Realistically, how long can an outsourcing service provider and its customer go without having a conflict? Though people often compare an outsourcing relationship to a marriage, it’s not the same when it comes to conflicts. For instance, in a marriage where the couple has conflicts over how to manage their money, they can open separate bank accounts. In an outsourcing relationship, the decisions each party makes – or wants to make – impact the other’s wallet; so conflicts are inevitable.
The way the parties handle conflicts can decide a relationship’s fate. Sure, they establish the basics for this at the… Read the rest
Can companies using outsourced cloud solutions shift the blame for security breaches to the outsourcing provider? Who is ultimately responsible for security in the cloud?
This is one of the topics of a recent research study of UK firms by analyst firm Dynamic Market (and commissioned by security provider Sourcefire).
What’s your opinion on this issue? Click below on “Leave a comment” and share your perspective.
Services companies – including finance, HR, and consulting – comprise a fast-growing segment of cloud computing adoption, with 22 percent of these companies with fewer than 1,000 employees reporting they are using or planning to deploy cloud solutions, according to a recent survey.
In addition, 22 percent of the survey participants in companies with 100+ employees reported they plan to use cloud services in the second half of 2010.
These statistics are among several findings in a global survey of 1,500 IT professionals at SMBs.
Look for more outsourcing to occur in the insurance industry. An Ovum research report recently released says insurance companies that don’t take advantage of the benefits of m-commerce technologies will be left behind by their competitors.
Outsourcing is the best strategy for quickly gaining access to these technologies at lower cost and with lower risk as the technologies continue to evolve.
Consumer Health Technologies, Inc. (CHT) today announced the acquisition of MyHealthFunds, Inc. (MHF). MHF is a Denver, Colorado-based consumer directed healthcare services company providing outsourced services for outreach, education, enrollment, business development and fiscal administration to Health Insurance Plans and Third Party Administrators (TPAs).
The acquisition will allow CHT to deliver a complete technology solution coupled with certified and specialized Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services to its CDH client base.
CHT has experienced rapid growth in the last twelve months via a targeted acquisition strategy and organic growth. Read the full press release.
This is the first in a frequently recurring column in Outsourcing Buzz Blog focusing on thought leadership in outsourcing, as seen from the perspectives of two industry leaders with unique views into the workings of how outsourcing deals really get put together – or why they don’t. Insights in this recurring column come from sourcing advisors, Joe Vales and Kerry Ann Vales of Vales Consulting Group and Vales Consulting Lite.
This week I asked Joe and Kerry Ann this question: What should never be underestimated as valuable – but often is – when it comes to outsourcing? Their immediate… Read the rest
In Rome, do as the Romans do! This popular proverb has a strong application as corporations expand across international locations. Most of us are aware of the initial failures that some of the top brands in the world have encountered when they have rushed to penetrate a new geography/country without understanding the local nuances fully.
As an example, the Coca-Cola name in China was first read as “Kekoukela,” meaning “Bite the Wax Tadpole” or “Female Horse Stuffed with Wax,” depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent to “kokoukole” translating into “Happiness in the… Read the rest
Two outsourcing news items grabbed my attention for today’s Pulse list — one deserving of a thumb’s up, and one a thumbs-down rating.
Thumbs Up
Congratulations to Motif, a global BPO service provider now celebrating its tenth anniversary as an outsourcing firm coinciding with the inauguration of its new delivery center in Costa Rica (adding to its global footprint in the USA, the Philippines, India, Singapore, and Australia).
Thumbs Down
An Ecademy blog focuses on what it calls the “Seven Deadly Sins of Outsourcing.” This blogger makes the Outsourcing Pulse List for using a title focused on sensationalism – something not helpful to outsourcing,… Read the rest
“Most outsourcing service providers – no matter their size – believe they differentiate themselves from their competitors and clearly convey the message about what makes them special. But that’s not actually the case, based on feedback from buyers of outsourcing services. Marketing initiatives of most outsourcing service providers often end up just being a case of ‘me too.’”
Add to this phenomenon the fact that most start-up firms and smaller, niche service providers focus all their energies on their business proposition and don’t have a lot of money for marketing to build their brand and convey what makes them special,… Read the rest
In tracking what’s been pulsating through the outsourcing world recently, what rose to the top of my list are a few choice words in quotes that shaped the news and come under the category of “just when I thought it couldn’t get worse” –
- chop shop
- whipped cream and cherry on top
- discrimination
U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Claire McCaskill proposed a Border Security Bill to collect $600 million to fund beefing up security at the U.S.-Mexican border by increasing fees that inevitably will penalize some outsourcing service providers. The proposal seeks to increase fees for H-1B and L-1… Read the rest
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