When you are in the midst of your everyday life, it’s easy to get caught up in the details and not see the big picture. But when you step away, you get a fresh view point.
Two weeks ago I joined 13,999 other HR professionals from 73 countries to attend the SHRM (Society of Human Resource Managers) annual conference. I had no idea how pervasive outsourcing is to this crucial business process. My epiphany: Outsourcing provides the underpinning of the HR process today worldwide.
For example, a session by Gary Kushner called “The Changing Nature of Work: Five Global Trends… Read the rest
I recently decided to get a puppy, and a poodle seemed like a good, “normal” choice. But I wanted something “new,” not your standard, run-of-the-mill poodle. So I did an online search on hybrid mixes, and some of the names were so appealing! Boxerdoodle (Boxer/Poodle,) Cockapoo (Cocker Spaniel/Poodle,) Jack-A-Poo (Jack Russell Terrier/Poodle,) Labradoodle (Labrador Retriever/Poodle,) and Poogle (Beagle/Poodle,) to name just a few. But after researching some of the breeds, I realized there was not only the obvious poodle overlap but also some subtle differences among them, and I needed to consider all characteristics before selecting the best option for… Read the rest
Ten years ago large multinational HRO buyers wanted to implement the HR solutions in their ERP platforms. They wanted technology for HR transactions and data. Now that the IT is as reliable as a dial tone, HR outsourcing providers can step up to the steeper challenge of today: “CXOs are asking the HR executives to play the role of strategic business partner,” says Maheedharan Thiagarajan, head of solution designs — HR services for Infosys. “Today, HR leaders need to do more than oversee HR transactions.”
How? Maheedharan says HR executives today must have “a laser focus on talent development and… Read the rest
When was the last time you purchased a home? Last year? A few years back? Five, perhaps 10 years ago? Did you hire a realtor, or did you go the whole way through on your own? For most people, domestic and internationally, the decision to purchase a home is one of the single most important and largest financial transactions a person makes and experiences. As a potential home buyer, you have limited knowledge (even within the locale in which you focus your search). At best you have a handful of experiences in the process (and those are usually a few years removed), and you lack access… Read the rest
Ask a handful of experts today, “What is Cloud Computing?” and you will likely elicit a wide and varied range of responses and definitions. For a provider, simplifying their explanation of cloud would cause them to lose a competitive advantage over others in the industry. Making a decision regarding the best option for cloud computing is a complex and perplexing decision due to a number of reasons.
Selecting a cloud computing provider can be a challenging adventure. You must decide why to engage your operations using this type of service, select the business processes and applications to be delivered in the… Read the rest
In recent work with a client and major IT sourcing provider, I discovered how important organization really is! Getting organized to begin a transition with multiple towers is critical to your success, and perhaps more importantly, to reducing transition management efforts.
In this particular case, it was clear the transition planning was aligned by tower rather than for an overall transition effort. The provider, with good intentions, created a transition reporting structure with leads for each tower. The leads in turn created their transition plan, in some cases a Word document rather than a MS Project plan. This would no doubt add challenges to… Read the rest
As the outsourcing service provider landscape continues to shift through mergers and acquisitions, how can buyers construct their contracts to protect what they envision in the relationship despite a change in provider ownership? I spoke with two attorneys, James Nelson and William Russell in the New York office of Venable LLP, who frequently counsel clients on mergers and acquisitions and outsourcing matters, and asked them about insights and best practices to protect the interests of buyers of outsourced services.
Q: Sometimes when a service provider is acquired, some of the service delivery nuances that were in place with the prior… Read the rest
I remember 2003 and 2004 because that’s when most companies I interviewed about outsourcing arrangements started talking in earnest about “taking a partnering approach” to get more value from outsourcing. Since 2006, many have talked about their successes in partnering. But here’s the reality; they were only partial successes.
Partnering helped them get through the transition phase easier and helped them try to resolve challenges in a win-win manner; but when the business situation changed and thus impacted the buyer’s savings or the service provider’s margins, most of them still hit a wall despite the partnering approach.
There were foundational
Procurement outsourcing is maturing. Buyers in the first wave outsourced primarily transactional-rules-based activities, with labor arbitrage in low-cost countries being a key benefit. As those relationships mature, buyers look to their providers to create additional value beyond labor arbitrage. I talked with two Infosys BPO executives, Srikrishna Koneru, Global Sourcing & Procurement Outsourcing-Solution Design Head, and Rajiv Gupta, Geo Business Manager, about procurement/sourcing trends, how Infosys is helping its customers move up stream and capture more value, and about how Infosys’ Joint Innovation Board benefits customers.
Q: How does the value proposition differ in “sourcing support” compared to “procurement,” in… Read the rest
With outsourcing being used for ever-more complex services, there are more variations and risks that could impact intellectual property, particularly when outsourcing product development or research and development (R&D) functions. I spoke with two attorneys, James Nelson and William Russell in the New York office of Venable LLP, who frequently counsel clients on intellectual property and outsourcing matters and asked them to share some insights for buyers of outsourced services in these situations.
Q: There are so many companies that don’t use third-party consultants or attorneys anymore because they have experience in outsourcing and have a center of excellence or… Read the rest
Recent Comments
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