Smartshoring is a strategic approach to distributing call center operations across multiple geographic locations, combining the best of onshore, nearshore, and offshore models. Unlike traditional offshoring, smartshoring focuses on placing the right work in the right location based on complexity, language requirements, and cost efficiency.
Cost-Efficiency
Smartshoring allows organizations to optimize labor costs by strategically distributing tasks across locations with different cost structures. High-complexity, high-value interactions can be handled by skilled onshore agents, while routine inquiries are managed by cost-effective nearshore or offshore teams. This balanced approach reduces overall operational costs by 30-50% compared to a purely onshore model, without sacrificing quality on critical interactions.
Extended Operating Hours
By leveraging teams across different time zones, smartshoring enables true 24/7 customer support without requiring expensive night shifts or overtime. A call center with operations in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia can provide seamless coverage across all North American time zones, ensuring customers always have access to live support when they need it most.
Scalability
Smartshoring provides unparalleled scalability. When demand spikes due to seasonal trends, product launches, or unexpected events, organizations can quickly ramp up capacity by leveraging talent pools across multiple locations. This flexibility ensures consistent service levels regardless of volume fluctuations, and allows businesses to scale down just as quickly when demand normalizes.
Multilingual Support
In an increasingly global marketplace, the ability to serve customers in their preferred language is a significant competitive advantage. Smartshoring enables access to diverse linguistic talent pools. Nearshore locations like Puerto Rico offer bilingual English-Spanish agents with cultural affinity to U.S. markets, while other locations can provide support in additional languages as needed.
Knowledge Transfer
A smartshoring model facilitates robust knowledge transfer between teams. Best practices developed at one location can be quickly disseminated across all sites. Cross-training between onshore and nearshore teams builds institutional knowledge resilience and creates a more versatile workforce. Digital collaboration tools make it seamless to share insights, training materials, and performance benchmarks across geographies.
Risk Diversification
Geographic diversification is a critical risk management strategy. Natural disasters, political instability, or infrastructure failures in one location won’t cripple your entire operation when you have teams distributed across multiple sites. Smartshoring builds business continuity into the operational model, ensuring that service delivery continues uninterrupted regardless of localized disruptions.