outsourcing
Hiring external providers
Outsourcing is the practice of hiring outside contractors or foreign companies to perform work that could be done internally.
Businesses outsource to reduce costs, access specialized skills, or focus on core operations: The company outsourced its customer service to a call center in the Philippines.
The term often carries negative connotations when jobs move overseas, becoming shorthand for domestic job loss.
Moving work overseas
- multinationalOperating across multiple countries
- cross-borderSpanning national boundaries
- globalizationWorldwide economic and cultural integration
- internationalConcerning relations among countries
overseas · foreign · nearshore · India · Philippines · China · Mexico · trade
All available workers
- offshoringMoving work overseas
- nearshoringRelocating work to neighboring countries
- reshoringRelocating production domestically
- onshoringRelocating operations domestically
staffing · BPO · freelancers · contractors · temps · manpower · recruitment · headcount
Hiring others for portions
- assigningDesignating for a purpose
- entrustingGiving for safekeeping
- handoffDirect physical exchange
- taskingAllocating work to someone
commissioning · offloading · transferring · responsibility · accountability · oversight · control · coordination
Selfish use of others
- sweatshopExploitative manufacturing workplace
- displacementRemoval from usual location
- transparencyState of being see-through
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
community · regulation · criticism · controversy · backlash
Output relative to input
- optimizationMaximizing efficiency or performance
- scalabilityCapacity for growth
- automationSelf-operating system design
- streamliningMaking more aerodynamic or efficient
focus · specialization · agility · turnaround · capacity · throughput · performance · metrics
Reducing expenditure
- reductionMaking something smaller
- overheadLocated directly above
- budgetingAllocating funds systematically
- savingsAccumulated money kept
downsizing · streamlining · retrenchment · fixed-price · cost-benefit · ROI · margin · billing
One who sells goods
- third-partyExternal, uninvolved entity
- deliverablesContracted work products owed
- procurementObtaining goods externally
- complianceAdhering to requirements
terms · negotiation · renewal · termination · scope · milestone · RFP · bidding
offshoring
Moving work overseas
- multinationalOperating across multiple countries
- cross-borderSpanning national boundaries
- globalizationWorldwide economic and cultural integration
international · overseas · foreign · nearshore · India · Philippines · China · Mexico · trade · tariffs
workforce
All available workers
- offshoringMoving work overseas
- nearshoringRelocating work to neighboring countries
- reshoringRelocating production domestically
onshoring · staffing · BPO · freelancers · contractors · temps · manpower · recruitment · headcount · attrition
subcontracting
Hiring others for portions
- assigningDesignating for a purpose
- entrustingGiving for safekeeping
- handoffDirect physical exchange
tasking · commissioning · offloading · transferring · responsibility · accountability · oversight · control · coordination · management
exploitation
Selfish use of others
- sweatshopExploitative manufacturing workplace
- displacementRemoval from usual location
- transparencyState of being see-through
accountability · community · regulation · criticism · controversy · backlash
productivity
Output relative to input
- optimizationMaximizing efficiency or performance
- scalabilityCapacity for growth
- automationSelf-operating system design
streamlining · focus · specialization · agility · turnaround · capacity · throughput · performance · metrics · KPI
cost-saving
Reducing expenditure
- reductionMaking something smaller
- overheadLocated directly above
- budgetingAllocating funds systematically
savings · downsizing · streamlining · retrenchment · fixed-price · cost-benefit · ROI · margin · billing · invoice
vendor
One who sells goods
- third-partyExternal, uninvolved entity
- deliverablesContracted work products owed
- procurementObtaining goods externally
compliance · terms · negotiation · renewal · termination · scope · milestone · RFP · bidding · tendering
- fashion industryfashion, fashion design, fashion designers, fashion shows, fashion week
- corporate practicesmerger, acquisition, takeover, buyout, layoff
- outsourcingoffshore, offshoring, nearshoring, onshoring, reshoring
- business termsfranchising, revenue stream, board meeting, gross margin, markdown
- business activitiesmeetings, meeting, hiring, firing, training
- workplace changeslayoff, hiring, merger, firing, reorganization
outsourcinginsourcing
Assigning work internally
in-house · onshoring · reshoring · domestic production · vertical integration
outsourcinginsourcing
Assigning work internally
self-sufficiency · centralized control · integration · consolidation · autonomy