---
title: Outsourced Customer Service
description: Outsourcing is a business practice where an enterprise hires another company or individuals to perform tasks, manage operations, or provide services. These functions were previously handled by the enterprise's own employees.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/customer-service-management/outsourced-service-provider.html
release: australia
topic_type: concept
last_updated: "2026-03-12"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Extend capabilities, Configure, Customer Service Management]
---

# Outsourced Customer Service

Outsourcing is a business practice where an enterprise hires another company or individuals to perform tasks, manage operations, or provide services. These functions were previously handled by the enterprise's own employees.

Outsourced Service Providers \(OSPs\) are organizations engaged by enterprises to deliver customer service to external customers. These services can address various needs, including regional support, multilingual capabilities, and seasonal demand. Benefits of outsourcing services are as follows:

-   Cost savings
-   Increase support coverage
-   Access to skilled expertise

## Plugin

If you have the administrator role, you can activate the Outsourced Customer Service plugin \(com.snc.outsourced\_service\_provider\).

**Note:** The Outsourced Customer Service plugin \(com.snc.outsourced\_service\_provider\) requires the Customer Service \(com.sn\_customerservice\) plugin to get activated. The Outsourced Customer Service plugin is moved to the App Store beginning with Australia release.

The Outsourced Customer Service plugin adds the **Customer Service** > **Outsourced Customer Service** module to the application navigator. If you have the administrator \(sn\_csm\_ocs.csm\_ocs\_admin\) role, you can access this module. The administrator \(sn\_csm\_ocs.csm\_ocs\_admin\) can assign the following roles to users:

-   sn\_csm\_ocs.ext\_manager \(external OSP manager\)
-   sn\_csm\_ocs.ext\_agent \(external OSP agent\)
-   sn\_csm\_ocs.manager \(internal OSP manager\)

## Outsourced Customer Service Guided Setup

Activating the Outsourced Service Provider plugin adds the Outsourced Customer Service Guided Setup section. Navigate to **Outsourced Customer Service** > **Guided Setup** and use the tasks in this section to configure Outsourced Service Providers.

**Related topics**  


[Set up Outsourced Customer Service](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/customer-service-management/configure-outsourced-cust-serv.md)

[Outsourced Service Provider agent tasks](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/customer-service-management/osp-agent-tasks.md)

[Outsourced Service Provider manager tasks](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/customer-service-management/osp-manager-tasks.md)

[Roles for Outsourced Customer Service](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/customer-service-management/roles-ocs.md)