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Operations Management - Outsourcing 

Directory

Introduction

Definitions	Terms and acronyms
FAQs
The Disciplines of Outsourcing	The Disciplines of Outsourcing are a great way to think about the outsourcing process from end to end.

Outsourcing in Different Contexts

A Customized Approach To Benefits Outsourcing	As the benefits administration outsourcing market matures, so do companies' sourcing strategies. 2004
A Fact-Based Approach to Outsourcing for Product Managers	At some point in your product management career you will be asked to outsource part of your solution. Before you become paralyzed with fear, ask some critical questions.
Beyond transaction processing: is outsourcing right for the financial services industry?	Outsourcing has proved a logical move for banks - at least where 'production line' activities like clearing services are concerned. But can the classic outsourcing model work for core services, too? What are the potential gains - and what are the implications of getting it wrong? pdf-file April 2003
Cashing In on Order-to-Cash Outsourcing	The value of outsourcing the order-to-cash cycle transcends cost reduction by improving working capital. 2004
Credit and Collections Outsourcing Takes Hold	To boost working capital and reduce costs, companies are earmarking receivables processes for transfer to third-party providers. 2005
HR: Managing Manpower	Market Momentum in Managing Manpower. Peter Bendor-Samuel discusses the drivers that are leading more companies towards outsourcing their HR function.
Manufacturing the Future	Manufacturers are increasingly willing to spend money on outsourcing to save money. Old skill sets are disappearing, making the cost of finding the right talent a primary driver in choosing outsourcing. 2003
Offshore Outsourcing	This is no longer an emerging trend—it's a way of life for many IT executives. But what makes the difference between sinking and swimming when you send key projects overseas?
Offshored Manufacturing Brings Inevitable Supply Chain Logistics Changes	When a company decides to send its manufacturing offshore, the greatest shock often surrounds the timely delivery of goods to its customers. Learn how to avoid unpleasant surprises to your supply chain when offshoring. 2006
Outsource IT, Not Value	If you don't analyze your value chain first, you may outsource IT functions that are core to your business or base decisions on the wrong metrics. February 2003
Outsourcing in the insurance industry	Outsourcing is increasingly being used by insurers to improve both cost efficiency and service. In this article, Mark Stephen and Mark Speller explore how the insurance industry is using outsourcers and the pitfalls that exist. Pdf-file 240 KB. 2003
The 3Cs of Successful Outsourcing	Communicate, Collaborate, Capitalize. By Sharing information, Pharma companies can get more out of their relationships with Vendors.
Tips for Outsourcing HR Functions	Lessons from four world-class companies outsourcing some of their HR functions

