How to Effectively Outsource Research

Since outsourcing has proven to be a double-edged sword in our current economy, managers may benefit from understanding how to effectively outsource research. Working with the right research services firm involves hiring qualified experts and letting them do what they do best. The third-party researcher should offer a variety of services that can be applied to a number of different industries. The outsourcing research trend is not going anywhere, within the next five years the size of the market is expected to double.  

Know what to outsource

Businesses typically choose to outsource research in an attempt to reduce costs, become more competitive, expedite development or utilize skill-sets unavailable in-house. Going where the capabilities are and collaborating with the best in the research sector is often the best way to accomplish some of these goals. However, managers are advised to keep the most sensitive information, like patents and trade secrets, confidential among in-house staff. An industry leader is more likely to outsource research relating to their mobile apps than the design driving their customer experience.

Find the right researchers

The best performing companies have an extensive reach worldwide that enables them to capitalize on prominent research centers overseas. In addition, as many multinational businesses grow abroad, leadership often values having researching teams local to these emerging markets. America leads the world in R&D investment, but the top researching teams can be found scattered throughout the rest of the world. When considering the researching services available, those with ties to India, Asia and Europe should top the list. Support Ninja may be a great place to start.

Find researchers that match your company’s style

Management must consider how well the research firm’s style matches with the business’s  own mantra. It’s also worth noting which methods each researching group uses, including journal research, surveys, interviews or focus groups. Researchers who can perform tactical and strategic analysis across multiple industries are often the ideal candidates for meeting any company’s outsourcing needs.

Find researchers who understand your industry needs

Management can outsource to third-parties that possess a number of specialties, including pharmaceutical research, medical writing, market research, developing special reports, financial research, online market research or social media monitoring, to name a few. In order to get ahead of the competition, management should be focused on working with research services that can provide insightful reports and complex analysis on their particular niche or target market.

Outsource research in moderation

Experienced researchers may be able to help clients reduce costs by up to 50 percent. Aside from providing multi-disciplinary analysis, third-party researchers may also offer faster turnaround times, superior quality and operational transparency. Hiring researchers does not have to result in losing control of the operation. In fact, studies have shown that if management outsources over 30 percent of the process, it becomes more difficult maintaining the organization’s integrity and identity.

Outsourcing research is based on business fundamentals like cost optimization, workflow maximization and operational inefficiencies.. The skill level of the outsourced staff dictates what type of research can be contracted to a third-party. Many companies succeed by starting off with outsourcing the mundane, low-level research to non-employees off-site. Outsourcing allows the traditional in-house employees to focus on more in-depth, challenging and interesting research topics.

If you’re looking to outsource your research to an off-site brand with an exceptional level of integrity and customer service, contact the Support Ninja team today – we may be the perfect fit for your research needs.