Outsourcing Proposal Template for Retail & E-commerce

# Outsourcing Proposal Template - Retail & E-commerce

## Purpose
Use when evaluating whether to outsource business functions and presenting the case to stakeholders with full risk-reward analysis.

## When to Use
An outsourcing proposal with cost-benefit analysis, vendor selection criteria, transition plan, quality controls, and SLA framework.

## Instructions
1. Review the template below and familiarise yourself with the structure
2. Replace all [bracketed placeholders] with your retail & e-commerce business details
3. Customise the tone and formatting to match your brand
4. Save in your preferred tool (Notion or Xero)

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## Outsourcing Proposal

**Function to Outsource:** [Function Name, e.g. Bookkeeping / IT Support / Customer Service]
**Submitted by:** [Your Name], [Your Role]
**Date:** [Date]
**Reference:** [OUT-001]

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### Executive Summary

This proposal recommends outsourcing [business function] to a specialist provider. Our analysis shows that outsourcing will reduce costs by approximately $[Amount] per year ([X]%), improve service quality through access to specialist expertise, and free internal resources to focus on higher-value activities. This document presents the full cost-benefit analysis, vendor evaluation, and transition plan for stakeholder approval.

### Current State Analysis

**Function Overview:**

| Attribute | Current Detail |
|-----------|---------------|
| Function | [Function name and description] |
| Current team | [X] staff ([X] FTE) |
| Annual cost (fully loaded) | $[Amount] |
| Key activities | [Activity 1], [Activity 2], [Activity 3] |
| Volume | [X] transactions / tickets / tasks per month |
| Quality level | [Current quality assessment] |
| Current pain points | [Pain point 1], [Pain point 2] |

**Cost Breakdown (Current In-House):**

| Cost Item | Annual Amount |
|-----------|-------------|
| Salaries (including super) | $[Amount] |
| Leave provisions (annual, sick, long service) | $[Amount] |
| Training and development | $[Amount] |
| Software and tools | $[Amount] |
| Office space allocation | $[Amount] |
| Management overhead | $[Amount] |
| **Total current cost** | **$[Amount]** |

### Cost-Benefit Analysis

| Factor | In-House (Current) | Outsourced (Proposed) |
|--------|-------------------|----------------------|
| Annual cost | $[Amount] | $[Amount] |
| Setup/transition cost | - | $[Amount] (one-off) |
| Quality level | [Rating] | [Expected rating] |
| Scalability | Limited by headcount | Scalable on demand |
| Risk of key person loss | High | Low (provider manages) |
| Specialist expertise | Generalist | Specialist |
| Management effort | [X] hours/week | [X] hours/week |

**Annual Cost Saving: $[Amount] ([X]%)**
**Payback on Transition Costs: [X] months**

### Vendor Selection Criteria

| Criteria | Weight | Description |
|----------|--------|-------------|
| Cost competitiveness | [X]% | Total cost including setup and ongoing fees |
| Relevant experience | [X]% | Demonstrated experience with similar businesses and functions |
| Service quality | [X]% | SLA commitments, quality metrics, references |
| Cultural fit | [X]% | Communication style, timezone compatibility, values alignment |
| Technology capability | [X]% | Tools, reporting, integration with our systems |
| Scalability | [X]% | Ability to scale up or down with demand |
| Security & compliance | [X]% | Data security practices, relevant certifications |

### Vendor Evaluation

| Criteria | Vendor A: [Name] | Vendor B: [Name] | Vendor C: [Name] |
|----------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Monthly fee | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] |
| Setup fee | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] |
| Location | [Location] | [Location] | [Location] |
| Team size for our account | [X] | [X] | [X] |
| Years in business | [X] | [X] | [X] |
| Client references | [X] provided | [X] provided | [X] provided |
| Overall score (weighted) | [X]/100 | [X]/100 | [X]/100 |

**Recommended Vendor: [Vendor Name]**
**Rationale:** [2-3 sentences explaining why this vendor was selected]

### Service Level Agreement Framework

| Metric | Target | Measurement | Penalty/Remedy |
|--------|--------|-------------|----------------|
| [Metric 1, e.g. Accuracy rate] | [X]% | Monthly audit of [X] sample transactions | Credit of [X]% of monthly fee |
| [Metric 2, e.g. Turnaround time] | Within [X] business days | Tracked per task | Escalation process triggered |
| [Metric 3, e.g. Response time] | Within [X] hours | Ticket timestamp | Credit for breaches exceeding [X] per month |
| [Metric 4, e.g. Availability] | [X]% uptime | Monthly reporting | Credit of [X]% of monthly fee per hour of downtime |
| [Metric 5, e.g. Client satisfaction] | [X]/5 average | Quarterly survey | Service improvement plan required |

### Transition Plan

| Phase | Duration | Activities |
|-------|----------|------------|
| Phase 1: Preparation | Week 1-2 | Document all processes, prepare knowledge base, set up communication channels |
| Phase 2: Knowledge Transfer | Week 3-4 | Train outsource team, shadow current staff, transfer documentation |
| Phase 3: Parallel Running | Week 5-8 | Both teams operate in parallel, compare quality and output |
| Phase 4: Handover | Week 9-10 | Outsource team takes full responsibility, internal team available for escalation |
| Phase 5: Stabilisation | Week 11-14 | Monitor SLAs, address issues, optimise processes |

### Impact on Existing Staff

| Staff Member | Current Role | Proposed Outcome |
|-------------|-------------|-----------------|
| [Name] | [Current role] | [Redeployed to / Redundancy / Retained for oversight] |
| [Name] | [Current role] | [Redeployed to / Redundancy / Retained for oversight] |

**Note:** [Discuss any redundancy obligations, redeployment opportunities, or transition support. Include reference to Fair Work obligations if applicable.]

### Risk Assessment

| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|-----------|--------|------------|
| Quality decline during transition | Medium | High | Parallel running period, quality audits |
| Data security breach | Low | Critical | Vendor security assessment, NDA, data handling procedures |
| Vendor dependency | Medium | High | Retain internal knowledge, contract includes transition assistance |
| Communication challenges | Medium | Medium | Defined communication protocols, regular check-ins |
| Hidden costs | Low | Medium | Comprehensive contract, no auto-renewal without review |

### Next Steps

1. Review this proposal and raise any questions
2. Approve recommended vendor and budget
3. Commence contract negotiation and due diligence
4. Begin transition planning
5. Target go-live date: [Date]

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**Approved by:**

Name: _______________
Title: _______________
Date: _______________
Signature: _______________

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**Complexity:** advanced | **Setup time:** 40 minutes | **Tools:** Notion, Xero, Airtable

Note: This template has been tailored for retail & e-commerce businesses in Australia. Adjust terminology and compliance references to match your specific context.