Managing an Outsourcing Career
Isaac Cheifetz
What should outsourcing executives do to position themselves for career success in outsourcing? An outsourcing executive recruiter shares his list.
Research & Insight
Time to Market
Small to Mid-Sized Businesses Turn to ASPs; Larger Enterprises Follow Their Lead
Outsourcing Center, Bruce McCracken, Business Writer
To paraphrase Mark Twain, the demise of ASPs has been greatly exaggerated. They are experiencing a remarkable resurgence, as enterprises small and large embrace their offerings. And one ASP, salesforce.com, just went public with the highest first-day price rise so far this year.
Three Suggestions for Successful ADM Offshoring From an Exec Who Learned the Hard Way
Outsourcing Center, Beth Ellyn Rosenthal, Senior Writer
An executive of Business Engine, a software applications development firm, shares three secrets to successful software development using an Indian provider.
Why HRO Is Still Growing and What Needs Fixing
Outsourcing Center, Beth Ellyn Rosenthal, Senior Writer
Even though HR is the most mature BPO process, it still has growth momentum, according to a new Conference Board study. The reason: companies want to outsource HR routine transactions so their part of the process can become more strategic. The Accenture-sponsored study points out what still needs fixing.
Consumer Services Firm Relies on Outsourcing for Critical Internal Services
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
No other firms have exactly the same residential services model as ServiceMaster, but the company competes with a myriad of local-market, mom-and-pop operations. It’s a highly competitive market that allows almost no tolerance for cost increases – including the 15% yearly rise in the company’s healthcare benefits costs. So ServiceMaster decided in 2003 to change tactics for its employees’ health and welfare benefits administration.
How Outsourcing Impacted a Company’s Entry into a New Market
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
When Geographic Data Technology wanted to enter a new market, it turned to outsourcing to obtain the necessary resources. Its highly collaborative relationship with RMSI changed the buyer’s business processes so it could compete in the new market. The result: outcomes far greater than they imagined.
‘X’ Marks the Spot: Decisive Moves in Securing an Excellent Outsourcing Alliance Partner
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Although trust grows over time and successful outsourcing alliances evolve to become even more beneficial for both parties, the true foundation for success lies in the hands of buyers when they begin seeking a services provider. That spot in time when a buyer determines its objectives (the outcomes it wants to pay a provider to produce) and then matches its provider selection criteria to those aims is crucial to outsourcing success. Microsoft definitely demonstrated how to do it when it selected VMC Consulting for testing and other IT support services for the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft.
Point of Return: From Good to Great in Outsourcing Value
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
During the eight-year relationship of Sovereign Bank and its outsourcing service provider, Trammell Crow Company (TCC), the bank grew dramatically from mergers and acquisitions. For TCC, which handles all the bank’s real estate services throughout its financial services market (the northeast and mid-Atlantic states in the US), the growth from 130 properties to more than 600 properties required a high level of flexibility and expertise.
The Role of Outsourcing in Facilitating Corporate Agility
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
Things were going well for Entergy and its IT provider, SAIC; but they wanted their relationship to grow and produce more value. So they jointly funded an 18-month relationship health check-up. It was an eye-opener, and they subsequently renegotiated their deal to make it even better.
Direct Route to Competitive Advantage
Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer
One of the first value outcomes resulting from shifting ownership of Michelin North America’s logistics process to outsourcing provider, TNT North America, was a $70Million cash flow increase in just one day. The money was then invested in critical strategic objectives. That was just the start of several transformational initiatives the two successfully achieved.