Outsourcing Center, Patti Putnicki, Business Writer
Can you even remember what it was like to have to be in a “place” to make a call? When a flat tire meant a search for a pay phone? When email was something that accumulated between Friday and Monday, until the office computer was powered back on? It’s hard to believe that when the …
Outsourcing Center, Patti Putnicki, Business Writer
If information technology outsourcing (ITO) were a movie, cloud, analytics and mobility would be the headliners. Although this trendsetting triad is having a dramatic impact on how services are consumed and how companies operate, a number of other significant trends are emerging in the information technology outsourcing space. This article focuses on those unsung heroes …
Outsourcing Center, Patti Putnicki, Business Writer
In the world of IT, Cloud has been the media darling, taking center stage in every conversation and publication. While it’s true that Cloud is a major trend in and of itself, its adoption has caused a domino effect in the industry as a whole. The advent of utility-based pricing, in combination with a more …
Outsourcing Center, Patti Putnicki, Business Writer
The past few years have not been kind to the retail industry. Sluggish economies, shrinking margins and a more cost-conscious consumer have taken their proverbial toll. “We’ve seen retail sales increase by 5 percent to 6 percent, yet profits declined from 3.5 percent to 2 percent. So, even though stores are selling more, they’re making …
Thomas Keenan and Geofrey L. Master, Mayer Brown LLP
The product supply chain from China is not what it used to be. Over the past 20 years, Chinese consumer-product manufacturers have become increasingly sophisticated and capable of taking on more “value-adding” tasks or segments of the product creation supply chain and have moved from mere manufacturers to multi-functional suppliers. In doing so, they have …
Linda Tuck Chapman, President, ONTALA Performance Solutions Ltd.
Despite quantum improvements to outsourcing deals and governance over the past 10 to 15 years, when it comes to achieving outsourcing process excellence there’s still plenty of opportunity. Part of the challenge is that once the decision is made to outsource or change providers, the clock starts ticking….fast. It takes real discipline to know when …
Outsourcing Center, Patti Putnicki, Business Writer
It is the era of the 24/7 employee – but no one seems to be complaining. Cloud computing, collaboration convergence and the need for access-on-the-go have driven a surge in mobility technologies. Instead of wanting to “get away from it all,” people want to take it all with them – accessible through the lightweight devices …
Brad L. Peterson, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
If you are an outsourcing customer, outsourcing contracts are like a three-legged stool. Their value depends on what you agree to buy, what you agree to pay and the terms. Although the agreement and the other contract terms are often extensive, outsourcing customers often underestimate, or even overlook, the value in contract terms. Why Focus …
Outsourcing Center, Patti Putnicki, Business Writer
It’s not easy being an independent insurance agent these days. Margins are down, the market is soft and direct sellers are promoting a virtual, ‘click-and-pick’ approach to an industry traditionally built on personal relationships and trust. To increase profitability, these agencies have to run lean, automating as many processes as possible. However, even with the …
Outsourcing Center, Patti Putnicki, Business Writer
If you were ranking the most talked-about topics of the year, Cloud Computing would probably rank pretty high. But, in most cases, that talk hasn’t translated into a groundswell of action. According to a recent Alsbridge eSeminar survey, one of the stumbling blocks appears to be the initial planning – namely creating a viable Cloud …
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