Outsourcing 235890 225838588 2008-07-15T17:12:14Z 76.93.143.84 /* Supplier proposals */ {{globalize}} {{Cleanup|date=October 2006}} '''Outsourcing''' is [[subcontracting]] a process, such as product design or [[manufacturing]], to a [[third-party]] company.<ref name = "ven"> {{cite web | title = Terms and Definitions | work =ventureoutsource.com | url =http://www.ventureoutsource.com/node/18/print | accessdate=2007-10-05 }} </ref> The decision to outsource is often made in the interest of lowering firm [[costs]], redirecting or conserving energy directed at the [[core competence|competencies]] of a particular [[business]], or to make more [[efficient]] use of land, [[Labour (economics)|labor]], [[Capital (economics)|capital]], (information)[[technology]] and [[Resource (economics)|resources]]. Outsourcing became part of the business lexicon during the 1980s. ==Overview== '''Outsourcing''' involves the transfer of the management and/or day-to-day execution of an entire business function to an external service provider.<ref>Overby, S (2007) [http://www.cio.com/article/40380/ABC_An_Introduction_to_Outsourcing ABC: An Introduction to Outsourcing]. CIO.com.</ref> The client organization and the supplier enter into a contractual agreement that defines the transferred services. Under the agreement the supplier acquires the means of production in the form of a transfer of people, assets and other resources from the client. The client agrees to procure the services from the supplier for the term of the contract. Business segments typically outsourced include [[information technology]], [[human resources]], [[facilities management|facilities]], [[real estate]] management, and [[accounting]]. Many companies also outsource [[customer support]] and [[call center]] functions like [[telemarketing]], [[cad drafting]], [[customer service]], [[market research]], [[manufacturing]], [[designing]], [[web development]], [[content writing]], [[ghostwriting]] and [[engineering]]. '''Outsourcing''' and '''[[offshoring]]''' are used interchangeably in public discourse despite important technical differences. Outsourcing involves contracting with a supplier, which may or may not involve some degree of offshoring. Offshoring is the transfer of an organizational function to another country, regardless of whether the work is outsourced or stays within the same corporation/company<ref>Norwood et al (2006) [http://www.napawash.org/Pubs/Off-ShoringJan06.pdf Off-Shoring: An Elusive Phenomenon]. National Academy of Public Administration</ref><ref>Babu, M. (2005) [http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/outsourcing/story/0,10801,105828,00.html?SKC=management-105828 Myth: All Outsourcing Is Offshoring] www.computerworld.com</ref>. With increasing globalization of outsourcing companies, the distinction between outsourcing and offshoring will become less clear over time. This is evident in the increasing presence of Indian outsourcing companies in the US and UK. The globalization of outsourcing operating models has resulted in new terms such as [[nearshoring]], noshoring, and [[rightshoring]] that reflect the changing mix of locations. This is seen in the opening of offices and operations centers by Indian companies in the U.S. and UK.<ref>McCue, A. (2006) [http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39155869,00.htm Indian outsourcers to launch European invasion] www.silicon.com.</ref>.<ref>Gibson (2006) [http://www.eweek.com/article2/0%2C1895%2C1931483%2C00.asp?kc=ewnws022706dtx1k0000599 India 2.0 Aims to Sustain Its Global IT Influence] eWeek</ref> '''Multisourcing''' refers to large (predominantly IT) outsourcing agreements. <ref>(Q4 2006)[http://www.btquarterly.com/?mc=mandatory-multisourcing-discipline&page=ss-viewresearch Mandatory Multisourcing Discipline] Business Trends Quarterly</ref> Multisourcing is a framework to enable different parts of the client business to be sourced from different suppliers. This requires a [[governance]] model that communicates [[strategy]], clearly defines [[responsibility]] and has end-to-end [[integration]].<ref>(2006) [http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/nov2006/gb20061108_738883.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_global+business Mandatory Multisourcing Discipline]</ref> ==Process of outsourcing== ===Deciding to outsource=== The decision to outsource is taken at a strategic level and normally requires board approval. Outsourcing is the [[divestiture]] of a business function involving the transfer of people and the sale of assets to the supplier. The process begins with the client identifying what is to be outsourced and building a business case to justify the decision. Only once a high level business case has been established for the scope of services will a search begin to choose an outsourcing partner. ===Supplier proposals=== A [[Request for Proposal]] (RFP) is issued to the shortlist suppliers requesting a proposal and a price. The suppliers are usually chosen based on location and at the lowest possible cost to the company. ===Supplier competition=== A competition is held where the client marks and scores the supplier proposals. This may involve a number of face-to-face meetings to clarify the client requirements and the supplier response. The suppliers will be qualified out until only a few remain. This is known as ''down select'' in the industry. It is normal to go into the [[due diligence]] stage with two suppliers to maintain the competition. Following due diligence the suppliers submit a "best and final offer" (BAFO) for the client to make the final down select decision to one supplier. It is not unusual for two suppliers to go into competitive negotiations. ===Negotiations=== The negotiations take the original RFP, the supplier proposals, BAFO submissions and convert these into the contractual agreement between the client and the supplier. This stage finalizes the documentation and the final pricing structure. ===Contract finalization=== At the heart of every outsourcing deal is a contractual agreement that defines how the client and the supplier will work together. This is a