Outsourcing

[Heavenlyz]

Regards "spelling" - Thanks for the pedantries but "Outsourc" prefixes both "Outsource" and "Outsourcing". Apologies but I didn't realise this particular search engine required positive wildcards.

I thinked it was EDS who kicked it all off in the mid 90's when they were running the HMRC contract. Funnily enough, the government (who were the customer) agreed that it was sensible to loosen employment regulations in order to lower the costs of the programme. Not that they cared then or now about the legacy that was left, but obviously we do (and if we don't, we're kidding ourselves).

[DS23]

a manufacturing company i worked for in the 90's decided that outsourcing was the key to efficiency (or rather a quick way to cut costs, re-gain eroded margin and recover shareholder confidence).

they decided to outsource some departments (like logistics and warehousing) and all went well.

they decided to centralise departments from a country model to a regional model and all went well and more departments (like payroll) were outsourced.

they then decided to outsource the manufacturing.

in retrospect quite possibly the stupidest idea ever considered. 18 months later the outsourced manufacturer decided to pull out of the business and make other stuff. nobody had considered that they would (or could) do this.

ensue crazy rush to find somebody else who had the facility, skills and desire to make the stuff that the "manufacturing" company was famous for making.

[robnjc]

IT Outsourcing (I assume you mean this rather than general services like security or catering) is used solely as a tool by management to enable them to cut costs at short notice without having to make their own staff redundant.

I've spent the last 15 years contracting or working for various software houses or contracting, & encountered many companies who have outsourced: - helpdesk/desktop support, Operations, and development, onshore and offshore. I've even PM'd the tender process for outsourcing an IT helpdesk.

I can tell you my experience has been uniformly bad - one Ops setup had our server in a different rack to the monitor, and the keyboard on the other side!

But often its not down to the quality of the staff or their system knowledge, frequently they have been TUPE'd over from the client anyway and they know the systems better than the client. Its the engagement models and processes in place that mitigate against effective working, and inadequate (or non-existent) vendor management and conflict resolution procedures.

[NotAllThere]

Pros: short term savings. Cons: long term expense.

[DS23]

I'm sure that this subject has been done to death here, but I'm a newbie to this forum and if I search for "Outsourc" I get diddly.

I'm interested to read informed debate as to the pros and cons of UK IT outsourcing here?

(I nearly said "cons and cons" but that would've given my position away

are you interested in debate about demand or supply?

[Francko]

I'm sure that this subject has been done to death here, but I'm a newbie to this forum and if I search for "Outsourc" I get diddly.

I'm interested to read informed debate as to the pros and cons of UK IT outsourcing here?

(I nearly said "cons and cons" but that would've given my position away

There is no outsourcing and the house prices will continue to grow at double digits until the end of the century.

[realityhack]

what he said...

I tell you what - give me your email address and I'll send some useful information over.

[El_Diablo]

[TheFaQQer]

"Outsourc"

[ferret]

"Outsourc"

Try outsource:
http://forums.contractoruk.com/searc...earchid=383010 (232 results for posts)

Or outsourcing:
http://forums.contractoruk.com/searc...earchid=383012
(452 posts)

Links to searches may not work, can't remember if they do or not but try amending your typo and try again.

[Heavenlyz]

I'm sure that this subject has been done to death here, but I'm a newbie to this forum and if I search for "Outsourc" I get diddly.

I'm interested to read informed debate as to the pros and cons of UK IT outsourcing here?

(I nearly said "cons and cons" but that would've given my position away