How we Communicate
We treat communication integral to outsourcing. We believe that good communication is central to the success of an outsourced project. All our clients work halfway across the globe. They operate in time zones that are vastly different from ours and engage in models that could be different. Having been around for over 9 years, we fully understand the complexities of such an engagement.
That is why we have taken deliberate steps to ensure that communication channels are constantly open and every member on the project is apprised of progress.
Here are a few communications tools and best practices that have stood us in good stead:
VOIP:
Real-time conferencing and conversation is an integral part of our communication strategy. We are available for chats and calls on internet messengers or several US phone lines that ring at our India office.
We believe that emails are a great way to be clear on goals and expectations. Often, we recap conversations and decisions on email, so we have a mutual understanding of what needs to be achieved.
Online conference and collaboration tools:
For projects that require customer walkthroughs, we use tools like Zoom Meeting an online conferencing software.
Instant messaging tools:
We use several IM tools such as Skype, Slack, etc.
Project management tools:
Our online project management tool allows you to remain up-to-date on your work. This increases the amount of control you exercise on your progress.
General FAQs :
How does Entelyglobal maintain online and facility security?
To ensure the safety of your data at all times, we employ several layers of physical and digital security measures, in our buildings and in our servers.
- Biometric access to work areas
- Locked, active directory-controlled workstations accessible only by authorized users
NDA signed by all employees - Dedicated resources for FTE-based accounts to ensure data privacy
- VPN tunnels and firewalls for secure access to the network for authorized senior-level personnel only
- Physical monitoring of all buildings 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including armed night guards for additional security
- Remote CCTV monitoring
- Regular internal audits and facility monitoring
- Restricted work areas — no media, cell phones, or paper allowed in work areas for process associates
- Dual monitors for paperless function
How do you maintain your quality of work?
Maintaining high standards and quality of work is of utmost importance for a successful client relationship. We have several measures in place to ensure that high quality.
- Detailed time estimates for each of our deliverables
- Build tools and process automation
- Effective back-up to guarantee continuity of critical process
- 90 percent achievement rating for optimal quality
- Five or more hours of training each month for each employee
- 99.5 percent uptime for technical and human systems
- Resolution escalation in 24 working hours or less
- Full transparency and access to all error reports
- Multiple redundant high-speed networks for process continuity
- Backup generators and UPS for process continuity
How do you maintain client confidentiality?
In addition to our physical and digital security measures, Entelyglobal keeps client data fully confidential.
- NDA and non-solicitation agreements signed between Entelyglobal and clients
- NDA signed by all employees
- Dedicated resources for FTE-based accounts to ensure data privacy
- Email servers with reputed firms like Google and Zoho.
- In-house document managements server located inside our office in Bangalore.
Do you have a legal and financial presence in the U.S?
Yes, we have our US head office in Ann Arbor, MI. And this is one of our main USP we enter actionable agreements in the US and at the same time we cost less as our delivery center is in India
Can I come personally to visit your office?
Of course! We would be more than glad to be your hosts, and welcome you with our hospitality. We believe it is always better to see to believe. By visiting us, you wont just see the whole infrastructure and security setup, but also get to know how things actually work at our office. Few of our clients have visited us in the past, and have had happy memories.
How does your staff respect the privacy of information they handle?
Before we hire someone, we carry out background checks, and go through the references of previous employers about the person’s conduct at past organization if any. While joining the organization, every employee has to sign an undertaking that states that he/she will respect the privacy of the client data being handled. Additionally, he/she is legally bound to do so, and there could be legal actions against an employee if inconsistencies are discovered from his/her end. So far, none of our employees have disappointed us in this regard.
Does he/she speak English?
Yes. English is a very widely spoken language of India. In fact, it is the second most widely used language of a large number of Indian professionals. English language never plays a barrier in communication as we only hire employees who are fluent in English. However, the accent of Indians is quite neutral, yet a lot different than that of Americans. So, it is advisable to speak at a little slower rate, and give staff a chance to get used to how you communicate with them for lucid understanding.
Do you have an in house facility to train the staff?
Yes, in order to provide best quality service to our clients it is important to have well trained staff. We have a state of the art (in house) training facility with dedicated trainers. We have 25+ different modules of training which includes English communication, Soft skills, American culture, software and technology used in American accounting industry, etc. We continuously keep upgrading these training modules according to latest industry trends.
