Some of the most efficient businesses in the world run on the back of work they don’t do themselves. Outsourcing has become a normal, often strategic, part of business operations for companies that want to grow without expanding internal teams.
Deloitte reported that 83% of companies outsourceto cut costs, while 82% also do it for flexibility and speed. That’s because not every function needs a full-time in-house team.
Some need quick execution. Others require niche expertise. Outsourcing gives companies room to focus on what they do best while staying lean and competitive.
That’s a signal that this approach is evolving into a smart, strategic move, not just a financial decision. When done right, it helps businesses grow without stretching their internal teams too thin.
In this guide, we’ll look at outsourcing examples across functions, industries, and company sizes. We’ll even throw in some real-life examples of successful outsourcing. And maybe it’ll all help you think differently about how your business operates.
Table of Contents
- Understanding the Power of Outsourcing
- 6 Outsourcing Examples According to Business Function
- 6 Outsourcing Examples Across Different Industries
- 3 Outsourcing Examples Based on Business Size
- 5 Real-World Outsourcing Examples
- Embrace Outsourcing as a Beneficial Strategy
- FAQs
Understanding the Power of Outsourcing
Picture a small business with a growing customer base. The inbox is full, support tickets stack up, and the team can’t catch a break. They’re good at what they do, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
In cases like this, outsourcing helps the businessget back on track. Instead of struggling to manage every task internally, they bring in outside experts who know how to handle the overflow. That way, the internal team can return to focusing on what their main jobs are supposed to be.
Statista predicted that the global business process outsourcing (BPO) market will earn around $414.81 billion in revenue in 2025. This shows how widespread and trusted this approach has become.
By looking at practical outsourcing examples, you can see how this method offers more than relief. It gives businesses like yours the flexibility and capacity to keep moving forward.
6 Outsourcing Examples According to Business Function
Let’s explore how outsourcing plays out in different departments:
1. Customer Support
What’s commonly outsourced: Call centres, live chat, tech support
Example: Picture a busy online store during peak shopping season. The phones won’t stop ringing, live chat notifications are flooding in, and the inbox is filling up by the hour.
Instead of letting customer experience slip, they bring in an external team to handle call volumes.
You can also find professionals to manage everything from real-time chat on the website to complex tech issues. It’ll ensure customers stay happy and your staff stay sane.
2. Finance and Accounting
What’s commonly outsourced: Payroll, bookkeeping, invoicing
Example: Let’s say there’s a small business owner. They’re fantastic at the core of their business, the thing they’re really passionate about. But when it comes to the nitty-gritty stuff, like making sure everyone gets paid correctly or chasing down those overdue invoices? Not so much their strong suit.
Instead of them spending all their evenings wrestling with spreadsheets and tax rules, they smarten up and hand off payroll to a team that just getsit. These folks make sure everyone’s paid accurately and on schedule, no sweat.
They could also let someone else handle the bookkeeping and sending out invoices. This way, the owner can actually spend their time and energy on growing the business.
3. IT and Technical Support
What’s commonly outsourced: Managed IT services, cybersecurity, software development
Example: Not every business needs (or can afford) a full-time IT department. A boutique creative agency might offshore IT management to a provider who handles system updates and security patches in the background.
If they need a custom app, they’ll contract a developer to build it. If there’s a cybersecurity threat, you can bring on experts to step in to protect the data.
4. Marketing
What’s commonly outsourced: SEO, social media management, content creation
Example: A local business that wants to rank higher on Google might not have SEO experts in-house. So, it’s pretty common to partner with a marketing agency to take care of keywords, backlinks, and analytics.
While you’re at it, social media management is another popular area companies delegate. It frees owners from having to think of captions every day.
Content creation is also a common hand-off. You can partner with someone or a team that’s more in tune with that type of work and creativity. They’d write the blog posts or shoot the promo videos that could increase your leads by up to 74%(as per Forbes).
5. Human Resources
What’s commonly outsourced: Recruitment, employee records management, training, and onboarding
Example: Your business is on a hiring spree, trying to fill a bunch of different roles. Suddenly, you’re drowning in resumes and spending all your time interviewing people.
Outsourcing your recruitment is like getting a partner who takes over all that initial hard work. They sort through the applications and do the first rounds, so when you step in, you’re only talking to the really promising candidates.
You can also bring in some outside help to manage all the paperwork for new employees or even get their onboarding materials ready.
6. Administration
What’s commonly outsourced: Virtual assistants, data entry, customer database management
Example: Think about it: All those little admin tasks, like booking appointments or answering emails, they can really eat into your day.
Outsourcing those to a virtual assistant (VA) is like getting your personal helper who takes all that off your plate. Now, you’ve got way more time to focus on the big picture that really matters for your business.
Plus, you get the support of having someone dedicated to those tasks without having to worry about office space or paying a full-time salary and benefits.
6 Outsourcing Examples Across Different Industries
Outsourcing isn’t limited to one sector. Here’s how industries use it differently:
1. Tech
Lots of startups get outside help to build their apps when they don’t have the people or know-how on their own team. Like, a small team might hire developers overseas to build a first version, so they can test things out without hiring full-time devs right away.
QA testing is often outsourced, too. When time’s tight, companies send their apps to outside testers who are quick at finding problems.
And for keeping their servers running? Instead of hiring a 24/7 IT crew, many companies work with managed service providers to keep things smooth.
2. Healthcare
Medical billing is one of the most common outsourced tasks in the healthcare sector. Clinics and private practices often rely on third-party billing services to process insurance claims accurately and efficiently.
