Contracting for Energy Management Outsourcing
Brad L. Peterson, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
Brad Peterson discusses current thinking on energy management outsourcing contracts.
Research & Insight
Transition
Going All the Way
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Boeing discovers outsourcing is the Rx for health administration.
No Time for RFPs
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Buyers are often in a hurry to outsource so they can implement their competitive strategies. But cutting short the supplier selection process can result in a failed outsourcing relationship. Here’s how to do it right.
We’ve Only Just Begun
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Jane Drasites, Director, Benefits Delivery for BP Amoco, swears that the first year in an outsourcing relationship is just like a marriage. Some marriages don’t work very well. When Amoco (prior to its merger with BP) signed an agreement in 1993 for Hewitt Associates to handle its HR functions, it was positive it had found the right mate. Unfortunately, they didn’t go for some counseling before they tied the knot, and the honeymoon didn’t last long.
Skill Building Minus the Frustration
Jerri L. Ledford, Business Writer
As little as five years ago, when you needed to train employees, there were three basic options for doing it-sit the employee down with a video, partner that employee with a more experienced employee, or put a group of them in front of an instructor. Those weren’t terrible ways to train employees, but they weren’t the most effective.\x0d\x0aToday, the Internet gives training new meaning, new interaction and new power by leveraging the flexibility of e-Learning.
An Ounce of Prevention
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Burlington Resources, Inc., which is involved in the exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons, ranks first among U.S. independent oil and gas companies, in terms of proved U.S. reserves. It’s a company with the diverse global opportunities and financial strength of a major oil company, but it is also blessed with the entrepreneurial spirit, flexibility and responsiveness of an independent operator. If there was anything that might impede its ability to grow and remain competitive in its industry, Burlington would take steps to rectify that situation.
Ten Key Questions for Developing Effective Service Level Agreements
Brad L. Peterson, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
The first and most important step in developing an effective SLA is to ask the right questions. This article will give you those questions and some background on how to choose the right answers.
Putting Humpty Dumpty Together
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
In any vendor relationship, you can let the vendor manage you and direct you, but I’m not sure that you will get full satisfaction and have your full expectationss met. Companies have to understand what they are expecting and actually make decisions based on that, advises Vickie Pettee, Manager, Global Compensation and Benefits for Nokia.
No Room for So-So Performance
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Neither rain nor snow… You know the adage about the reliability of the U.S. postal system. Today we might transfer that goal concept: Neither viruses, nor bandwidth nor disk space will stop email! — at least not for organizations that depend on it as their primary communication vehicle.
Getting Started on the Right Foot
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Success in an outsourcing relationship must be built on the right foundation, and that happens only when the buyer clearly and objectively describes to the supplier exactly what it wants to buy. That’s what Xcel Energy did when it entered into its successful outsourcing relationship with IBM Global Services.