Despite Pakistan’s precarious economic condition and political turmoil, the country has emerged as an important player in the global outsourcing industry. Pakistan has a large pool of talented and skilled workers from different backgrounds. These workers present a perfect opportunity for organisations that are looking to outsource their operations. Before we delve into the top 10 outsourcing companies in Pakistan, it is important to consider why companies outsource their business functions or a part of it.

The Need for Outsourcing

Cost Reduction

Businesses operate in a highly competitive market. To remain competitive, organisations continuously look for ways to reduce costs. Outsourcing is a viable way to reduce costs. Companies can outsource their operations to a country or area with lower labour and operating expenses.

For example, a US organisation based in the District of Columbia must pay their workers a minimum of $16.25 per hour. It totals $2600 per month, a big amount from the business perspective. If the business were to outsource the same job to Pakistan, they can easily hire an experienced resource for less than $1000 or even $500 in most cases.

Focus on Core Business Functions

Another reason companies prefer outsourcing is to focus on core business functions. For example, a web development company’s core competency is to build web apps. It does not specialise in marketing or human resource management. Therefore, it would be better for such a company to outsource these business functions to a specialist company. It will free up valuable resources which can be dedicated to web development.

Flexibility

Moreover, flexibility is another top factor companies prefer to outsource. Let’s consider the example of a large multinational which has a large number of sites dispersed over different geographical locations. Instead of hiring IT resources for each location, it can outsource this function to a managed IT services company. The company will be responsible for looking after each location. It saves the multinational the hassle of recruitment and managing the employees.

Scalability

During the pandemic, IT companies went on a hiring spree. As soon as demand started to decrease, they started laying off the employees. Companies like Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Zoom have laid off thousands of employees collectively. When you consider the severance packages for these employees and the impact it has on the organisational reputation, the costs are pretty high.

It would be better to engage an outsourcing company to provide the additional resources. When the demand increases, a company can simply ask the third-party provider to provide more resources. When the demand decreases, simply downgrade the contract. It saves the hassle of recruitment, onboarding, layoffs, and reputation management.

Risk Mitigation

Globally, we are seeing an increase in regulation. The primary reason is that self-regulation has failed to a certain extent. However, even the top organisations find it difficult to ensure compliance with the ever-changing regulatory framework. Non-compliance can result in record fines, reputational damage, and more.

For example, Meta was fined $1.3 billion for non-compliance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Outsourcing to third parties helps transfer the risk to a specialist company. There are many companies whose responsibility is to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Cost Predictability

Lastly, another top reason companies engage in outsourcing is cost predictability. When entering into a contract with an outsourcing company, the costs are fixed for the period specified in the contract. It allows an organisation to manage its budget more effectively and avoid any cost overrun.

Now, let’s shift our focus to the main topic.

Pakistan’s Top-Ranked Outsourcing Companies

1. The Resource Group (TRG)

When talking about Pakistan’s IT industry, the conversation is incomplete without mentioning TRG. It is a public-listed company and one of the top IT companies in Pakistan. TRG is a venture capital company which is focused on business process outsourcing (BPO) and has a stellar track record. It consistently ranks among the top BPO companies in Pakistan despite its recent challenges.

2. Systems Limited

It is an award-winning company that has gained credibility for its quality IT services. It boasts some of the top companies as its clients. Recently, it won the 2023 Microsoft Country/Region Partner of the Year Pakistan. It was also the recipient of Forbes Asia’s Best Under A Billion 2023 award, its fourth consecutive.

3. Abacus Consulting

It provides a wide range of outsourcing services but primarily specialises in human process outsourcing. It provides on-demand staff for a wide range of projects, making it a viable option for every industry. With a strong focus on quality, Abacus Consulting is the perfect partner to achieve a competitive advantage through streamlined HR processes.

4. NetSol Technologies

It is another top name in Pakistan’s IT industry. The company is often a top choice for multinationals looking to outsource their business processes to Pakistan. The company’s core speciality lies in financial accountancy and audit practices. Over the years, it has added other areas to its list, including IT.

5. Ufone

Most of us know Ufone as a mobile operator. However, Ufone has a dedicated outsourcing business unit. This unit provides a wide range of services to other businesses. Due to its primary business domain, the company excels in Contact Centre Service outsourcing. It also provides outsourcing services in areas such as human resources, quality management, order management, order tracking, and business automation.

6. Jazz

Similar to Ufone, Jazz also has a BPO division. Its primary role is to help other businesses achieve competitive advantage through superior, streamlined services. Unlike Ufone, Jazz is more invested in communications, the Internet of Things, and digital solutions. Being a reliable name in Pakistan’s telecom sector, businesses can expect the same quality if not better in its outsourcing services.

7. Zones

Zones’ service and solution processes are geared to drive business growth. Its outsourcing services are primarily related to IT. If you are looking for specialist IT professionals or require a managed IT services partner, Zones is a reliable choice. It has a proven track record of working with some of the top companies in the world.

8. ibex

Undoubtedly, customer experience is critical to an organisation’s success. ibex prides itself on being the top customer experience outsourcing company in the world. It provides innovative solutions and end-to-end services for companies looking to realise their full potential. Its most notable services include a customer contact centre, online customer acquisition, and customer outreach.

9. Touchstone Communications

It specialises in contact and call centre solutions to drive business growth. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that almost every contact and call centre in Pakistan owes its success to Touchstone Communications. Almost every individual, be it the founder or an executive, has worked at this company at least once in their life.

10. Tekrowe Digital

This company is at the forefront of technology and uses its knowledge to transform other businesses. It provides a wide range of outsourcing services, including staff augmentation. Skills shortage, especially in the tech sector, is a concern. Tekrowe Digital provides remote and on-site workers or teams, depending on the requirements. It also provides product engineering teams wherein it provides end-to-end product development support.

Conclusion

Pakistan has established itself as a significant player in the global outsourcing industry. Despite economic challenges and political turbulence, the country boasts a rich pool of talented and skilled professionals from various backgrounds. This workforce is a compelling reason companies prefer outsourcing to Pakistan.