Till what time your staff work ?
Normal shift / work timing for a full-time staff is 3.30 am to 1 pm EST (inclusive of 60 minutes of meal break and 30 min for coffee break). This allows for a 3-4 hours of overlap between your office timings and the staff working for you. Please note that since they start work at 4 am, so you may assign work in the evening and meanwhile you come to office in the morning, most of the work is done. However, these timings can be made flexible and matched according to your office hours, but that might cost you extra, as such staff needs to be paid midnight allowances and other facilities.
How escalations are handled, including response time?
Entelyglobal has a multi-level escalation path.
- Dedicated, named resources to ensure data privacy
- Dedicated, named supervisor for high-volume clients
- Named unit manager at the offshore operations site
- Named client relationship manager in the U.S.
Our response time is one business day. Depending on escalation volume, we also provide resolution times within the client’s working time zones.
Do you have the ability to scale your staff?
We always have about 20 percent of our staff trained and available as backup. Our current facility has a floor with 2,000 square feet of workstation space and can accommodate an additional 150 to 200 employees working in multiple shifts. In a short time of 30 days we can take up and keep your accounting running.
Is there additional cost to add staff on my company’s behalf?
No
What are your hiring practices?
We have an in-house hiring team, but we also make use of additional HR resources if the need arises. We hire only college graduates and post-graduates with MBAs and finance degrees. Our supervisors, consultants, and unit managers have US CPA/CMA qualification or Indian CPA Degrees We provide a minimum of four weeks’ training to new hires in the area of U.S.-based accounting software systems.
What is the method of transferring information?
We provide various methods of data transfer to suit the needs of our clients.
- Web-based scanning to our in-house document management system
- Email directly from the scanner or as attachments
- FTP directly from the scanner or via our user interface
- PDF or Excel files
- Instant-messaging services for immediate resolution
- Shared cloud storage space
- Local U.S. numbers for phone or fax communication
What is the cost to establish a business relationship with Entelyglobal?
None
Do you require a long-term contract?
None, just need a notice of two months so we can wrap things up for you and hand over the work to your new team.
What is the cost to re-work, if the quality of your work is sub-par?
We stand behind our associates’ quality of work. However, client satisfaction is of utmost importance. If we have to redo any work because of a failure on our part, we don’t charge our client for the additional work.
What software packages are supported?
We have professionals who are experts in QuickBooks,Xero, Freshbooks, Bill.com , Expensify, Netsuite, Sage 50 and 500, SAP Business One and Microsoft Dynamics.
What geographic areas are covered?
We support remote connectivity and services for the entire U.S and Canada.
What is your security philosophy?
The key privacy concerns related to outsourcing are the same for onshore and offshore outsourcing activities. When poor practices are in place in either location and a privacy breach occurs, the results are similar: a loss of consumer trust and potential litigation from the injured party.
The public’s perception is somewhat fed by the media, who tend to treat offshore privacy breaches with more scrutiny and add to the general public’s notion that foreign businesses are more mysterious and largely unknown.
Traditionally, an organization will be best served if it approaches privacy management from a best practices approach. Using good privacy practices provides a consistent approach to protecting personal information in a way that individuals can easily understand. Solid privacy practices also establish a benchmark for organizations of all sizes across all industry sectors.
An organization that wants to manage its privacy risk and implement a best practices approach to outsourcing should consider the following critical questions:
- Who are the outsourcing organizations we contract with and where are they located?
- Precisely what data are we sending to, and receiving from, outsourcing organizations?
Is the data “personal information,” and have we given notice to our customers of this data transfer? - What are our exposures if the data (both sent and received) is improperly accessed, used or maintained?
- What data protection clauses do we have in these contracts?
- What evidence do we have that these outsourcing organizations protect our data as outlined in these data protection clauses?
- What processes are in place to monitor the outsourcing organizations?
- Do these organizations outsource any of their processes in which our data may be further transferred to another organization?
- What processes do the outsourcing organizations we contract with use to verify the data protection practices followed by their outsourcing partners?
- What are the applicable privacy laws and regulations?
- The process of answering these ten questions is the starting point to implement a solid outsourcing privacy environment.