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As interest in IT Outsourcing continues
to flourish, many small and midsize enterprises are
reviewing the results of their outsourcing assessments
and will soon be tasked with selecting an outsourcing
solutions provider to that will deliver the anticipated
cost savings and improved services levels over the course
of a long-term relationship. While deciding what to
outsource and when to outsource can be easily achieved
using the results of a thorough outsourcing assessment
as a guide, choosing the right vendor partner can be
a bit more challenging.
First and foremost the vendors to
be included in your selection process should be willing
to earn your trust before earning your business. As
such, the right vendor should be willing to start out
small, perhaps with a small pilot project, as a means
of demonstrating their core capabilities and their willingness
to do what ever it takes to increase and maintain your
level of comfort. A successful pilot project will undoubtedly
result in more work for the outsourcing partner and
more comfort for you the customer.
Those enterprises new to IT Outsourcing
must also consider the factors that have most often
led to the failed outsourcing endeavors that we have
all heard and read about – quality, communication,
culture, and control. Every vendor included in your
evaluation process should be able to present the processes
and methodologies they have implemented to address and
mitigate shortcomings in these areas. Although most
outsourcing firms have attained some level of industry
recognized quality certification, your best bet is to
have them provide a >b>few customer references –
real world problems and real world solutions. Vendors
should also be able to present and demonstrate a sound
onshore/offshore project methodology that begins with
an extensive onsite transfer of knowledge, and continues
forward with the establishment of a single onsite/offsite
point of contact to facilitate daily communication between
your internal project lead and the dedicated offshore
development team. A worthy outsourcing solutions provider
will recognize the cultural gap between their offshore
operations and the US market, and will have undertaken
a significant effort to provide training for customer
facing employees that ventures well beyond mastering
the English language. And finally, the ideal vendor
will offer a very flexible engagement model that will
offer the client varying degrees of project management
and control. Those vendors who are most capable in this
area are fully willing and able to assume total ownership
and control throughout the entire project lifecycle,
as well as partnering for their particular expertise
in any single stage along the way.
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