BPO

Many businesses, from small startups to large companies, opt to outsource processes, as new and innovative services are increasingly available in today's ever-changing, highly competitive business climate.Broadly speaking, companies adopt BPO practices in the two main areas of back office and front office operations. Back office BPO refers to a company contracting its core business operations such as accounting, payment processing, IT services, human resources, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance to outside professionals who ensure the business runs smoothly.By contrast, front office BPO tasks commonly include customer-related services such as tech support, sales, and marketing.

The breadth of a business' BPO options depends on whether it contracts its operations within or outside the borders of its home country. BPO is deemed "offshore outsourcing" if the contract is sent to another country where there is political stability, lower labor costs, and/or tax savings. A U.S. company using an offshore BPO vendor in Singapore is one such example of offshore outsourcing.

BPO is referred to as "nearshore outsourcing" if the job is contracted to a neighboring country. Such would be the case if a U.S. company partnered with a BPO vendor located in Canada.

A third option, known as "onshore outsourcing" or "domestic sourcing," occurs when BPO is contracted within the company’s own country, even if its vendor partners are located in different cities or states.