Miscellaneous Articles and Information

Achieving Success in Business Process Outsourcing and Offshoring	Research by BCG indicates that roughly half of the companies that engage in business-process outsourcing and offshoring will be disappointed. And few of them will know where they went wrong or what to do about it. What are the keys to a successful program? pdf-file 2005
Adaptive Pricing Comes Into Focus	If there's anything harder than deciding what to outsource, it's negotiating a fair price.
Avoiding Supply Chain Shipwrecks: Navigating Outsourcing's Rocky Shoals	Companies that rush overseas in search of low production costs may be walking into a strategic trap,. It's easy to underestimate the hidden costs in long supply chains and their impact on profitability. The authors demonstrate how companies can get a handle on costs by comparing the economics of a typical North American domestic supply chain with those of a supply chain based in China. pdf-file 2005
Balancing the Risks	What do you outsource and where? Or do you outsource at all? The answers depend on how you determine your risk. Three experts from Deloitte Consulting share their secret for assessing and weighing the real risks.
Banking on Outsourcing Alliances	Networks are the new life form in Europe on the outsourcing front - how companies are working together to help both bottom lines.
Beware The Dangers Of Outsourcing	You can outsource many things, but operational risk is yours to keep. Protect yourself and your company with a contract that mitigates the risks
Beyond Expense Reduction: Outsourcing and Business Transformation	Cost savings may still be the entry ticket to IT outsourcing. But HP’s Marc Schwartz says a more compelling reason to outsource is the ability to focus on the core business—and the many strategic advantages that can result. 2005
Business Process Outsourcing Takes Off	Business process outsourcing is reshaping companies in fundamental ways -- and raising new, complex questions that transcend cost savings. 2003
Can this Relationship be Saved?	Article by John K. Halvey and Daniel R. Mummery about the question whether to renegotiate or terminate that aging outsourcing contract
Change is Good	Managing Outsourcing transition to maximize value. Dawn Willis analyzes the role of trust in outsourcing relationships. Pdf-file
Change Management Tools Key to Winning Internal Acceptance:	Your company has decided to add an offshore component to its outsourcing initiative. How do you get your employees to understand and support your decision? Peter Bendor-Samuel offers some change management suggestions to get everyone on board. 2004
Changes In Outsourcing: Higher Visibility, Shorter Contracts	How is outsourcing changing among enterprises? In several surprising ways. A recent Gartner survey of 945 enterprises shows that current expectations are changing but that new best practices are slower in coming. September 2006
Common Problems	An outsourcing lawyer's perspective
Considering all the Costs	Dr. Detmer Straub of Georgia State University discusses weighing many factors in the decision to outsource.
Current Trends in Offshore Outsourcing—An Insider’s Perspective	In this article, David Booth provides two compelling insights into offshore outsourcing trends. These trends should help companies better motivate and retain personnel involved in managing offshore outsourcing and ensure a highquality service experience for all its clients. pdf-file 2006
Developing an Outsourcing Relationship	Advice from an attorney
Don't Export Security	Sure, you can save money by working with an outsourcing vendor in a faraway land. But don't trust the outsourcer to install the right security protections. Follow these best practices to verify that your relationship is cost-effective and safe. 2005
Emerging Business Models in Offshore Outsourcing	Five models exist: global delivery, hybrid, build-operate-transfer, global shared services, and multisourcing. 2004	TOP
Finding Success Offshore: An Interview with Mary Lacity	Outsourcing guru Mary Lacity studied global companies that had succeeded (and failed) in international outsourcing deals. Her insights can give you a jump start on your own strategy. 2005
Five Rules for a Great BPO Agreement	Successful outsourcing of your business processes begins with a clear assessment of what really needs to be done. November 2003
Hands On, Hands Off	To successfully manage outsourcing relationships, you have to focus on the big picture while taking care of the details. Can one person do it all?
Help for Outsourcing	You may find yourself in a situation where your outsourcing process itself -- planning for, procuring, and implementing vendor services -- needs help
In Defense of Outsourcing	This article offers a primer on the economics of outsourcing: the evolving economic meaning of outsourcing, how outsourcing brings economic gains, why it is so deeply implausible that outsourcing is to blame for U.S. economic woes in recent years, and how the controversy over outsourcing reflects some deep structural changes in the U.S. economy. pdf-file 54 KB. 2005
Information Without Borders	When it comes to outsourcing, out-of-site shouldn't mean out-of-mind. January 2004
Inside Out	Businesses look to outsourcing for more and more business processes
Is Outsourcing Research Relevant?	How can we be assured of the relevance of one study as opposed to another? How are we to understand the value of outsourcing research?
Keeping Intellectual Property Under Wraps	Dr. Gene Slowinski of Rutgers University explains the importance of discussing intellectual property issues during contract negotiations.
Offshore-Outsourcing	The current wave of offshore outsourcing includes business processes and administrative tasks. New management skills will be required, too.
Outsourcing Extends Its Reach	The value companies derive from outsourcing is growing almost as quickly as the larger economic forces driving this business strategy are being transformed. Whether you look toward outsourcing partnerships to reduce costs or to achieve strategic objectives, understanding the drivers behind this trend can help you maximize its value.
Outsourcing Is Hot; Don’t Get Burned	With companies outsourcing entire business processes, the author lists the five key questions to ask.
Outsourcing Management	Numerous organizations have entered into outsourcing agreements without fully understanding the potential benefits, risks or contract terms. These organizations have met with varying degrees of success.
Outsourcing Moves up the Ladder	Outsourcing has moved beyond professional and technical jobs and is nipping at the heels of all but the most senior executives. And pressures to move outsourced functions to cheaper locations are escalating. The upside is major cost savings; the downside is the trauma of change.
Outsourcing Relationships Become More Complex	The question has changed from "Should we outsource?" to "How should we outsource?"
Outsourcing Strategically for Competitive Advantage	CAPS Research and A.T. Kearney, Inc. undertook a research study to understand the trends in outsourcing, how outsourcing decisions are made, and most importantly, how companies can be more successful in achieving their goals for outsourcing.
Outsourcing: A Maturing Industry	Peter Bendor-Samuel describes factors that are reshaping the outsourcing industry.
Outsourcing: Method for Scaling Steep Slopes	Learn how the choice of an outsourcing partner is crucial in transforming a company's catch-as-catch-can or by-the-seat-of-your-pants processes to world-class operations.
Outsourcing's New Risks	Today, the greatest risk in outsourcing is to not outsource.
Outstanding Outsourcing Relationships	The Snowball Effect: Characteristics of Outstanding Outsourcing Relationships. Pdf-file
Re-Negotiation of Outsourcing Contracts	The many sides of a Re-Do
Sole Source Outsourcing	As companies look for ways to streamline the outsourcing process, a range of reasons may make sole sourcing a viable, cost- and time-saving option – if applied wisely. Pdf-file
The Build/Buy Battle	Balancing the risks and rewards of information service outsourcing.
The Macro-Economic Case for Outsourcing	The case against outsourcing has a lot of populist appeal. The opponents of outsourcing argue that we are shipping good American jobs to undeserving foreigners. This Economic Viewpoint by Deloitte Research from 2003 takes a decidedly different point of view. Far from destroying jobs, outsourcing or off-shoring even high paying white collar jobs to developing countries will make the US more productive, while raising wages and profitability. Much as the North American Free Trade Agreement created jobs in the 1990s, the coming expansion of outsourcing will have a similar positive effect in this, the first decade of the 21st century. pdf
The Next Bubble?	The inevitable shakeout in the outsourcing industry could leave your offshore operations stranded. February 2004
The Role of Incentives	Peter Bendor-Samuel discusses harnessing the power of outsourcing through incentives
To the Source, Strategically	As the influences driving outsourcing intensify, the pressure on outsourcing relationships also increases. How well a company handles that pressure determines the success of its outsourcing relationships and, ultimately, its success in the marketplace.
What to Do When You Can't Find The Right Supplier	When you can't find a BPO supplier for your process, here are four ways to create one to meet your needs.

