Outsourced Administration Services and the Public Sector – will it work?
Unsurprisingly, outsourcing is still an unfamiliar world for much of public sector management. Even some of the most cosmopolitan of managers, entrepreneurs and financial directors in the private sector are still shying away from the prospect of passing over control of their admin tasks to someone outside their office team.
It’s understandable – after all, nobody likes change - but they could in fact be wasting an excellent opportunity to make some overdue changes to their operating systems. It’s more than likely that they are focusing on the negative aspects of making the changes necessary to achieve a successful outsourced admin solution, thereby losing sight of the probable benefits available.
The positive aspects of outsourcing back office services in the Public Sector are similar in principle to those available to the small businessman, the professional and the CEO of a large private organisation; it’s just the numbers that vary. However, customer satisfaction must be acknowledged to be as important as any savings that can be made – possibly more so in the Public Sector than elsewhere, due to accountability issues.
2010 will be a critical year for improved delivery and enhanced accountability in every field of endeavour and never has it been so important for all businesses, especially in the Public Sector, to display best practice in all areas. At a time when cost savings of up to £14bn have been identified as necessary by the year 2013 ( http://www.guardianpublic.co.uk/vince-cable-spending-cuts as reported in the Guardian, autumn 2009), the experienced admin support team at Standby Virtual Office Limited is confident in their ability to continue delivering a first class service to the Public Sector, whatever the requirements.
Standby has been providing admin support to all sectors of commerce since 1983 and has plenty of experience upon which to draw. With an excellent professional reputation and a commitment to delivering excellence, the outsourcing specialists at Standby are only too aware that managers in many Public Sector departments are already wondering how to implement such an aspiration, and where to turn for help and advice.
Fortunately the concept of successful outsourcing is already thriving in many areas and current IT capability means that admin tasks can now be organised, controlled and delivered remotely without difficulty – or loss of quality. Once those tasks that can be outsourced have been identified, success depends on three things: planning, commitment and communication.
Firstly, managers must identify where costs may be running away with themselves, and in which areas better delegation (downwards and outwards) could be implemented. Areas of administration that are commonly overmanned and poorly managed include:
• Highly mechanised systems such as payroll
• Dispatch and distribution such as mail shots and brochures
• Database building and maintenance
• Proof reading and checking
• Management of exhibitions and seminars
• Booking of meetings and training events
• Making travel arrangements and booking accommodation
Secondly, managers need to feel confident in the process, so that they are fully engaged in the developmental stages that follow. This happens organically when they understand the benefits and feel comfortable working with their provider so the time invested and the groundwork prepared at this stage are crucial to the success of the project in the long term. A good outsourcing provider will want to meet or communicate frequently while building a plan for the future and this should be encouraged where possible. It really will help!
Lastly, a fair bit of work should go into deciding the standards and criteria that are to be set for delivery of the service. These would ideally be selected in response to established feedback from (or in consultation with) the ultimate consumer to ensure continuity and consistency. Ultimately the service must find a balance between economy and quality, and both sides will need to comfortable with the choices made to ensure that there is mutual commitment to quality delivery so that the relationship endures.
With over thirty years’ experience in the commercial arena working for large and small private sector organisations as well as for a local authority, Standby’s MD Susi Cernoch recognises the similarities and differences in business challenges across the board. What’s more, as an active representative of local business and social groups over a period of many years, she is well placed to appreciate how consumers perceive best practice in the public sector, and to assist procurement managers in establishing how that level of service might be delivered by means of outsourcing.
‘The key to getting it right, she says, ‘is in the level of trust and communication between the provider and the supplier of outsourced admin support. Setting parameters and gauging expectations on both sides lays a strong foundation for building a successfully outsourced system with potential longevity and quality of delivery’.
In her determination to ensure their own best practice in all areas of activity, Ms Cernoch has committed her company to achieving ISO 9001 certification during 2010 to ensure formalisation of the standards to which Standby has been working for many years in matters such as security, confidentiality, sustainability, management, training and customer service.
While Standby’s systems already cater more than adequately for these issues, the MD points out, ‘By working towards the ISO9001 standard, we can ensure that the systems we have in place not only work well for us and our valued clients, but also that they can be credibly and beneficially assessed against the yardstick of an independent quality mark.
‘This will ensure that we never become complacent or fall behind on important matters such as software updates, safety procedures and legal complicity. I believe I owe it to my staff, to our clients, to my industry colleagues and even to our suppliers to operate at the highest level of professionalism.’ That said, we are comfortable that the service we already offer is keeping our customers happy – as can be seen from our testimonials.’
The Standby team is ready and eager to acquire recognition as a source of reliable high quality outsourcing services and advice to the Public Sector, and MD Susi Cernoch can be reached by email via admin@standbyvirtual.com or by calling 08456 838678.
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