments in your work schedule unless speaking and real time communication is not a priority. Many larger outsourcing companies actually staff to facilitate communication with U.S. companies but others do not.
Does time zone make a difference for your outsourcing? If you don’t need real time communication and don’t need to talk to your workers than it may not. Having workers in a different timezone can actually work to your advantage. Depending on the type of work being done, outsourcing to an opposite timezone (9-15 hours off) can allow you to get packets of worth prepared at the end of your day, and it can be ready when your work day starts the next day.
Shipping
Physical products are another area where geography can impact outsourcing. Saving $1 on production by outsourcing doesn’t help you if it costs $2 to have it shipped to you. If shipping is a consideration, you probably need to visit your outsourcing destination initially to setup production, shipping and related issues. Outsourcing issues expand depending on your shipping quantities and your warehousing needs.