Transcription is another go-to. Doctors and practitioners dictate notes after appointments, and transcriptionists convert them into digital records for easy access.
IT support is also regularly outsourced in this field. Healthcare providers work with external tech teams to manage patient databases, cybersecurity, and ensure compliance with privacy laws.
3. Finance
For the finance industry, detailed work like risk analysis is typically outsourced. It helps companies make smart decisions based on data.
Also, making sure everything follows the compliance rules and regulations? That’s often handled by outside experts, too. For instance, you might see banks using outside auditors to check their processes.
And those behind-the-scenes tasks like managing money transfers or settling credit card payments? A lot of times, specialised companies take care of that to make sure it’s accurate and fast.
4. Retail
Retailers frequently outsource inventory management, especially if they operate online stores. External teams keep product databases updated, monitor stock levels, and flag restocks.
Customer service is another major area for retail. When shoppers have issues with orders or returns, external support agents often handle those calls or chats.
Website development is also typically entrusted to a provider. Small and mid-sized retailers hire freelancers or agencies to build or maintain their e-commerce platforms.
5. Education
Schools and universities often get outside help to create their courses. They might bring in people who are experts in designing learning materials or specific subjects to put together online content.
Additionally, tech support is a big deal in education these days. Schools often work with tech companies to manage things like their online learning platforms, computers, and software.
6. Logistics
In logistics, fleet management is usually entrusted to service providers. Companies use services that track deliveries, maintenance, and fuel usage of their vehicles.
During peak seasons, temporary warehouse staff are hired through third-party agencies to manage increased demand. Customer tracking support is also outsourced.
If a delivery is delayed or a customer needs to check their order status, support teams from external partners handle those inquiries.
3 Outsourcing Examples Based on Business Size
Each business size comes with different needs. Here’s how outsourcing fits in:
Startups
Startups usually run on tight budgets and even tighter timelines, which means they can’t do everything in-house (at least not at first).
Outsourcing gives them the breathing room to test ideas, iterate quickly, and stretch limited resources further. It’s not just a money-saving tactic but also a means to stay focused on growth while building momentum.
The goal is to get things done without overloading a small founding team.
Small to Medium Businesses
For SMBs, outsourcing is a way to stay competitive without growing their payroll too quickly. They already have core staff in place, but still run into resource gaps as they grow.
Delegating helps them scale gradually while keeping overhead manageable. It’s also a strategic move as they can access expertise they might not afford full-time.
Large Enterprises or Corporations
Big companies often use outsourcing to stay quick on their feet. When you’re dealing with different countries, time zones, and a whole bunch of different rules, being flexible is super important.
Offshoringlets these big organisations also grow their services around the world without having to constantly hire more and more people in their own offices everywhere.
It means they can move faster, change direction more easily, and really concentrate on where they want to be in the long run.
5 Real-World Outsourcing Examples
Here are five companies that have used outsourcing as part of their strategy and have thrived from it:
1. Apple
Back in the early 2000s, Appledecided to have its products made and assembled in China. This lets them take advantage of lower labour costs.
Because of that move, Apple was able to cut down on how much it cost to make their products and even made the quality better. Fast forward to today, and Apple’s one of the most valuable companies around.
2. General Electric
General Electric, or GE, is a massive company that does a lot of different things. They also delved into outsourcing back in the early 2000s.
They were facing a lot of competition and wanted to reduce costs while making better products. So, they started outsourcing things like manufacturing, IT, and customer service.
This helped GE save money, work more efficiently, and really focus on its main areas of business.
3. Procter & Gamble
You definitely know Procter & Gamble; they make tons of everyday essentials. Like GE, in the early 2000s, they were navigating a crowded marketplace and needed to lower costs while still making good products.
So, they started handing off a lot of the things that weren’t their core business, like getting their products where they needed to go, their IT, and even some of the manufacturing.
This helped them save money, work more efficiently, and really focus on making consumer goods.
4. IBM
IBM, another huge player in tech, has been outsourcing for a long time. Back in the ’90s, they were finding it tough to keep up with other tech companies.
By having other companies handle things that weren’t their main business, IBM could really focus on what they were good at and get back on top. Now, they’re leaders in things like cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI).
5. Walmart
Walmart, the world’s biggest retailer, has also used outsourcing effectively. Back in the early 2000s, they were also in a highly competitive space and wanted to cut costs while making the shopping experience better for customers.
They started offloading things like their logistics, IT, and even some customer service. This helped them lower their expenses, work more efficiently, and really concentrate on their sales strategies.
Embrace Outsourcing as a Beneficial Strategy
Like these outsourcing examples show, it’s a pretty clever move to get more done without totally overwhelming your own team.
When you pick the right partners, things tend to get done quicker, the quality can even go up, and your own staff can really focus on what drives your business forward.
It doesn’t have to be a one-person show. Getting the right outside support can seriously help your business grow, handle changes, and stay ahead of the curve.
FAQs
What types of tasks are best for outsourcing?
Tasks that are repetitive, specialised, or not core to your business are the best to outsource. Think customer support, IT, accounting, and design.
Is outsourcing expensive?
It depends on what you’re outsourcing and to whom. Many services offer flexible pricing, and long term, it’s often cheaper than hiring in-house.
How do I manage an outsourced team?
Set clear expectations, use tools for communication and tracking, and check in regularly. Treat your outsourced team like an extension of your business.