Change Enhances Outsourcing Demand
Dr. Wendell Jones
Three factors in today’s global, competitive economy increase the demand for outsourcing: Technological change, Technology management, Business change.
Research & Insight
Industry
No ‘Reservations’ at the Inns
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
At LaQuinta, the inbound call center has been an outsourced function since 1996. Jackie Burke, Vice President of Reservation Services for LaQuinta, says the company has no reservations — that is, no doubts or misgivings — about its choice of outsourcing supplier for this extremely important function.
What’s the Best Way to Outsource CRM?
Jerri L. Ledford, Business Writer
When a company outsources its customer relationship management (CRM), how do its executives know their customers will receive the best service their company has to offer, if its own employees aren’t actually offering the service?
Straight From the Horse’s Mouth
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Straight From the Horse’s Mouth: President Bush’s Outsourcing Initiatives – Will Bush’s campaign promises become more than notions? A February 14, 2001 memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) chief told agency leaders to expand outsourcing and advance eGovernment. It advised: The President envisions a government that has a citizen-based focus, is results-oriented and, where practicable, market-driven.
Government Call Center Achieves Excellence in Customer Service
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
A frontline measure of how government meets the needs of its customers is how successful it is in answering its telephones promptly, accurately and courteously – so states the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in its August 2000 report on customer service. The report found that federal agencies need clear goals and committed managers.
Buyer Beware
Outsourcing Center, Beth Ellyn Rosenthal, Senior Writer
Buyer Beware: Nine Ways to Protect Your Interests – Outsourcing experts have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Here are nine rules of the road to increase the odds of outsourcing success.
From Vision to Victory
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
From Vision to Victory – In August 1999, Pennsylvania signed an outsourcing agreement with Unisys for the operation of its mainframe and a number of its midrange computer systems. Curt Haines, Director of the Bureau of Consolidated Computer Services in the Governor’s Office of Administration for the Commonwealth, says they selected Unisys because it was clearly a premier company relative to mainframe computers. He points out that IBM is a major subcontractor for Unisys in this outsourcing agreement but that Unisys is the prime vendor and has ultimate responsibility to make sure it works.
The Whole Kit and Caboodle
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
The Whole Kit and Caboodle – In round figures, the outsourcing contract between the U.S. Treasury and its supplier, Wang Government Services (a Getronics company) will be over $100 million over the life of the ten-year contract. Like the old kit and caboodle American saying, Treasury omitted nothing – it has outsourced the management of its entire infrastructure.
Can an External Service Provider Really Do This Better Than We Can?
Dr. Wendell Jones
Critics of outsourcing often rest their opinions on assumptions that internal functions should be able to do what outsourcing vendors do if the internal organization applied good management practices and worked smarter and harder. Sometimes this may be true, but in other instances it is not.
Judicial Middle Ground
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Judicial Middle Ground – A goal to realign resources to be more client-centered led to outsourcing at Justice Canada, the federal Department of Justice that is the attorney general for Canada. Linda Holmes, Director of Informatic Services and Technology Division of the Information Management Branch (IMB) for Justice Canada, says that IMB decided to establish a front office function, where the focus would be on the business of law and how technology can enable the department to do that business better. Budget constraints, however, were no help in establishing this business analyst/architect design function. The solution was to shift employees into this new core area and then outsource the day-to-day operations.