To ensure success in any business partnership, seamless communication is imperative. In a field like accounting, where professionals deal with critical information every day, it becomes even more essential. Outsourcing has become a popular business tool in today’s market scenario. It has helped accounting firm leaders and professionals reduce the overburden, and costs and reap many other benefits. However, due to the cross-geographical coordination, many leaders believe that outsourcing creates a huge gap. This could be internal – within the organization, or external – with the clients. Despite the many benefits, concerns about language differences, time zones, cultural misunderstanding, and quality of information exchanged threaten firms from achieving the full potential of outsourcing.
Let us delve deeper into the apprehension and analyze the truth behind them.
What are these apprehensions all about?
Language differences
Apprehension:When we outsource, the teams are mostly based in a country different than that of the host. They fear that there will be communication gaps due to the language barriers, causing errors in critical jobs like accounting.
Reality: Language differences can pose significant challenges. However, when you outsource your accounting businesses with an efficient team, they often have a team of English-speaking professionals. They are mostly acquainted with international accounting business standards. To ensure effectiveness, it is ideal that leaders have clear communication, and have things written even, to ensure there is no gap at a later period. Using clear and simple language, avoiding jargon, and employing visual aids, if any, can help bridge the language gaps. Seeking and giving feedback continuously can also help ensure that both parties understand each other accurately.
Time zone challenges
Apprehension: Communication can also get extremely difficult when different teams work in different time zones. Coordinating for tasks or queries can seem impossible to achieve.
Reality: When you outsource your accounting practice in India or the Philippines, the teams often maintain a follow-the-sun approach. This means that time zone differences can be leveraged to create a service provider that is available 24 hours. When you outsource, your outsourcing partners often work when you are resting or not available. They also have teams who work in your time zone which enables effective communication. There are several task management software available that allow you to solve all queries and even ask your questions on the tools. These shared tools have helped redefine communication protocols despite time zone differences.
Cultural differences
Apprehension: When teams are from geographically different locations, it is given that they will come from different cultural backgrounds. This can lead to misunderstandings and inefficiencies in communication.
Reality: Unlike popular belief, cultural differences can help bring different perspectives. It should be used as a source of strength, instead of a weakness. As the world continues to become digital, many organizations, today, prefer resources from different cultures. It is about understanding and respecting cultural norms, business practices, and communication styles. Training on cultural sensitivity is important for both the in-house and outsourced teams. And it is both the accounting firms’ and offshore partners’ responsibility. Open and respectful dialogue can help bridge the cultural gaps and enhance collaboration.
Quality of communication
Apprehension: When communicating internally or outside the team, it is important to maintain clarity, accuracy, and timeliness. Accounting firms fear that outsourcing providers lack one or many of these qualities which leads to a compromised exchange of information.
Reality: Ensuring the quality of communication involves setting clear expectations, using effective communication tools and platforms, and maintaining regular and structured communication. Accounting firms must define the roles and responsibilities, scope of work, communication methods, protocols, and deadlines. They should be maintained both accurately and timely. Some of the common methods to ensure that everyone is updated with the ongoing tasks is through regular check-ins, updates, and feedback loops. Teams can also set up weekly or monthly review meetings and updates to improve the quality of communication and fix problems as soon as they occur. Technology has advanced and it has become an important tool in the journey of making communication seamless and accounting firms should take advantage of that.
Technological barriers:
Apprehension: Accounting firms believe that they will face issues with the usage and integration of technology and platforms that will not only impact the communication loop but also impact overall operations.
Reality:
Outsourcing partners build a team, adept in the adaptation and use of tools – both for communication and operations. No matter what tool we talk about, outsourcing providers either have them at their disposal or are quick to adapt to them. Investing in reliable and user-friendly communication tools can help ensure the compatibility of systems, and providing training on their use can help overcome technological barriers if they exist. Make sure to constantly update and maintain communication infrastructure to ensure smooth and uninterrupted communication.
Strategies to overcome communication barriers:
- Invest in communication tools:
With so much technology available at our disposal, accounting firms should utilize advanced communication tools that allow real-time interaction, document sharing, and collaboration. Tools like Slack, Zoom, Teams, etc can aid in communication efficiency.
- Set clear protocols:
Establish clear communication protocols, including defined roles and responsibilities, response times, escalation processes, and regular check-ins. This will give structure and consistency.
- Schedule overlapping work hours:
Identify overlapping hours where both teams can remain available for real-time communication and collaboration. This will ensure that urgent issues can be addressed promptly while maintaining alignment.
- Leverage multilingual resources:
Having multilingual resources also helps you get clients across all geographies. Choose teams that have English-speaking resources, thus leveraging your overall business growth.
- Implement robust security measures:
As an accounting firm, adopt proper security protocols. Ensure that all communication tools and platforms used are secure and compliant with the data protection regulations. This helps build trust and confidence in the communication process.
Combatting apprehensions about communication barrier – End Note
Since clear and transparent communication remains at the core of a successful partnership between the accounting firm and outsourcing partner, it is important to look beyond the surface of the apprehension. Adopting the right strategies and practices can not only help mitigate the fears but also set businesses up for success.
Want to know how outsourcing can help accelerate your business growth? Write to us at connect@finsmartaccounting.com.
Director Growth Strategy & Alliance
Maanoj Shah is a finance and outsourcing expert with strong Business Strategy and Scaling-up experience. Over the last 20 years, he has incubated multiple businesses and helped build global enterprises in verticals as diversified as hospitality, technology, and healthcare.