legally binding document and is core to the [[governance]] of the relationship. There are three significant dates that each party signs up to the contract signature date, the effective date when the contract terms become active and a service commencement date when the supplier will take over the services. ===Transition=== The transition will begin from the effective date and normally run until four months after service commencement date. This is the process for the staff transfer and the take-on of services. ===Transformation=== The transformation is the execution of a set of projects to implement the [[service level agreement]] (SLA), to reduce the [[total cost of ownership]] (TCO) or to implement new services. Emphasis is on 'standardisation' and 'centralisation'. ===Ongoing service delivery=== This is the execution of the agreement and lasts for the term of the contract. ===Termination or renewal=== Near the end of the contract term a decision will be made to terminate or renew the contract. Termination may involve taking back services ([[insourcing]]) or the transfer of services to another supplier. ==Reasons for outsourcing== Organizations that outsource are seeking to realize benefits or address the following issues: <ref>Gareiss, R (2002, 18 Nov) [ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/services/spotlight/info/info_week.pdf ''Analyzing The Outsourcers'']. Information Week.</ref><ref>Drezner, D.W. (2004) [http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20040501faessay83301/daniel-w-drezner/the-outsourcing-bogeyman.html The Outsourcing Bogeyman] www.foreignaffairs.org</ref><ref>Engardio, P. (2006) [http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/nov2006/gb20061108_738883.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_global+business Outsourcing: Job Killer or Innovation Boost?] Business Week</ref> *'''Cost savings'''. The lowering of the overall cost of the service to the business. This will involve reducing the scope, defining quality levels, re-pricing, re-negotiation, cost re-structuring. Access to lower cost economies through offshoring called "labor arbitrage" generated by the wage gap between industrialized and developing nations.<ref>Engardio, P. & Arndt, M. & Foust, D. (2006) [http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/nov2006/gb20061108_738883.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_global+business The Future Of Outsourcing] Business Week</ref> *'''Cost restructuring'''. [[Operating leverage]] is a measure that compares fixed costs to variable costs. Outsourcing changes the balance of this ratio by offering a move from variable to fixed cost and also by making variable costs more predictable. *'''Improve quality'''. Achieve a step change in quality through contracting out the service with a new service level agreement. *'''Knowledge'''. Access to intellectual property and wider experience and knowledge.<ref>Engardio, P. & Kripalani, M. (2006) [http://www.nasscom.in/Nasscom/templates/NormalPage.aspx?id=44614 The Rise Of India] Business Week</ref> *'''Contract'''. Services will be provided to a legally binding contract with financial penalties and legal redress. This is not the case with internal services.<ref>Rothman, J. (2003) [http://www.computerworld.com/developmenttopics/development/story/0,10801,84847,00.html 11 Steps to Successful Outsourcing: A Contrarian's View] www.computerworld.com</ref> *'''Operational expertise'''. Access to operational best practice that would be too difficult or time consuming to develop in-house. *'''Staffing issues'''. Access to a larger talent pool and a sustainable source of skills. *'''Capacity management'''. An improved method of capacity management of services and technology where the risk in providing the excess capacity is borne by the supplier. *'''Catalyst for change'''. An organization can use an outsourcing agreement as a catalyst for major step change that can not be achieved alone. The outsourcer becomes a [[Change agent]] in the process. *'''Reduce time to market'''. The acceleration of the development or production of a product through the additional capability brought by the supplier. *'''Commodification'''. The trend of standardizing business processes, IT Services and application services enabling businesses to intelligently buy at the right price. Allows a wide range of businesses access to services previously only available to large corporations. *'''Risk management'''. An approach to [[risk management]] for some types of risks is to partner with an outsourcer who is better able to provide the mitigation.<ref>Roehrig, P (2006) [http://www.btquarterly.com/?mc=bet-governance&page=ss-viewresearch Bet On Governance To Manage Outsourcing Risk]. Business Trends Quarterly</ref> *'''Time zone'''. A sequential task can be done during normal day shift in different time zones - to make it seamlessly available 24x7. Same/similar can be done on a longer term between earth's hemispheres of summer/winter. *'''Customer Pressure'''. Customers may see benefits in dealing with your company, but are not happy with the performance of certain elements of the business, which they may not see a solution to except through outsourcing. *'''Focus and core Competency'''. - Organization would be free to focus on their core business achieving much required competence, leaving non core responsibilities to the outside party. ==Criticisms of outsourcing== ===Public opinion=== There is a strong public opinion regarding outsourcing (especially when combined with [[offshoring]]) that outsourcing damages a local labor market. Outsourcing is the transfer of the delivery of services which affects both jobs and individuals. It is difficult to dispute that outsourcing has a detrimental effect on individuals who face job disruption and employment insecurity; however, its supporters believe that outsourcing should bring down prices, providing greater economic benefit to all. There are legal protections in the [[European Union]] regulations called the [[Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE)|Transfer of Undertakings]] (Protection of Employment). Labor laws in the [[United States]] are not as protective as those in the European Union. A study has attempted to show that public controversies about outsourcing in the U.S. have much more to do with class and ethnic tensions within the U.S. itself, than with actual impacts of outsourcing. <ref>Ganesh, S. (2007). [http://emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do?contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=1593262&history=false '' Outsourcing as Symptomatic. Class visibility and ethnic scapegoating in the US IT sector.'']