How to get on top of the paperwork

A few years later, if all goes according to plan, there are secretaries, pension packages and medical plans together with all the headaches that go with them. But in America, the business community appears to have found a solution to this conundrum outsourcing. Rachel McCorry, who heads the Swindon office of Docuserve, a recently opened outsourcing company, talks to Jeremy Smith about just what outsourcing is, its obvious benefits, and just how it can recreate the freedom that not-so-long provided the source of your businesses' creativity

REMEMBER the days when you would wake up each morning and look forward to getting into the office because you enjoyed your work?

When you had the time to focus on your business and be really productive, leaving at the end of each day with a real sense of achievement?

Now all you can do is reminisce and wish you could spend more time 'doing the work' as opposed to getting caught up in the day-to-day grind of staff and office management.

Well, there's good news and bad news.

First the bad: To the best of my knowledge even the most ingenious of businesses hasn't yet figured out how to manufacture time.

And the good news: for the past five years the Americans have been holding on to a well-kept secret. A secret with a value in excess of £34 billion Office Outsourcing. The motto being let someone else (who is an expert in that field) take on all the day-to-day grunt work so you are free to focus on developing your business.

And, by the way, it saves you money too.

American businesses have come to realise that their time is best spent focused on their core business. They rely on an office outsourcer to provide the critical, yet run-of-the-mill, functions in a proactive and cost-conscious manner. After all, who doesn't long to be left to focus on the job at hand and not be distracted by office services and its management?

US companies have found that by outsourcing their office services they have more time to think about strategy, product development and delivery.

Not only are they able to accelerate the value of their core business, they've discovered that their admin and office functions are happier and more efficient in terms of time, cost and service.

In America, office outsourcing started out as a best practice and became a way of life.

So just what is it?

Well, it isn't work done overseas and neither is it performed by someone who doesn't know your company's structure or systems.

In essence, an outsourcer applies their processes, procedures and manages the staff and services.

The bottom line is that the staff currently performing your admin functions transfer to them under TUPE* (see end) yet remain on-site at your premises.

In effect, overnight every user of office services becomes a customer, and let's be honest here, no matter how well your company embraces the internal customer, deep down we all know they will never get the same service as an external customer.

But if the idea of focusing on your core business sounds attractive, you may nevertheless find yourself uncomfortable with the idea of your staff TUPEing to another company.

So let's start by painting a picture of utopia: Imagine all admin and office staff are happy and motivated in the work place. Every individual has the opportunity of a proper career structure supported by their own individual development plans.

In reality, however, unless an individual carries a degree in the profession of your business whatever it might be: finance, architecture, law, teaching there's unlikely to be a progressive career path ahead of them.

Conversely, if your firm's admin staff worked for an office outsourcer, their tasks and responsibilities would be integral to the core of the outsourcer's business.

Consequently they will have many opportunities for career advancement and developing their knowledge base, as the outsourcer will have multiple requirements for office managers and department team leaders as each one of their clients will warrant its own structure.

Outsourcing is a big decision for an organisation to make, and it's as important for the outsourcer as it is for you to make the right decision. So take the time to find the right partner.

Select one that is a cultural match to your business, one that will give you a true commitment to quality. Take up references; make sure their experiences support your business goals.

It's worth bearing in mind that outsourcing contracts are typically between three and five years and so have to be a real partnership in the truest sense of the word.

Which functions you could actually outsource? How's this for starters

... mail, copying, faxing, courier co-ordination, archiving, filing, stationery, print procurement, word processing, scanning/imaging, desktop publishing, meeting room management, graphics, events management, concierge, switchboard, conference hospitality, sub-contractor management, cleaning, water coolers/vending machines, flowers/plants, travel, health and safety, utilities, catering, building maintenance, space planning, office equipment and its maintenance, reception, security, ground maintenance, window cleaning, car fleet management....phew!

There is little doubt that office outsourcing remains a new concept in the M4 corridor and Thames Valley. However, rather than wait for the market to establish itself, one company, DocuServe, has opened a Swindon office in Westlea. DocuServe's intention is to drive demand through the intelligent use of marketing, education and sharing knowledge.

Interestingly, the average business spends seven per cent of its annual revenue on IT related costs.

It is quite normal to have an IT budget and a director or manager taking responsibility for that area. Compare that number to office admin where 13 per cent of annual revenue is spent on office functions and document management.

Now imagine if you were able to save 10 per cent of the cost of admin and that saving went straight to your bottom line. Add to that saving the fact that you have more time to focus on your business, plus internal processes and procedures are greatly improved.

Now you know why office outsourcing is a best practice in America.

*TUPE (transfer of undertaking and protection of employment rights) legislation in essence offers protection to employees when the services or functions that they have performed are transferred to another employer.

That protection ensures that their existing terms and conditions of employment are maintained or in those instances where the new employer does not have identical benefits e.g. subsidised mortgage rates, an alternative benefit, which is equivalent in amount, is provided.

For information, contact Rachel McCorry on 01793 401929. Email: rachel.mccorry@docuserve.co.uk