Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Giving up control over the outsourced process is a basic principle in how outsourcing works, but many buyers find it difficult to do this at the outset of a relationship. An Outsourcing Center study looked at the factors that cause initial discomfort and what makes a buyer feel comfortable enough to turn over control to the provider.
Outsourcing Center, Beth Ellyn Rosenthal, Senior Writer
Parature, a SaaS provider in the customer relationship management space, has collaborated with Facebook to develop a new application specifically for the site. It allows users to engage with customers directly on the Facebook page and creates the ability to provide direct support from the Facebook wall. Here’s how it works.
Outsourcing Center, Beth Ellyn Rosenthal, Senior Writer
Steelcase has offices in 20 countries. Some have payrolls of 200, others just one. Every country has different labor laws. Language is also an issue. Outsourcing to just one provider solved the language and legal challenges and gave Steelcase a unified look at its payroll.
Outsourcing Center
An Outsourcing Center study found that a lot of outsourcing buyers have relationship managers with no prior experience or training in how to manage the relationship. This article describes why this occurs and the challenges that result from this phenomenon.
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
In outsourcing, “best practices” are a method, procedure, activity, technique, or process known to produce desired outcomes. Who deems them to be the “best?” Often, it’s an industry or association regulation or recommendation. Sometimes, it’s an expert opinion such as those from an analyst or consulting firm; at other times, it’s a service provider or …
Outsourcing Center, Beth Ellyn Rosenthal, Senior Writer
Outsourcing saves buyers money through lower cost. Outsourcing really saves money if the service is free. To allow organizations to take advantage of low-cost IT infrastructure outsourcing, Appistry provides a software solution that helps companies with cloud migration. The company provides its software at no cost to small and medium-sized users. “We wanted to create …
Outsourcing Center, Beth Ellyn Rosenthal, Senior Writer
Outsourcing is a business transaction. But sometimes outsourcing gets personal. When natural disaster strikes, sometimes the best aid comes from a long-term outsourcing partner. Many times it’s the outsourcing service provider who steps in to help out. (See these Outsourcing Excellence Awards winner stories: ACS and State of Lousianna, Vincent Catholic Medical Centers and Computer …
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Cost and price. It’s crucial that buyers understand both when it comes to outsourcing. What is the cost of providing business services internally? What elements comprise that cost? What is the price for comparable services from an outsourcing service provider? What cost elements affect the provider’s price? For the service levels it commits to perform, …
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
How important to the value proposition for an outsourcing initiative is the service provider’s domain knowledge specific to the buyer’s industry? Many buyers report that the provider’s expertise in a particular business process ranks higher in importance than industry expertise when selecting a service provider. But there are situations where industry knowledge is crucial, especially …
Laura Stone, CEO, Stone + Company
Why do outsourcing initiatives fail? I believe poor change management is to blame. Poor change management translates into: Slower speed of adoption Lower ultimate utilization Lower proficiency Together, they all hurt the “return on investment” (ROI) “in an outsourcing effort and are limited to a “past focused” thinking to do the same activities better, cheaper, …
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