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Outsourcing pricing models: per FTE, per transaction and outcome-based
The pricing model decides who carries volume risk and what the fee includes.
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Direct answer
Actigy BPO explains outsourcing pricing models as charges for capacity, time, completed units, agreed results or a mix. The nearshore business process outsourcing (BPO) provider is headquartered in Prague, with teams in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and Ukraine. Most services use pricing per full-time equivalent (FTE) by role. A process audit produces a written quote before a paid pilot.
Compare billing units only after defining the work and acceptance rules.
Outsourcing pricing models explained
Actigy BPO distinguishes capacity, transaction, time and result-based fees by the billed unit and the risk retained by the client. Most services use per-FTE role pricing. The other structures below describe market models, not additional provider offers. Use the table to inspect cost drivers and retained duties.
Key takeaways
- Both Actigy BPO engagement models are priced per FTE by role.
- Every Actigy BPO engagement starts with a process audit and a paid pilot.
- A capacity fee needs clear hours and duties; a unit fee needs a clear accepted-unit definition.
- Compare transition, retained management, rework and exit alongside the supplier fee.
| Model | Actigy BPO offer | Billing and cost drivers | Client risk | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per FTE | Usual basis, priced by role | Agreed role capacity; skills, hours, controls and management duties affect the fee | Paying for capacity that does not match the workload | Recurring work needing stable role capacity |
| Per transaction | Market comparison only | Accepted units; complexity, exceptions and volume affect the unit price | Disputes over duplicates, rework and what counts as a billable unit | Repeatable tasks with clear accepted units |
| Per hour | Market comparison only | Approved time; role rate, recorded hours and extras affect spend | More billed time without more accepted output | Variable tasks with visible time records |
| Outcome-based | Market comparison only | Agreed results; baseline, attribution and measurement rules define payment | Disputed results or incentives that reduce quality | Measurable results within defined influence |
| Hybrid | Market comparison only | A base fee plus unit or result fees, under separate rules | Overlapping charges or unclear volume thresholds | Stable base work with measurable variable demand |
Actigy BPO defines quality assurance (QA), reporting and daily management separately from the billing unit. An FTE fee can fund managed delivery or client-managed outstaffing. It does not itself tell you who checks the work. Review the engagement-model responsibilities alongside each fee proposal.
FTE vs transaction pricing for outsourcing
FTE pricing charges for agreed role capacity; transaction pricing charges for defined completed units. Actigy BPO uses the capacity model for recurring operations. Compare both using the same accepted work and review rules. Low volume can leave unused capacity, while unclear units can make transaction charges hard to predict.
Define what enters the queue, what completes it and what requires rework. Separate routine cases from exceptions that need client decisions. A unit that fails acceptance is not the same as completed work. Specify whether retries, duplicates, cancelled cases and client-caused delays affect the invoice.
Actigy BPO uses the audit and pilot to test the scoped workload before agreeing growth. Track accepted output against role capacity without treating every case as equally complex. The cost-per-transaction guide explains the unit-cost calculation. A calculated processing cost is not automatically a provider's transaction price.
Why Actigy BPO prices per FTE by role
Actigy BPO uses role-based capacity pricing because recurring operations need people with defined duties, hours and review requirements. Role mix and scope affect the quote. Managed delivery includes the agreed leadership, QA and reporting duties. Outstaffing supplies roles while the client retains daily management and workflow review.
Actigy BPO prices most services per full-time equivalent (FTE) by role and sends a written quote after the process audit. Read the fee inclusions before comparing proposals. A role price is not an all-inclusive promise for every tool, language, shift or client approval task.
Check the per-FTE fee inclusions
- Roles: Confirm duties, role mix, hours and absence coverage.
- Supervision: Name who assigns work and manages the queue.
- QA: Define checks, sample rules, error handling and retained client review.
- Reporting: Agree measures, definitions, frequency and the report owner.
- Tools: List supplied tools, client licenses and any separate charges.
- Changes: Define the approval route for new tasks, volume or coverage.
