Your essential checklist: How to avoid costly mistakes when you outsource

Offshore outsourcing is increasingly attractive to French and European SMEs. Reduced salary costs, access to qualified talent, and rapid deployment—the benefits are undeniable. However, many projects fail or disappoint, not because of outsourcing itself, but due to poor practices during implementation.

In this article, we break down the 7 most frequent mistakes companies make when they outsource for the first time, and we give you the keys to avoid them.

Focusing solely on cost reduction

Many leaders approach outsourcing only from the perspective of financial savings. While cutting your payroll by half or more is a major advantage, if you only think about that, you risk overlooking:

• The quality of the profiles
• Integration into local teams
• The sustainability of the relationship

Expert advice: Consider outsourcing a strategic lever to free up time, increase your agility, and strengthen your competitiveness, not just a way to save money.

Choosing a partner without solid local roots

Some providers present themselves as offshore experts but actually have no physical presence in the countries where they operate. This leads to:

• Unreliable recruitment
• Legal and fiscal risks
• Lack of follow-up and support

Best practice: Work with a partner that has local offices, HR teams, and secure infrastructure. Example: BridgePerfect has local offices in Mauritius (Ebène) and Madagascar (Antananarivo), ensuring close monitoring.

Failing to clarify needs from the start

A common mistake is launching a project without having precisely defined:

• The outsourced missions
• The expected skill level
• The work tools to be used
• The performance indicators (KPIs)

Advice: Draft a clear scope of work (cahier des charges), even for a single profile. This will prevent misunderstandings and frustrations later on.

Neglecting the integration of offshore employees

Some leaders think that an outsourced employee will “function on their own.” However, without real integration, they risk feeling isolated and less committed.

Best practices

• Include your offshore talent in your team meetings.
• Use the same communication tools (Teams, Slack, Zoom).
• Value their work just as much as that of local teams.

Poorly choosing the functions to outsource

Not all functions are suitable for outsourcing. Outsourcing highly strategic missions or those requiring a strong physical presence on the ground is a mistake.

The most suitable functions:

• Customer and IT support
• Administrative and accounting back-office
• Software and digital development
• Content production and online training

Failing to plan for monitoring and management

Successful outsourcing requires regular management and oversight. Some SMEs delegate without follow-up, and then are surprised when quality is not met.

Best practices

• Set clear KPIs (deadlines, quality, productivity, customer satisfaction).
• Implement regular reporting.
• Hold weekly or monthly check-ins with your outsourced talent.

Trying to move too fast

Finally, many companies want to outsource massively from the outset. This is a mistake: without a pilot phase, the risk of failure is high.

Expert advice: Start with 1 to 3 employees in a well-defined scope. Once the process is validated and your teams are reassured, you can gradually expand.

Conclusion

Offshore outsourcing is a fantastic opportunity for SMEs, provided it is approached methodically. The mistakes to avoid are clear:

• Do not reduce the approach to a simple cost calculation.
• Choose a reliable and locally established partner.
• Clarify your needs and integrate your outsourced employees.
• Advance gradually and manage the project rigorously.

With BridgePerfect’s support, you benefit from a proven process, solid local presences in Mauritius and Madagascar, and customized follow-up.