Setting up an offshore team: People Process and Technology

Many accountants are aware of offshoring, however not many are taking advantage of the service or have setup an offshore team. Once you do decide that outsourcing is suitable for your accounting firm you need to know how to go about setting up your offshore team.

To gain a better perspective of how to setup and make the most of your offshoring team we’ve broken this article down into three sections, people, process and technology.

People

Anyone who has experience with setting up an offshore team knows that having the right team is essential for processes to run smoothly. A qualified outsourcing provider should already have a skeleton team ready to start on jobs. However, it’s important that you (the client) are also involved in the recruitment process.

The same level of involvement you have when recruiting staff for your on-site team should also be applied to your offshore team. Be firm about the type of skills and candidate you want and spend some time conversing with them before finalising. Choosing the right offshore staff is more than just getting someone to do the job. At QXAS it’s more about integrating with the system and process in your practice.

QXAS Recruitment lifecycle for assuring quality staff:

1. We create job descriptions for the required positions and utilise sourcing channels such as, internal seeding, advertisements, job portals, referrals, consultants and direct hires
2. Preliminary evaluation involves screening the selected candidates
3. An operations assessment is conducted to verify the candidate is qualified to take on accounting tasks and has good English communication skills
4. Candidate expectations are established which includes responsibilities and expected salary
5. Background and reference check is conducted
6. The candidate is offered the role and induction is conducted

Process

Before any process begins, a few things will need to be established to ensure a smooth transition of information and tasks. To be able to send and receive information securely from QXAS, a method of transferring will need to be setup. Three methods are available:

• Secure server
• Remote access
• Cloud connectivity

Certain documents will also need to be collated such as, Tax information, VAT returns, PAYE details, bank and credit card statements and a few more items depending on the job. Once the basic setup is complete the process can begin:

1. Review of documents received

   QXAS will go through the requested documents and match it up to the checklist. Also if there are any outstanding items a query will be raised.

2. Processing the job

   The job will be processed according to a standard set of working papers and a query will be raised for any unusual items or technical queries.

3. Completion and review of account

   Once the job is completed it will be reviewed and sent to the client.

4. Tax computation

   Tax work will take place and be saved according to the agreed taxation software. Once completed it will be sent to the client for review.

5. Principal review with required changes being made

   Once the client has the completed job file they can provide review points which need clarification or feel are not correct.

6. Finalised file will be sent back to the client

   QXAS will clear any pending queries and answer any questions the client may have. Once completed, the final job file will be sent to the client.

Technology

Communication
Since QXAS is an accounting outsourcing firm with operations in Ahmedabad, Baroda, Mumbai and Delhi you may think it would be difficult to maintain an open line of communication. Nonetheless, we are available 24/7 and we make it as easy as possible to get in touch with us in the following ways:

• Video conferencing
• Next room telephony
• Emails and messages

Apps

Offshore providers want to make the outsourcing process as easy as possible and have even developed apps to assist with the procedure. QXAS has developed its own app which can help you track the progress of your job, provide updates if information is missing and notifies you when the job is completed. In addition, the app will also let you:

• Raise queries about jobs
• Search the dashboard
• Filter jobs by job code, name, status and date

Security

As financial information is sensitive by nature, QXAS takes great measures to keep your data safe.

GDPR

QXAS became the first accounts outsourcing company in India to be GDPR compliant via the BS10012:2017 framework

ISO certification

We hold ISO 27001:2013 Security standard and the latest ISO 9001:2015 Quality certification.

SSL Encryption

We use 256-bit encryption for the transfer and storage of data. There has been no breach till date. Learn more about our security measures.

Cyber essentials plus accreditation

We’re protected against a wide variety of the most common cyber-attacks. The verification of our cybersecurity is carried out independently by a Certification Body.

Moving forward

With the proper knowledge and partner, setting up an offshore team doesn’t have to be a tedious process. The key is having the right people and processes in place so that you feel comfortable about outsourcing your accounts, tax, bookkeeping and payroll to an overseas partner.

At QXAS we’ve combined our customised and flexible approach, outstanding service delivery, specialist knowledge and experience to become a trusted service provider for our clients. Get in touch with us today for a no-obligation consultation to see if outsourcing can benefit your accounting practice.