Research & Insight

Contract

Buyers Face Decisions around New Opportunities and Risks in Outsourced IT Solutions

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

Buyers must face decisions around new risks and opportunities in outsourced IT solutions. Charlie Bess, HP Fellow, HP Enterprise Services, says the outsourcing industry is facing “a different kind of IT and support environment than what we had just a few short years ago.” Here’s how he describes this new environment: More sensors deployed in …

Outsourcing Experts Discuss New Flexible Pricing Models

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

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 …

Risks and Complexities in Outsourcing Decisions in the Midmarket

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

For the most part, industry experts say the midmarket is poised for significant growth in outsourcing during the next five years. However, some point out that the nature of midsized companies may hinder growth. Outsourcing Center interviewed providers and advisors serving the midmarket regarding upcoming changes in this market and the risks and challenges that …

Decision-Making Insights for Companies Outsourcing HR Functions

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

Outsourcing HR went through a shake-out over the past two years due to the continual issues around scope and other challenges that buyers and service providers encountered over the past decade. The dust has settled from the revamping efforts, but there are new challenges on the horizon. Here’s what your company needs to know for …

100 Lessons Learned – Mistakes and Successes of Outsourcing Buyers

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

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 …

Seven Action Areas to Strengthen an Outsourcing Relationship

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

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 relationships, that is, strengthen outsourcing relationships. To identify these relationship-strengthening actions, …

Advice for Outsourcing Buyers in Setting Expectations Around Future Service

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

“What was horrible about our outsourcing relationship in the beginning is that our expectations were unclear. That’s a horrible formula for success.” The person stating this assessment described a troubled – but remediated and turned-around – relationship that Outsourcing Center studied in its annual Outsourcing Excellence and Sourcing Awards program. It led to this post …

Four Tips for Effective Management of the Outsourcing Transition

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

The possible perils that can impact the success of an outsourcing relationship‘s transition phase are well known. These days, most buyers are as aware as service providers of the need for a robust governance framework that facilitates the parties’ identification of challenges and working collaboratively to address them quickly. Most have also read tales of …

New Outsourcing Service: Independent Governance of the Relationship

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

At Outsourcing Center, a frequent comment we hear from buyers of outsourcing services is: “If I had it to do all over again, I would put in place a more effective structure for managing the service provider and the relationship.” The problem is significant enough that it spawns many advice-oriented articles with titles such as: …

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