The Black Book of Outsourcing : How to Manage the Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities
by Douglas Brown, Scott Wilson
The Black Book of Outsourcing is a comprehensive guide and directory for the emerging field of outsourcing, including expert advice on how to operate an outsourcing program, how to deal with the political aspects of outsourcing, and how to find a career in outsourcing. In this one-of-a-kind resource, outsourcing gurus Douglas Brown and Scott Wilson chart a course for business leaders charged with managing outsourcing initiatives and present a wealth of employment opportunities for workers who want to enter this growing field.

The Outsourcing Handbook: How to Implement a Successful Outsourcing Process
by Mark John Power, Kevin C. Desouza, Carlo Bonifazi, Mark J. Power, Kevin Desouza
The Outsourcing Handbook is a step-by-step guide to the whole outsourcing process. It looks at key factors in the success of a project as well as problem areas and potential pitfalls. It provides an objective, repeatable process that allows organizations to maximize returns on outsourcing investments.

The Offshore Nation : Strategies for Success in Global Outsourcing and Offshoring
by Atul Vashistha, Avinash Vashistha
Seize the competitive advantage of outsourcing with advice from the experts Written by two outsourcing consultants to many Standard Poor's 500 companies, The Offshore Nation offers you guidance on integrating outsourcing into your organization's core goals, maximizing ROI, and minimizing operational risks. The authors also make a case for the globalization of services and offer insights into outsourcing trends worldwide.