Business process outsourcing (BPO) is serious business, see today's article on WhatTheyThink.com (Print Brokering, Print Management, Business Process Outsourcing - What's the Difference? - Subscription required). However, BPO can be applied to any number of functions (processes); for example, the process of acquiring a birthday cake for a child. So how exactly would that work?

One could go back to basics and simply bake the cake at home; however without all the training, equipment, and professional ovens, the end result would likely be pretty simple and straightforward. Much like a print buyer who chose to produce his or her printed products in the office. Nice, but without all the pizazz that a professional could produce.

The first level of Birthday Cake Outsourcing (BCO) is simply purchasing a professionally produced cake, complete with candy roses, jet airplanes, and personalized messaging (Frank Romano's example of personalized messaging gone wrong, not withstanding). Sort of like the most basic of print outsourcing.

For the busy parent, turning the responsibility for the cake procurement to an assistant can simplify the process. The assistant checks his/her list of bakeries and provides the specs for the cake, picks it up, and delivers it. We could call that "cake brokering," a convenient, one-time service. Sort of like print brokering, eh?

Theme birthday parties are all the rage; no one stops at a simple birthday cake anymore. Kids expect - no, demand - pony rides, pizza parties, trips to the amusement park, rock bands (?). What's a parent to do? Ah, a specialist in party preparations, who will also provide the cake. Now we are beginning to see Birthday Party Outsourcing (BdPO). Hand over the whole process, show up and, voila, big party, happy kid, relaxed parent. Sort of like print management...

But for the really busy, C-level (complete with 8-figure compensation plan), jet-setting parents, a live-in Personal Assistant (PA) can take over managing all holiday events, birthday parties included. A top level PA keeps calendars, credit cards, and kids all in line; making sure that the perfect birthday party is held every year, year after year. No fuss, no muss, keep it within the budget, and keep the kids happy. Sort of like multi-service document business process outsourcing.

Anyone providing outsourced print management services will tell you that it's a complex professional service; yet when done well it seems like a piece of cake to the buyer and user of print.