The Death of Outsourcing: Why Traditional Models Are Failing Forward-Thinking Firms

So, in what feels like having been on the road since the start of the year! I’m finally back home—catching up and taking stock of an epic few months on the road.  

One of the highlights of my travels so far was The Frontline Team exhibiting at The Digital Accountancy Show in London which included a Fireside Chat with two of our clients discussing “The Death of Outsourcing”  

Punchy title, eh? Read on to see why I feel that is pretty accurate! 

The Death of Outsourcing: Why Traditional Models Are Failing Forward-Thinking Firms 

On April 1st this year, me and four of our senior leadership team at Frontline were exhibiting at The Digital Accountancy Show, London. This year, I had the privilege of hosting a fireside chat at the FreeAgent stage alongside two brilliant and forward-thinking leaders in the UK accounting space: Luke Streeter, CEO of Ascendant (formerly Flinder), and Francesca McClory, founder of Future Cloud Accounting. 

The title of the session was provocatively titled “The Death of Outsourcing” — and for good reason.

My view on traditional outsourcing is based on over a decade in accounting services and speaking with hundreds, if not thousands, of accountants about their workflow and capacity constraints.

For too long, the UK Accounting firms have clung to outdated outsourcing models in a desperate bid to solve staffing shortages, free up capacity, and boost margins. But the truth? Traditional outsourcing is broken. It was, at one time, the best accountants could hope for — but the world has moved on, and traditional outsourcing has fallen behind.

Let’s get one thing straight: outsourcing, in its old-school form — sending work to an anonymous pool of workers, chasing emails across time zones, battling inconsistent quality — is an outdated way of doing things. It’s dead, or at the very least, dying. 

The fact that those who pioneered outsourcing spend most of their time these days talking about Offshoring kind of proves this point. 

Traditional Outsourcing: A Broken Promise 

During our session, Luke and Francesca both shared candid insights into why the old model simply doesn't work anymore. 

Outsourcing promised relief from capacity pressures. It promised more time, better margins, and scalable growth. Instead, it often delivered chaos: disjointed communication, fluctuating standards, and a revolving door of talent with no real connection to your business. 

Luke highlighted how, in the early days, he’d tried the classic outsourcing approach. “It felt like I was spending more time fixing problems than I was saving,” he said.  

And he’s not alone.  

Many UK firms have come to us at Frontline after experiencing the same burnout cycle. 

Getting the A-Team to begin with to get you onboarded with confidence and hooked, the inexplicably the turnaround times start to slip, more careless mistakes are made, and you end up spending more time training an outsourcing company than you do your own staff.  Offshoring ≠ Outsourcing 

Here’s where the shift begins. Just because the work is done in another country, we need to stop calling this “outsourcing.”  

What we offer at Frontline — and what firms like Ascendant and Future Cloud have embraced — is offshore staffing. It’s a fundamentally different model. 

Offshore staffing means building your own dedicated team in another country. With Frontline, that country is the Philippines. They’re legally our employee, but they’re your team. Trained your way. Embedded into your culture. Using your systems and processes.  

It’s not a service; it’s an extension of your team. 

Luke summed it up perfectly during the chat: 

“This isn’t about outsourcing. It’s about scaling our team — just with a broader talent pool. Our offshore teams are as integral to our business as our London office.” 

Integration Is Everything 

Of course, building a successful offshore team takes more than a job ad and a Zoom link. 

Francesca shared how her firm made offshoring a core part of their operations — by investing time upfront. Clear systems, open communication, and a strong culture were key.  

“We don’t treat our offshore team like they’re somewhere else,” she said.  

“They’re part of every team meeting, every win, every day we work side by side, just virtually.” 

At Frontline, our role is to support that integration. We don’t just recruit — we help firms embed offshore staff into the heartbeat of their business. From cultural onboarding to ongoing support, our goal is to make offshoring feel seamless. 

Long-Term Growth, Not a Quick Fix 

One of the most important parts of our discussion was around scale. Offshoring isn’t just a way to survive busy season — it’s a long-term strategy for growth. 

Luke shared how Ascendant’s offshore team allowed them to free up senior staff for advisory work, increase margins, and focus on strategic growth.  

“We’re not just filling gaps anymore — we’re building something scalable”. 

At Frontline, we’ve seen this again and again. Firms that commit to offshore staffing gain a competitive edge: more stability, better retention, and the ability to grow without burning out their onshore teams. 

Making the Shift — and Making It Stick 

Change is never easy. So, to close out the session, we focused on how to make the shift from outsourcing to offshoring — and do it well. 

We talked through what firms should expect in the first 6–12 months: the learning curve, the mindset shift, the occasional hiccup. But we also shared our top tips to succeed: 

• Start smart. Identify the processes, the roles, the tasks — map best practice and what “good” really looks like for these tasks and build from there. 

• Invest in your team. Offshore staff want to grow with you. Give them the training, tools, and trust to succeed. Just like any new team member, they need to learn how you do things. Invest the time and reap the rewards.  

• Prioritise communication. The more integrated your team, the more powerful they become. 

The Future Isn’t Outsourced. It’s Built. 

So — is outsourcing dead? In the traditional sense, absolutely. 

But what’s emerging in its place is something far more powerful: a model where accounting firms aren’t just “sending work away,” but building global teams that deliver consistent, high-quality service and drive real growth. 

At Frontline, we’re proud to lead that charge. And we’re even prouder to stand alongside innovative firms like Ascendant and Future Cloud who are showing the profession what’s possible. 

If you’re ready to leave outdated outsourcing behind and build something better, get in touch or book in with me here.  

Connect with me on:

LinkedIn.com/in/mark-mcnee