Strategic IT Sourcing: Enabling "Flexible Capacity" through In-House, Offshore and Other Outside Resources
Thu Nov 20, 2003 - Thu Nov 20, 2003
IT organizations increasingly find themselves leveraging a diverse
set of resources, including employees, vendors, contractors, and
offshore outsourcers. Integrating these diverse players into an
effective sourcing model can yield significant flexibility and cost
benefits, but such complexity forces organizations to reconsider
existing roles, processes, and organizations. Senior IT leaders from a
broad range of companies met at Fedexs Memphis campus to
discuss their approaches to the challenges associated with an
integrated sourcing model. Three aspects of that conversation are
summarized below.
Creating an Integrated Sourcing Strategy
Given the far-reaching implications of an offshore outsourcing
strategy, members emphasized the importance of careful planning to
ensure that an integrated sourcing model will support the business
objectives. Two member companies who are developing their
corporate strategy shared their thinking, and the group discussion
that followed explored participants different goals and approaches
to developing a corporate sourcing model.
Practical Challenges of Offshore Outsourcing
Working with an outsourcing partner halfway around the world
creates obvious coordination challenges, but the impact on the IT
organization itself can be equally profound. Three member
companies with significant offshore experience described the
internal and external challenges they have faced and shared their
lessons learned.
Workforce Implications of Integrated Sourcing
Outsourcing a significant portion of an IT organizations activities
requires new approaches to resource management and workforce
development. One member company summarized a comprehensive
approach to resource management and others offered their lessons
learned in managing the long-term workforce implications of
offshore outsourcing.
For further details about this meeting, see the full Meeting Summary referenced below or select from the menu at right.
|
|
