You’ve got a to-do list that never ends. Emails to answer, invoices to approve, reports to check, marketing campaigns to launch—and somehow, you’re also expected to focus on growth and strategy. Delegating sounds like the obvious solution, but then comes the worry: What if I let go of the wrong task? What if quality slips?
If you’ve been exploring offshore outsourcing, you’ve likely hit the same roadblock: Where do I start?
The key to successful offshoring isn’t about outsourcing everything—it’s about strategically identifying the right processes.
This offshoring guide provides a clear framework to help you choose with confidence.
Read on to learn the 3 key questions to ask yourself when deciding what to offshore.
Fast Facts about Business Process Outsourcing MarketThe global BPO market is projected to grow from $302.62 billion in 2024 to $525.23 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 9.8%. North America held the largest market share in 2024 (nearly 37%), with the U.S. market expected to grow at a 9.6% CAGR. Key segments dominating the market in 2024 were:
Source: Business Process Outsourcing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Service Type (Customer Services, Finance & Accounting), By Outsourcing Type, By Deployment, By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2025 – 2030 |
What Not to Offshore
Before we dive in, let’s start with the boundaries. Not every task belongs offshore, especially at the beginning. To build confidence and protect your business, keep these functions in-house (at least initially):
- Core strategy: Vision, mission, and competitive positioning should remain firmly in your hands.
- High-level sales and client management: Building deep client relationships is best handled by leaders close to the market.
- Product development and innovation: Protect your intellectual property and ensure quality control by keeping R&D in-house.
By acknowledging these upfront, you avoid the trap of delegating business-critical functions and instead focus on what’s safe and scalable.
The 3-Step Framework for Identifying Offshore Candidates
How to identify business processes for offshoring? Think of this as a checklist. A task is a strong candidate for offshoring if it passes these three tests:
Step 1: Is the process repeatable and rule-based?
If a task follows a clear set of instructions and produces a predictable output, it’s ready to offshore.
- Examples: Data entry, social media scheduling, invoice processing, lead generation.
Step 1: Is the process repeatable and rule-based?
If a task follows a clear set of instructions and produces a predictable output, it’s ready to offshore.
- Examples: Data entry, social media scheduling, invoice processing, lead generation.
Step 2: Does it consume significant time?
Every hour your team spends on low-value work is an hour not spent on growth initiatives. Offshoring frees them to focus on strategy.
- Examples: Bookkeeping, customer support inquiries, content formatting, and appointment setting.
Step 3: Can the outcome be measured with KPIs?
Delegation works best when success is quantifiable. If you can track performance with metrics, you can confidently hand it off.
- Examples: Calls made, support tickets resolved, posts scheduled, accounts reconciled.
Practical Examples by Department
Department | Task to Offshore | Why It’s a Good Fit | KPI |
Marketing | Content calendar management | Repeatable, frees marketer for strategy | Posts scheduled per week |
Sales | Lead qualification | Time-heavy, rule-based | Leads processed per day |
Finance | Accounts payable/receivable | Measurable, reduces admin load | Invoices processed monthly |
| Admin/Operations | Data entry, appointment setting | Clear steps, measurable output | Records updated, meetings booked |
Customer Support | Tier 1 inquiries | Repeatable and KPI-driven | Tickets resolved daily |
This makes the decision process concrete and gives you a quick-start roadmap.
Avoiding the “Systemization Trap”
Identifying the process is only the first step. The real transformation comes when you delegate. Offshoring forces you to document, clarify, and measure your workflows—what we call forced clarity.
Our offshoring guide helps you choose the right process; we help you build the right system. The next step is creating systems and SOPs that ensure your offshore team executes with precision.
Partner with iSupport Worldwide
You don’t need to figure it all out alone. At iSupport Worldwide, we help businesses like yours move from identification to execution—finding the right people, building the SOPs, and establishing the metrics that drive success.
Don’t just identify the process. Let us help you execute it perfectly.
Schedule a free consultation today to create your customized offshoring plan.
Bonus Resource
Download our free, fillable checklist to prioritize tasks for offshoring. Simply list each task, how much time it takes, whether it’s repeatable, and whether it can be measured.
The final column will tell you: Offshore? Yes or No.
