Translation guide
The practice of contracting work to an external company or third party, often to reduce costs or access specialized skills.
outsourcing (business)
outsourcing (manufacturing)
Referring to the practice of hiring an external company to perform services or produce goods.
The most direct and common term, a loanword from English. Used widely in business contexts.
Our company outsources IT operations.
A native Japanese term meaning 'external consignment'. Slightly more formal and often used in official documents.
Literally 'to place an outside order'. Commonly used for subcontracting manufacturing or services.
Specifically contracting software development or IT services to an external vendor.
Refers to offshore development, a common type of IT outsourcing where work is sent to a foreign country.
Outsourcing of entire business functions like HR, accounting, or customer support.
The full loanword for BPO. Common in corporate settings.
Using 'outsource' in a non-business sense, e.g., delegating personal tasks.
アウトソーシング is the broadest term, covering all types of outsourcing. 外部委託 is more formal and often used in contracts. 外注 specifically refers to placing an order for goods or services with an outside supplier, common in manufacturing.
IT outsourcing is advancing.
Many companies are outsourcing their customer service.
We decided to outsource the manufacturing process.
We outsource the production of parts.
We use offshore development to reduce costs.
Explicitly IT outsourcing. Often used when the context requires clarity.
The IT outsourcing market is expanding.
We switched accounting operations to business process outsourcing.
The abbreviation BPO is widely understood in business contexts.
We will utilize BPO to improve efficiency.
I can't just outsource all the housework.
Can be used humorously or casually for personal tasks, like 'outsourcing' cooking to a restaurant.
Let's outsource dinner tonight.
設計を外部委託する。
Outsource the design.
Outsource parts.
While アウトソーシング is common, in some traditional industries or formal writing, native terms like 外部委託 may be preferred. Using too many katakana loanwords can sound overly casual or trendy.
生産を中国に外注することに決めました。
We decided to outsource the production to China.