Growing companies often reach a predictable crossroads: As a company grows, they often find that some functions such as call center or dispatch operations and management take time and effort that would be better spent on your core business. If you've reached this stage, "re-sourcing" this function is one option. Re-sourcing is the ability to maintain control of this vital part of your operations, yet add the help you need to get the job done without adding head count. This is significantly different than "outsourcing", whereby you turn over your staff and control and then pay much more for the privilege.

Core Competencies vs. Business Functions

As a first step, you have already identified your company's core competencies and the call center/dispatch business functions that would be better handled by a re-sourcing company.

Now, keep control of those functions in-house that are part of who you are and what you are in the marketplace. By choosing Professional Dispatch Services as your re-source company, you will be able to provide dispatch or call center services at an increased quality level with greater cost effectiveness.

Professional Dispatch Services provides education and training for their Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) on work order management, vendor backlog management, targeted completions, and facility maintenance requirements specific to your industry, and your company. You may never have the resources to do this kind of targeted education and enrollment in the course of a year.

The re-sourcing arrangement saves the cost of providing training and educating employees about the various operational changes. While there is a hard cost of transitioning for re-sourcing, there will be a tremendous payback because the company doesn't have to make huge investments in personnel, tools, software, and training.

Key Business Drivers

Your company's key business drivers also dictate the selection of a re-sourcing partner. If one of your key business drivers is the need to respond quickly to the changes in market conditions, then you'll require Professional Dispatch Services. We work with a flexible contract, and the ability to change the scope of work as your business requirements change.

Why PDS Is The Right Re-source

Finding the right re-source partner, after you have identified which call center/dispatch functions you want to re-source, the next step is finding the right vendor. So what makes Professional Dispatch Services the vendor that fits your needs? PDS can:

• complete a 7 page due diligence checklist to determine your needs
• offer flexibility with a diverse menu of services
• provide professional, well trained staff
• manage your service contract administration issues
• quickly respond to accepted changes within your business (e.g. system upgrades or significant changes in the number of users)

The Contract

The Professional Dispatch Services contract will include language about length of service, response time, and access to the vendor. We also specify reimbursement of additional expenses, dispute resolution, and reporting requirements.

Most outsourcing companies typically charge per seat in a help desk arrangement. Professional Dispatch Services charges per work order created which most companies see as the most equitable. Professional Dispatch Services is willing to negotiate a service level agreement (SLA) that includes performance penalties: For example, if the SLAs are missed three consecutive months, a percentage of the invoice amount is refunded to you. This gets you out of managing this process and puts that responsibility with the re-sourcing company, where it should be.

The contract will also specify that you, the client, own all the data generated. Your personnel will have Web-based access to all of the data and reports that they have permission to see. This part of the agreement prohibits Professional Dispatch Services from using the data in market comparisons for other clients. If for some reason you changed vendors, the data would be returned to you along with any files and reports.

In addition, the Professional Dispatch Services contract will address altering the scope of the work completed based on significant increases or decreases: for example, 20 percent or more in the number of locations in the system. The acquisition or sale of a significant number of locations could trigger an automatic review of the contract.

The Relationship

Finally, after you've chosen Professional Dispatch Services and signed the contract, we'll want to make sure we maintain a healthy relationship with you and your company. The following common-sense items will be used by PDS for nurturing that relationship. PDS will:

• approach the re-sourcing relationship as hired re-source staff
• offer all agreements in writing
• advise you on the service items that you really need
• strive to learn about your business so we can negotiate issues together
• keep you informed about the management and issues concerning PDS
• require a contact person within your organization who can serve as a conduit between your business, end users, and PDS.
• ensure your designated contact person understands the evolving business climate and the needs of the end users rather than focusing solely on contract administration issues
• meet informally once a month during the first quarter to review any problems, discuss performance, and explore expectations
• schedule quarterly reviews after the first quarter to discuss performance, changes in the business climate, any innovations to services and the potential costs of those innovations.