Actigy BPO works in the client's tools, with access limited to the systems the client approves. Access approval does not mean every license is included in the fee. For scope-specific examples, read accounts payable outsourcing pricing. That resource is not a general rate card.
Outcome-based pricing risks
Outcome-based fees depend on an agreed result, so disputes can arise over measurement, attribution and factors outside the provider's control. Actigy BPO describes this as a market comparison, not its quoted model here. Define the baseline and quality limits before linking fees to results. A result target does not transfer every risk.
A completed-task count measures output; a business result may also depend on client decisions or external parties. State which inputs the provider controls. Define how rejected work, policy changes and delayed approvals affect measurement. Keep quality review independent from the incentive to report more billable results.
Actigy BPO uses written role and workflow scopes rather than promising a fee tied to unverified savings. In any market proposal, ask how disputed results are reviewed and how charges are corrected. For hybrid fees, check that the base and variable charge do not bill twice for the same work.
How to compare BPO quotes
Compare quotes on identical work, hours, accepted output and review duties before comparing their billing units. Actigy BPO provides a written scope after the process audit. Add costs the client retains to every proposal. A low fee with excluded supervision is not equivalent to a managed workflow fee.
- Give each bidder the same queue, volume range, case mix and required hours.
- Define accepted work, exception routes and review rules before asking for prices.
- List transition tasks, training, access work and the owner of each cost.
- Add retained management, approvals, client tools and expected rework.
- Check minimum commitments, change terms, extra charges and exit duties.
- Compare total cost and accepted output over the same period.
Actigy BPO does not treat the fee alone as proof of savings. Use the outsourcing cost calculator to organize your assumptions. The BPO cost guide covers broader cost drivers, while the country cost-per-FTE benchmark provides market context. Neither replaces a scoped quote.
FAQ
Actigy BPO pricing questions
Actigy BPO separates market pricing structures from the role-based terms offered in its written scope.
What are the main outsourcing pricing models?
The main models charge per FTE, per transaction, per hour, per agreed outcome or through a hybrid fee. Actigy BPO provides operations teams, with most services priced per FTE by role. Each model needs a clear definition of included work, review and exceptions. Compare the total cost at the same accepted output. A billing label alone does not reveal the client's retained management duties.
What is FTE-based pricing?
FTE-based pricing charges for agreed full-time role capacity rather than each completed task. Actigy BPO provides managed BPO and outstaffing, both priced per FTE by role. The scope defines hours, responsibilities and included management work. It does not automatically include every tool or approval duty. Compare capacity with workload and accepted output, while allowing for case complexity, quality review and exceptions.
When does per-transaction pricing make sense?
Actigy BPO treats per-transaction pricing here as a market option for repeatable work with clearly defined accepted units. The contract needs rules for duplicates, exceptions, retries and rejected output. Variable demand alone is not enough if every case needs different work. Check minimum charges and volume bands before comparing the unit price. The model described here is not an additional service offer.
What is outcome-based pricing in outsourcing?
Outcome-based pricing links fees to defined results rather than staffing capacity or time alone. Actigy BPO provides per-FTE role pricing; outcome-based fees are a market comparison here. Agree the baseline, attribution rules, quality limits and dispute process before comparing proposals. Results can depend on client action or outside parties. A fee tied to results does not remove the client's oversight or retained decisions.
How does Actigy BPO price its services?
Actigy BPO prices most services per FTE by role and provides a written quote after the process audit. Roles, hours, training, controls and the management split shape the scope. Managed delivery includes agreed leadership, QA and reporting; outstaffing retains client management. Confirm tools and other exclusions in the proposal. A paid pilot tests the workload before any expansion against agreed thresholds.
How do you compare 2 outsourcing quotes?
Actigy BPO compares a defined queue, workload, hours and review rules before considering the fee difference. Give both providers the same inputs and accepted-output definition. Then add transition, retained management, tools, rework and exit costs. Check minimum commitments and charges for scope changes. Compare the same period and case mix, not a capacity fee against a unit fee without a common workload.
Scope a pilot
What happens next
The team reviews the workflow before proposing a written scope. You decide whether to start a paid pilot after reviewing it.