Key Performance Indicators for Managing an Outsourced Team

When a company outsources part of its activities customer support, IT, accounting, or even marketing one question always arises: how do you effectively manage a remote outsourced team? The key lies in using the right performance indicators. Without clear dashboards, it is difficult to know whether deadlines are being met, quality standards are maintained, and collaboration is truly creating value.

According to the Deloitte 2024 report, more than 63% of companies that failed in their outsourcing efforts had not defined clear indicators from the start. Managing an outsourced team is not just about tracking the backlog or raw productivity. It requires balancing execution speed, reliability of deliverables, and final customer satisfaction.

In this article, we will explore the essential management indicators, from backlog tracking to quality measurement, with concrete examples and practical advice for implementing a clear and actionable monitoring system.

Why Track Indicators for an Outsourced Team?

Tracking indicators is essential to measure the effectiveness of outsourcing. Without reliable data, it is impossible to make quick decisions or correct deviations.

The benefits are multiple:

  • Visibility: Know where the project stands at each stage.
  • Responsiveness: Identify bottlenecks before they become critical.
  • Trust: Build a transparent relationship with the service provider.
  • Performance: Continuously improve processes.

👉 Example: A SaaS company that implemented a weekly dashboard reduced delivery delays for outsourced tasks by 28% in less than six months (source: McKinsey, 2023).

Which Backlog Indicators Should Be Tracked?

The backlog is the list of tasks to be completed. Monitoring its evolution is essential to anticipate workload and prevent accumulation.

Key indicators:

  • Backlog volume: Total number of tickets or tasks pending.
  • Resolution rate: Proportion of tasks closed over a given period.
  • Average handling time: Duration between task opening and closure.

💡 Example: In an outsourced support center, tracking the backlog helps identify a spike in unprocessed calls and adjust resources immediately. Gartner (2024) notes that companies managing their backlog reduce client frustrations related to delays by 35%.

How to Measure the Productivity of an Outsourced Team?

Productivity is often the first indicator managers want to track. But caution: it should not be measured solely in terms of volume.

Relevant indicators:

  • Tasks completed per team member.
  • Average time per task.
  • Delivery capacity vs. planned capacity.

👉 Example: In a team of outsourced developers, tracking velocity (number of story points completed per sprint) ensures production rhythm stability. According to Agile Alliance (2023), a stable team achieves less than 15% variation in velocity between sprints.

Which Indicators Track Quality?

Quality should not be sacrificed for speed. It is one of the most sensitive aspects of outsourcing.

Most used quality indicators:

  • Error rate: Number of corrections required after delivery.
  • Compliance with standards: Adherence to internal and legal norms.
  • Final customer satisfaction: Scores obtained via surveys (CSAT, NPS).

💡 Example: An outsourced accounting firm reduced data entry errors by 40% by implementing systematic quality control indicators (PwC, 2024).

How to Measure Engagement and Collaboration?

Beyond numbers, an outsourced team must remain involved and connected to the company.

Useful indicators:

  • Participation rate in meetings.
  • Timeliness of reporting.
  • 360° feedback: internal/external cross-evaluation.

👉 Example: An e-commerce company tracking daily meeting attendance found that rates below 70% led to a 25% drop in overall team productivity.

Which Tools to Use to Track These Indicators?

Monitoring should be automated to avoid administrative overload.

Recommended tools:

  • Jira, Trello, Asana for backlog and productivity tracking.
  • Power BI or Google Data Studio dashboards to visualize KPIs.
  • SurveyMonkey or Typeform to measure customer satisfaction.

👉 Tip: Centralize data in a single dashboard for a global view. Companies that do this reduce reporting time by 22% (Harvard Business Review, 2023).

Managing an outsourced team without indicators is like navigating without a compass. To succeed, you need to combine backlog, productivity, quality, and engagement metrics in a clear, shared dashboard. These data points not only allow you to track performance but also strengthen trust and collaboration with your external partner.

In practice, successful management relies on regular monitoring and the use of appropriate tools. Companies adopting this approach gain visibility, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

👉 If you are outsourcing or considering it, start today by defining your management indicators. It is the best way to turn outsourcing into a real lever for sustainable performance.

FAQ – Key Performance Indicators for an Outsourced Team

1. What are the most important indicators?

The essential ones are backlog, productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction. They provide a 360° view of performance.

2. Should KPIs be tracked daily?

Not necessarily. Daily tracking can be useful at first, but weekly reporting is sufficient in most cases.

3. How to avoid micromanagement?

Define macro indicators (quality, deadlines, volume) instead of tracking every action in detail.

4. Can the same KPIs be used for all outsourced teams?

No, indicators should be adapted according to the domain: IT, finance, customer support, etc.

5. Which KPIs measure final customer satisfaction?

CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score), NPS (Net Promoter Score), and CES (Customer Effort Score) are the most commonly used.

6. What if indicators show a drop in performance?

Analyze the cause (workload, lack of training, technical issues) and implement a corrective action plan.

7. Are management tools expensive?

Not necessarily. Solutions like Trello or Google Data Studio are free or low-cost.

8. Which mistake should be avoided at all costs?

Focusing only on productivity while neglecting team quality and engagement.


👉 Contact us to discuss your project and avoid the pitfalls of international outsourcing, or explore our tech platform at: www.breedj.com

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