Inside Outsourcing

Inside Outsourcing provides a true insider's knowledge of the realities of managing the outsourcing process. From contracting out to co-sourcing, from partnering to insourcing, the book explains what outsourcing is, what the rationale for outsourcing ought to be, whether an organization ought to be doing it and if so, the practical details of how it should go about it.

Many organizations outsource such activities as property, payroll and computer service as a tactical solution to a particular problem, yet fail to realize the full power of this critical strategic business tool. Inside Outsourcing can change all this with its blueprint for liberating the full potential of an organization's profitability, efficiency, and cost — effective operations, while allowing maximum flexibility for retaining and broadening their customer franchise.

Unlike most more theoretical approaches to outsourcing, this book presents a detailed and practical guide through each step of the process — to identify what a company does more more creatively, more energetically, and more uniquely than the competition, not simply what conventional wisdom says it does best.

Outsourcing requires new management skills — from the disciplined selection process to an understanding of the crucially important elements of culture and corporate chemistry that can make or break a relationship. Inside Outsourcing explains how to adopt a successful approach to managing your organization's outsourcing relationships with a wide variety of international case studies from companies such as CDS, EDS, BAe, GEC, Rolls Royce, Bethlehem Steel, Pharmacia Upjohn, Gillette and Dupont.

• Part I: What is outsourcing?
1. Outsourcing: The Concept
• The market value of outsourcing
• Making businesses more competitive
• Types of outsourcing
• Why do organizations outsource?
• The benefits of outsourcing
• The downside
• The need to manage outsourcing
• Successful outsourcing
2. The growth of strategic sourcing
• The concept of strategic sourcing
• What does the organization do?
• Going back to one's roots
3. Approaches to outsourcing
• Managing service provisions in-house
• Contracting out activities
• Outsourcing the service
• Co-sourcing
• Benefit-based relationships
• Which approach is best for you?
• Part II: Outsourcing in practice
4. Which approach is right for you?
• Preliminary investigations
• Defining the business case
• Conclusion
5. Establishing the context
• The internal analysis and evaluation process
• Research and baseline analysis
• Baseline modeling/benchmarking
• The benchmarking process
6. Planning
• The nature of the plan
• Preparing the plan
• Conclusion
7. Selecting the service
• Two models of selecting the service provider
• The specification of service
• Listing potential candidates
• Evaluating suppliers
• Request for proposals
• Supplier contact
• The contract management team
• Developing the SLA
• Communication
8. Legal aspects of outsourcing
• The memorandum of understanding
• The contract
• Other legal issues
• Conclusion
9. Human resources
• Guidelines for managing human resources
• Transition plan
• Stakeholders
• Focus on the positive
• Conditions and benefits
• Employee resistance
10. Implementation and Monitoring
• The transition to working with the service provider
• The implementation and monitoring process
• Common problems
• Measuring the benefits of outsourcing
• Reletting the contract
• Conclusion
• Appendix: Outsourcing Surveys
• The Shreeveport survey
• The Outsourcing Institute Survey

Interesting opinions, even if they are prejuduced. My first book on the subject.