The Difference Between Offshoring vs. Outsourcing

By Bill Peatman | Updated: 20 Oct, 2022

Offshoring and outsourcing are often confused. However, the different terms have very different implications and can't always be used interchangeably. 

The Difference Between Outsourcing and Offshoring

Outsourcing means delegating business processes to another company or independent contractors.

Offshoring involves running a portion of business operations in another country.

The business may own and manage the offshore facility (for example, if it builds a factory overseas), or it may outsource to a local business. Both strategies are often used to help scale, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency. In fact, many enterprise businesses will utilize a combination of outsourcing and offshoring to scale different parts of their business, based on their needs, funds, and the available skills.

We'll dive into the benefits and risks associated with each of these options, as well as related staffing models. 

Benefits of Outsourcing

There are several reasons companies outsource services, including:

  • To reduce labor costs
  • To access specialized services
  • To focus on core business competencies
  • To deliver short-term or seasonal projects
  • To get hard-to-find skills
  • To find talent faster

Specialized Outsourcing Services

One of the key ways outsourcing firms differentiate themselves is by offering specialized services that they can handle more efficiently than their clients can do themselves.

There are many outsourcing sub-industries, including:

  • Manufacturing Outsourcing — companies hire another business to manufacture their products
  • Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) — hiring specialized companies for back-office tasks like customer service and data processing
  • IT Outsourcing – a business's information technology infrastructure is hosted and managed by a third party
  • Software Development Software development outsourcing is contracting with a company to build software products
  • Project Outsourcing—specialized help is needed to deliver a complex project
  • Design Outsourcing — companies like Crowdspring can help you with professional quality custom design, from logos to websites to the industrial design of products.

Again, not all these functions are outsourced offshore.

For example:

  • Medical device contract manufacturers build prototypes and produce products in the U.S.
  • U.S. accounting firms audit publicly traded U.S.-based companies
  • U.S. IT companies build and manage other business's cloud-based infrastructures

If the firm whose skillset, availability, and rates most closely meet a business’s needs happens to be in another country, then it also makes sense to offshore. 

Offshoring Economics 

Companies usually offshore operations to developing countries with low wages to reduce costs. These savings get passed on to the customers, shareholders, and managers of these companies. Offshoring has been criticized for hurting the U.S. economy by cutting jobs.

That said, the idea that offshoring hurts the U.S. economy has been challenged. A McKinsey study, "Offshoring: Is it a Win-Win Game," found that every dollar offshored generates $1.45 in new revenue, with $1.12 of that revenue returning to the U.S. and 33 cents going to the offshore nation. Those 33 cents represent about $20 of equivalent spending power in a country like the Philippines.

Benefits of Offshoring to Businesses 

The primary driver of offshoring is cost reduction—70% of businesses move services overseas to reduce expenses.

The second biggest reason companies offshore services is for fast access to labor pools in countries with a much better ecosystem for specific business functions.

As the offshoring industries of India and the Philippines have grown, for example, the countries' educational and professional systems have adapted to create mature training infrastructures and talent pipelines. It takes an average of four months to hire an individual in the United States, and with offshoring, businesses can get entire teams up and running in a few weeks.

Benefits to Offshore Nations 

Offshoring also benefits the economies of developing countries and can help stabilize nations. The $100 billion offshoring industry in India has made it the world's third-largest economy. India's offshoring sector specializes in software development and IT services. The Philippines has grown to lead the world in BPO offshoring, with the industry generating $27 billion in revenue and supporting 1.3 million jobs.

India and the Philippines lead the world in offshoring due to their high English proficiency, growing literacy and education rates, and strong work ethics. Global consultancy Tholons ranked them first and fifth in the Top 50 Digital Nations.

Risks of Offshoring 

Offshoring (and outsourcing when described as offshored jobs) has been criticized. Companies that offshore face some reputation risks due to the perception that they are moving "American jobs" overseas. As McKinsey found, the economics of offshoring is not black and white. There are other risks of offshoring:

  • Project failure or missed deadlines and ensuring legal battles over blame
  • Communication issues that slow projects down
  • Changes in offshore nations' political and economic requirements that disrupt business
  • Lack of control over outcomes

While the benefits of outsourcing and offshoring overlap, they don't share the same risks. Outsourcing in the U.S. doesn't risk alienating consumers over lost jobs or risk political, social, or economic unrest.

Offshoring vs. Outsourcing Post Covid 

The Covid pandemic and the shift to all or mostly remote work have blurred the lines between outsourcing, offshoring, and directly hiring full-time workers. When everyone is remote, does it matter whether employees are down the street or on the other side of the world? In an increasingly digital economy, more services can be delivered online and from anywhere.

Coincidentally, the gig economy is leading more workers to pursue independent contracting, whether in Silicon Valley or Manila. This gives workers more agency and gives employers more flexibility to staff on-demand from any geography.

New Models of Offshoring 

While offshoring traditionally means setting up operations in another country, new models of outsourcing are emerging that accelerated during the pandemic. One is to hire individuals and teams overseas and blend them with your domestic teams as virtual co-workers. Online marketplaces like Upwork make it possible to hire individuals for projects and ongoing work.

Managed service providers like Prialto hire, train, and manage virtual administrative assistants in Guatemala and the Philippines to work with U.S.-based executives and teams. Another managed service provider, Andela, employs, places, and supports software developers from African nations who work with U.S. tech companies.

Related: Why Outsourced Executive Assistants Make Sense for Any Size Company

Mitigate Uncertainty with a Managed Offshore Outsourcing Model 

Managed service offshoring allows businesses to scale up and scale back as needs change. Companies also have more control over their operations because they bring offshore workers onto their teams rather than farming out work to another company. This kind of control is vital as customers have more power and choices than ever before, and the quality of the customer experience is paramount. You can find the right employee for the right job, regardless of your business's location.

The managed service model of offshoring also gives overseas workers more than a gig—the managed service provider trains, supervises, pays, and provides benefits and career paths that aren't available to independent contractors or marketplace workers. The employees work for the service provider, so the risks involved in political or social disruption are on that company. The good news is that you don't need to manage the employee's performance. That's up to the service provider.

Offshoring vs. Outsourcing: Conclusion 

The most significant difference between outsourcing and offshoring is the location of the business you contract with to provide services. The second biggest difference is that offshoring involves some risks that domestic outsourcing avoids. A third option managed offshore service providers, augments your team with the specialized skills and oversight you need with little overhead and risk on your part.

Looking to outsource your admin roles? See how Prialto can help you and your team.