A step by step guide

Offshoring business functions takes time, careful planning and real knowledge of HR practice, data protection and employment law elsewhere. So when does investing in AI make more sense instead?

We handed every table a draft nine-step approach and two scorecards and asked them to rip it up and make it better. This report is what came back.

The first reflection from the room was that too many organisations leap straight to offshoring or automating. The work sits up top: get the strategic intent clear, push back until the goal beyond cost efficiency is obvious, and name the service metrics you’re protecting. Leadership often isn’t close enough to the work to know whether either route fits, running the scorecards first can shut down a misadventure before the effort goes in.

Two scorecards, one question:
Score each criterion 1–5. Anything at 18+ out of 25 suggests a decent fit.

AI fit, volume and repeatability, process clarity and SOPs, data and systems accessibility, risk and explainability, change stability.
Offshore fit – talent availability and language, local salary and productivity, time-zone and service window, regulatory simplicity, knowledge transfer complexity.

The room leaned towards running the AI assessment first, given the direction of travel. On offshoring, three or more countries was the yardstick for research robust enough to make later decisions smoother.

Where each one wins
AI shines in high-volume, rules-based, always-on environments with clean data and predictable outcomes. Offshoring wins where human judgment, empathy and adaptability still rule. Often the answer is a hybrid — and it’s easy to see a future where you AI-enable your offshore teams exactly as you would your higher cost centres.

The takeaway: don’t rush to automate or offshore. The right model is the one that lines up with your organisation’s north star, delivering cost efficiency and protecting what matters in equal measure.

The report covers:

• The nine steps – the full path to a decision, with the go/no-go governance moments the room insisted on
• The scorecards – AI fit and offshore fit, ready to use
• Expert input – Matt Knopp (Accelya Group) on researching offshore locations properly, and Adam Gibson (EY) on segmenting work using Agile Workforce Planning