Outsourcing

Outsourcing is a pretty hot topic, especially for those of us working in-house in a corporate environment. Obviously most illustrators aren’t too excited about the idea of losing their job to someone overseas charging 3 bucks an hour. Upper management loves it; they save on wages, benefits, computers, office space, etc. At the same time they will only pass those benefits on to the customer if they really have to.

I used to be pretty dead set against the idea of sending work overseas. I had it in my head that they were just lowly factory worker types out to get our jobs. I always thought a better compromise  would be to start up satellite offices in rural America, where land is cheap and unemployment is higher. Americans having a hard time finding work would be happy to work for even $10 per hour, but the jobs would stay in the country.

My attitude changed a bit with a trip I made to China last year to train a group of 10 illustrators there, which I commented about in this post. Who I found there weren’t sneaky job stealers out for American jobs – they were young, hungry illustrators who were lucky to get an education in illustration and not have to work in factories. They wanted desperately to learn and get good at their jobs, something I’ve rarely seen with the people I’ve worked with in the US.

Advantages of outsourcing

• They work while you are sleeping
• Low cost
• Quick turn around times

Disadvantages of outsourcing

• Communication can be difficult at times.
• Training, either by traveling to their location or late night conference calls.
• Getting the quality of work you expect.

How to be competitive with low cost countries

Develop a diverse set of skills. Be able to execute any project your client or employer needs, be prepared to learn how, or involve yourself in it in a meaningful way. Pay attention to what is going on in your industry. Be more than just hands, be their go-to person.

Pay attention to the warning signs. If your company starts up an office in China, chances are someone is going to lose a job. Start working on a Plan B or an exit strategy.

Stay ahead of the game, our field is constantly evolving, and we need to change and adapt along with it.

As a freelancer would you consider or do you already outsource some of your work during peak work loads? Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Work Week advocates the use of outsourcing as a way to automate your life by working less and making more. If I picked up a huge contract I can’t say I wouldn’t consider it. Though I haven’t tried them, I know there are many sites out there to get you in touch with illustrators all over the world.

Honestly, I’m still on the fence about the whole thing. Of course I would like to keep jobs in the United States but the world is a different place, there are skilled, talented people all over who need jobs. Most of the stuff we own is made in china anyway. I think if it came down to it and I needed help with my work, I would try to go local first, if that didn’t pan out I would considering having the work done overseas.

What do you think?