Despite quantum improvements to outsourcing deals and governance over the past 10 to 15 years, when it comes to achieving outsourcing excellence there’s still plenty of opportunity. Part of the challenge is that once the decision is made to outsource or change providers, the clock starts ticking….fast. It takes real discipline to know when to [...]
If you are an outsourcing customer, an outsourcing agreement is like a three-legged stool. Its value depends on what you agree to buy, what you agree to pay and the terms of the contract. Although the agreement and the other contract terms are often extensive, outsourcing customers often underestimate, or even overlook, the value in [...]
Most of us have been down on our knees praying that the relationship does not blow up over an error. Perhaps the cutover was delayed because the provider did not conduct sufficient user acceptance tests, or an employee committed fraud within a client account because controls were inadequate, or the client did not provide the [...]
Outsourcing rookies, of course, face many challenges in achieving their desired return on investment because their deals often lack one or more elements that are foundational to success. And all outsourcing relationships encounter challenges that arise in unanticipated situations. But what about experienced buyers and relationships that are more mature? What issues arise in their [...]
Buyers of outsourcing services want their service providers to invest in technologies that bring continual improvement to the outsourced processes. Providers want to invest only where it is also beneficial to their margins in the long run. Therein lies a conflict. Are there reliable predictors of a buyer’s intent for a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship [...]
Outsourcing Excellence Award — Most Collaborative: Barclaycard US and Firstsource “We are getting results that exceed our plan. By the end of the first year, performance of our former employees who are now on the Firstsource team was at or above what it was when we initiated the transition.” Brian Duffy, head of service and [...]
There’s no shortage of methodologies and advisories on best practices and risk mitigation strategies for the transition phase of outsourcing relationships. Even so, many buyers encounter situations they didn’t foresee when structuring their arrangement, which cause costs to rise and delay time to value. Outsourcing Center studied these types of situations by surveying companies nominated [...]
Ask 10 buyers of outsourcing services for their keys to success in communicating with their service providers, and you’ll hear 10 different answers because, of course, the effectiveness of communication depends on the individuals involved. Some will also say it depends on whether they’re communicating about day-to-day operations, conflicts or opportunities. Others will comment that [...]
At the point where outsourcing service providers or their customers have a conflict that will result in a monetary loss to either party, they’re walking a fine line. If they manage to resolve the issue with a mutually beneficial solution, their relationship will be even stronger than before the conflict. If not, the party that [...]
Outsourcing is no longer a risky undertaking; it’s a mainstream business strategy. However, despite the strong adoption, many outsourcing relationships continue to fail. This white paper takes a look at what drives outsourcing success and presents detailed information about six key success factors. The paper cites findings from studies of such firms as Gartner and [...]
New delivery models, new pricing models, service providers’ new marketing strategies, moving up the value chain to intellectual arbitrage, new technologies, real-time customer interaction, globalization, and new standards and regulations – these factors set the stage for risks for buyers of outsourcing services in the next two to five years. (Read Forces of Change Shaping [...]
Outsourcing Center assembled a panel of industry experts to discuss the changes in outsourcing contracts and pricing models over the next two to five years. Their insights reveal buyers and providers will approach outsourcing initiatives differently than in the past. Q. Outsourcing pricing models and contract vehicles have evolved over the past few years. How [...]
As GE’s Jack Welch states, mistakes can often be as good a teacher as success. In studying outsourcing relationships through Outsourcing Center’s annual Outsourcing Excellence Awards program since 1996, Outsourcing Center has aggregated and analyzed the lessons learned – mistakes and successes – by hundreds of buyers and providers of outsourcing services. These lessons learned [...]
An outsourcing provider’s quality of services and the achievement of the agreed-upon mutually beneficial objectives are essential to success. But there are additional actions that service providers and buyers can take to boost the return on investment and increase the life expectancy of their relationship. To identify these relationship-strengthening actions, Outsourcing Center conducted a survey [...]
In studying outsourcing relationships through Outsourcing Center’s annual Outsourcing Excellence Awards program since 1996, Outsourcing Center has aggregated and analyzed the lessons learned – mistakes and successes – by hundreds of buyers of outsourcing services. These 100 lessons learned focus on issues related to each phase in the outsourcing life cycle – provider selection, contract [...]
Organizations are recognizing that diversity management in outsourcing makes a measurable difference in the potential return on investment (ROI). The diversity issue extends beyond a differing culture where offshore resources are involved. And it goes beyond ensuring that an organization employs a workforce of multiple races and ethnicities. In outsourcing, managing diversity focuses on getting [...]
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