SMEs could benefit by outsourcing some parts of their operation, one industry body has said.
Jag Dalal, managing director for the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP), explained that there were "many compelling reasons" a firm might want to consider outsourcing.
These include reducing costs, access to people with different skills, removing the need to invest time and money in changing internal organisation and reducing the risk of things going wrong by employing an expert, he said.
"Cost savings is but one of the benefits and in many cases it is 'cheaper' when you consider the total cost of service - investment as well as operational costs," he added.
Firms that have been hit by the credit crunch might also be able to use outsourcing as a way to address their problems with liquidity, he concluded.
In related news, Deloitte's 2008 outsourcing report revealed that 83 per cent of firms engaged in outsourcing achieve a return on investment of more than 25 per cent.
