Who are you really outsourcing to? Australian businesses warned to stop gambling with sensitive business data

Australian businesses are being urged to think twice before handing sensitive customer information, financial records and intellectual property to offshore providers they know little about, with outsourcing expert Ivan Trajkovski warning many organisations are making one of their biggest commercial decisions based on little more than a Google search.

Trajkovski, founder of Orbii, said the rapid growth of global outsourcing had created enormous opportunities for Australian businesses, but had also exposed significant gaps in transparency, accountability and due diligence across an industry worth more than US$1 trillion globally.

He said while outsourcing has become an essential growth strategy for businesses struggling with labour shortages and rising operating costs, many organisations still have little understanding of who is actually carrying out their work, where their data is being stored, or who has access to some of their most valuable business assets.

Outsourcing is no longer just about saving money

Trajkovski said outsourcing had evolved well beyond customer service and administration, with offshore teams now accessing accounting systems, payroll platforms, legal documentation, software code, customer databases, intellectual property, financial information and confidential commercial strategies.

"The first question every business should ask isn't how much they're going to save. It should be who they're actually trusting with their business," Trajkovski said.

"Many Australian businesses are giving complete strangers access to customer records, financial information, software systems and intellectual property without properly understanding who those people are, where they're located or what safeguards are actually in place.

"If that relationship breaks down, if security processes are inadequate or if the provider isn't who they claim to be, the commercial consequences can be significant."

The outsourcing industry needs greater transparency

Having spent more than 20 years working across every side of the outsourcing industry as a client, provider, executive and strategic adviser, Trajkovski said the sector had grown faster than the standards designed to protect businesses.

"There are exceptional outsourcing providers around the world delivering outstanding results every day," Trajkovski said. 

"The problem isn't outsourcing itself, the problem is that businesses often have no independent way of separating the outstanding providers from the average ones.

"Many businesses choose an outsourcing partner based on a referral, an online search, a sales presentation or who appears first on Google. That's not due diligence. That's taking a commercial gamble."

Trust has become the most valuable currency

Trajkovski said outsourcing should be treated as a strategic partnership rather than simply a cost-saving exercise.

"If someone is answering your phones, managing your accounts, writing your software or accessing your CRM, they become an extension of your business," Trajkovski said.

"They may have visibility over your customers, your finances, your internal systems and your competitive advantage. That's not something businesses should hand over without proper scrutiny.

"Every business owner should know exactly who they're outsourcing to, where the work is being completed, what security standards exist, who owns the intellectual property created and what happens to business data if the commercial relationship ends."

Becoming the trusted voice for outsourcing

Trajkovski founded Orbii after recognising there was no independent comparison platform helping businesses confidently navigate the increasingly complex outsourcing marketplace.

Often described as the outsourcing industry's equivalent of Compare the Market or iSelect, Orbii independently matches businesses with outsourcing providers based on operational requirements, capability and suitability rather than advertising spend or directory rankings.

Trajkovski said his vision extended well beyond building a successful technology platform.

"My ambition is to help professionalise the outsourcing industry and become a trusted independent voice that businesses can rely on," he said.

"We need greater transparency, we need better education and we need stronger standards. Most importantly, we need businesses making informed decisions instead of expensive mistakes.

"When outsourcing is done properly, everybody benefits. Australian businesses become more competitive, quality providers are rewarded, offshore employees build meaningful careers and the entire industry becomes stronger.

"The future of outsourcing shouldn't be built on hope, it should be built on trust."

About Orbii

Orbii is Australia's independent outsourcing comparison and matching platform, helping businesses confidently navigate offshore outsourcing. Founded by outsourcing expert Ivan Trajkovski, Orbii uses intelligent matching technology and more than 20 years of industry experience to connect businesses with the right outsourcing providers.

Often described as the outsourcing industry's equivalent of Compare the Market or iSelect, Orbii is bringing greater trust, transparency and accountability to the global outsourcing sector by helping businesses reduce risk, access world-class talent and make informed outsourcing decisions. 

Based in Melbourne, Orbii's mission is to remove the guesswork from outsourcing and make it simple, trusted and accessible for every business.

For more information, visit www.orbii.co