Outsourcing

Just reading an article where one of the key messages was 'A bad process automated is still a bad process' - something everyone in the IT industry would surely agree with.

I argue that the same rule applies to outsourcing. If something is causing you a problem you need to fix the issues before you outsource - or you will still have issues!

You cannot rely on an outsourcing organisation to fix bad processes, miraculously ensure poor performance turns into high performance, ...

In an earlier article I discussed my research into managing the transition of people in an outsourcing situation. I highlighted the problems people experience, anxiety, lack of control, resistance and reduced performance. Many also found it very difficult to treat their previous employer as a client, and were not able to feel a part of the new company to which they had been transferred.

An outsourcing transfer can be viewed as a form of transition. This change process involves ...

An article in Computer Weekly highlighted the problem that the salaries for mid-level IT staff have increased due to greater demand due to Outsourcing. Companies need experienced staff capable of overseeing project work, managing virtual teams, negotiating service line agreements and so on (the hidden costs of outsourcing) – but they don’t need the lower level skills because most of those jobs have been outsourced to lower cost economies such as India.

It seems project managers and ...

Had yet another meeting last week where the top guns were telling me about the failings in their outsourcing project. Many times now I have sat in meetings and heard depressing stories about the real problems faced after an outsourcing transfer.

Recently Zurich did warn that organisations should ‘prepare for two years of IT disruption’ when they outsource. However, this type of press is rare. Most of the conversations I have are absolutely dire, with very poor performance and real ...

So the Shell drivers are striking because they have had enough of relatively low pay - squeezed by their employer ever since they were transferred in an outsourcing deal.

Clearly someone at Shell decided that driving tankers was not their 'core' business, and/or that they could do this more cheaply if they could transfer it to another company who 'specialises' in this sort of thing.

Research shows that, particularly in service jobs such as driving, cleaning, catering, outsourcing ...

This is an area I still feel is overlooked. I started researching on this because talking to IT people for another study a number of them told me they had been outsourced and that it had been a difficult time for them.

I wondered why IT people would stay to be transferred to an organization that was not of their choosing. I found the whole concept of being 'moved' almost like a piece of machinery, a bit concerning. But I kept an open mind and started to interview people about their ...

Myths and Realities of Outsourcing

Outsourcing has been written about in some management journals as if it was a ‘must do’ process. There has been much hype about the need to focus on core competencies, the drives for cost reduction, the ability to access top quality staff and the latest technology, and therefore gain competitive edge. We refer to these as the myths of outsourcing to highlight the need for a critical stance. Outsourcing can work for some, but not for all. So is outsourcing ...