A Sneak Peek Benchmark? Why Prescreening is a Good Idea

RulersWhile the typical benchmarking clause in an outsourcing agreement provides the opportunity to benchmark the services, many clients find third-party benchmarks to be expensive, disruptive and time-consuming. In addition, the outcome can be unpredictable, as results may just as likely confirm that a vendor’s price is market competitive, and no savings are to be had. Further, third-party benchmarks by their nature pit client against vendor – making them all but impossible to complete – and risk damaging what otherwise might be a good working relationship.

There is a better way. Clients looking to confirm market competitiveness are increasingly relying on… Read the rest

Wipro’s New Head of BPO Shares Insights on Outsourcing in Today’s Economy

Manish Dugar is the new head of Wipro BPO. Dugar takes over at a watershed moment. “The near future features a volatile and dynamic economy. Thanks to technology and scientific advances, geography is history. Now, what happens in one part of the world impacts the whole world,” he observes.

The senior vice president has had a front seat for the growth of offshoring. He was there when it was all about labor arbitrage. His goal: to lead Wipro BPO through the next phase: producing business-based outcomes. Wipro calls this Business Function Outsourcing (BFO). “We are no longer a commodity player,”… Read the rest

How to Ensure Collaboration Instead of Mediocrity in Outsourcing

Win-win approach. Collaborative relationship. These buzz words are tossed out frequently as a hallmark when executives describe their outsourcing relationships.  But the terms are apt to be misused. I’ve had some interesting conversations about winning and collaborating in outsourcing relationships. One executive summarized an event in his company’s relationship this way:

“When we identified the root cause of the issue, we collaborated to determine the solution that would meet our needs and be a win-win.”

Despite the fact that a lot of companies use the buzz words and label this kind of situation as a win-win approach and as collaborating,… Read the rest

So You Want to do Some Outsourcing

Everyone’s doing it. Touting the numbers. Researchers get paid to find the percentages and totals, and writers and analysts get paid to put a spin on them.  But I think that research studies and advice about the outsourcing market often miss the boat.  

For evidence, look no further than a report yesterday (written by CRM Management editors) about the findings in Op2i’s recent Outsourcing 2010 survey.  Here’s their anemic conclusion from their data: 

While interest in outsourcing has increased, focus has yet again shifted to cost reduction, with suppliers pressured to deliver more for less – the U turn

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Part I – Shared Services vs. Outsourcing: A Roundtable Discussion

Shared services centers and outsourcing are both hot with today’s businesses looking to cut costs and increase efficiencies as much as possible. What are the differences between the two models? This is Part I of a three-part roundtable discussion on important perspectives on these popular business models. Part I roundtable participants are Krist Davood, Group CIO of Schiavello; Joseph Soalheira, Advisory Board Member of the Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON) global community; and Peter Barta, CEO of Everest Group Asia Pacific. All three are among many industry experts presenting at the upcoming 13th Annual Australasian Shared ServicesRead the rest

Part II – Shared Services vs. Outsourcing: A Roundtable Discussion

Shared services centers and outsourcing are both hot with today’s businesses looking to cut costs and increase efficiencies as much as possible. What are the differences between the two models? This is Part II of a three-part roundtable discussion on important perspectives on these popular business models. Part II roundtable participants are Krist Davood, Group CIO of Schiavello; Joseph Soalheira, Advisory Board Member of the Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON) global community; Asheesh Mehra, Head of Sales, Infosys BPO Asia Pacific; and Peter Barta, CEO of Everest Group Asia Pacific. All four are among many industry experts presenting atRead the rest

Part III – Shared Services vs. Outsourcing: A Roundtable Discussion

Shared services centers and outsourcing are both hot with today’s businesses looking to cut costs and increase efficiencies as much as possible. What are the differences between the two models? This is Part III of a three-part roundtable discussion on important perspectives on these popular business models. Part III roundtable participants are Krist Davood, Group CIO of Schiavello; Joseph Soalheira, Advisory Board Member of the Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON) global community; Asheesh Mehra, Head of Sales, Infosys BPO Asia Pacific; and Peter Barta, CEO of Everest Group Asia Pacific. All four are among many industry experts presenting atRead the rest

Leadership and Managing through Outsourcing – Interview of Salil Godika, Chief Strategy Officer, MindTree

MindTree was ranked among the fastest-growing technologies companies on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific 2009, recognizing its “customer success through innovation solutions and happy people.” In addition, MindTree’s Executive Chairman and co-founder, Ashok Soota, received the Gold Peacock Award for Technology Leadership from the Institute of Directors. This interview of Salil Godika, MindTree’s Chief Strategy Officer, presents insights on aspects of innovation, leadership, and change management in managing an outsourcing relationship.

In interviewing buyers of outsourcing services, I have spoken with many who claim that their service provider did not achieve the level of innovation the buyer anticipated.Read the rest

Interview with Sand Hill Group’s M.R. Rangaswami on Cloud Computing’s Impact on Outsourcing

M.R. Rangaswami is a recognized software business expert. Prior to co-founding Sand Hill Group (known for its conferences and work in advising and uniting the software and services market) and founding the Corporate Eco-Forum, he held global VP marketing positions at Oracle Corporation, Baan Company, and Avalon Software. In 1997, he was named as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Technology Executives.

In this interview, M.R. shares his insights and opinions on the cloud’s upcoming impact on application development services.

What is driving adoption of cloud-based services?

M.R. Regardless of the hype, confusion, and complexity that seem to surround… Read the rest

What If?

I read a press release the other day about the Chicago area recently launching a public awareness campaign regarding how its 14 museums and zoos contribute to the city and to the state of Illinois. The headline alone caught my attention, as I assumed residents don’t need to be made aware of the benefits of having Picassos, giraffes, planetariums, and dinosaur bones in their midst. Fun, education, culture, even inspiration came to mind as clear benefits.

But in reading further, I learned the zoos and museums also result in more than 26,000 jobs, tax revenue, and about $1 billion annually… Read the rest

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