. Journal of Communication Management, 11.1: 71-83.</ref> ===Against shareholder views=== For a publicly listed company it is the responsibility of the board to run the business for the [[shareholders]]. This means taking into consideration the views of the shareholders. Shareholders may be interested in [[return on investment]] and/or [[social responsibility]]. The board may decide that outsourcing is an appropriate strategy for the business. Shareholders have a responsibility to make their views known to the board of directors if they are against outsourcing. ===Failure to realize business value=== The main business criticism of outsourcing is that it fails to realize the [[business value]] that the outsourcer promised the client. ===Language skills=== In the area of call centers end-user-experience is deemed to be of lower quality when a service is outsourced. This is exacerbated when outsourcing is combined with off-shoring to regions where the first language and culture are different. The questionable quality is particularly evident when call centers that service the public are outsourced and offshored. There are a number of the public who find the [[linguistics]] features such as [[accents]], word use and phraseology different which may make [[call center]] agents difficult to understand. The visual clues that are present in [[face-to-face]] encounters are missing from the call center interactions and this also may lead to misunderstandings and difficulties.<ref> Alster, N (2005) [http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/4390954/c_2984406/?f=archives Customer Disservice.] www.CFO.com.</ref> ===Social responsibility=== Some argue that the outsourcing of jobs (particularly off-shore) exploits the lower paid workers. A contrary view is that more people are employed and benefit from paid work. ===Quality of service=== Quality of service is measured through a [[service level agreement]] (SLA) in the outsourcing contract. In poorly defined contracts there is no measure of quality or SLA defined. Even when an SLA exists it may not be to the same level as previously enjoyed. This may be due to the process of implementing proper objective measurement and reporting which is being done for the first time. It may also be lower quality through design to match the lower price. There are a number of [[Stakeholder (corporate)|stakeholders]] who are affected and there is no single view of quality. The [[CEO]] may view the lower quality acceptable to meet the business needs at the right price. The retained management team may view quality as slipping compared to what they previously achieved. The end consumer of the service may also receive a change in service that is within agreed SLAs but is still perceived as inadequate. The supplier may view quality in purely meeting the defined SLAs regardless of perception or ability to do better. Quality in terms of end-user-experience is best measured through [[customer satisfaction questionnaires]] which are professionally designed to capture an unbiased view of quality. Surveys can be one of research<ref>Maddock, B. & Warren, C. & Worsley A. (2005) [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1747-0080.2005.00008.x Survey of canteens and food services in Victorian schools]</ref>. This allows quality to be tracked over time and also for corrective action to be identified and taken. ===Staff turnover=== The staff turnover of employee who originally transferred to the outsourcer is a concern for many companies. Turnover is higher under an outsourcer and key company skills may be lost with retention outside of the control of the company. In outsourcing offshore there is an issue of staff turnover in the outsourcer companies call centers. It is quite normal for such companies to replace its entire workforce each year in a call center.<ref>Kobayashi-Hillary, M. (2007) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6944583.stm India faces battle for outsourcing] news.bbc.co.uk</ref> This inhibits the build-up of employee knowledge and keeps quality at a low level. ===Company knowledge=== Outsourcing could lead to communication problems with transferred employees. For example before transfer staff have access to broadcast company [[e-mail]] informing them of new products, procedures etc. Once in the outsourcing organization the same access may not be available. Also to reduce costs, some outsource employees may not have access to e-mail, but any information which is new is delivered in team meetings. ===Qualifications of outsourcers=== The outsourcer may replace staff with less qualified people or with people with different non-equivalent qualifications.<ref>Stein, R (2005) [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12392-2005Apr23.html Hospital Services Performed Overseas]. www.washingtonpost.com</ref> In the [[engineering]] discipline there has been a debate about the number of engineers being produced by the major economies of the United States, India and China. The argument centers around the definition of an engineering graduate and also disputed numbers. The closest comparable numbers of annual gradates of four-year degrees are United States (137,437) India (112,000) and China (351,537). <ref>Wadhwa, V (2005) [http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/dec2005/sb20051212_623922.htm About That Engineering Gap]. www.businessweek.com</ref><ref>Gereffi, G. & Wadhwa, V. [http://memp.pratt.duke.edu/outsourcing/ Framing the Engineering Outsourcing Debate: Placing the United States on a Level Playing Field with China and India.] Duke University.</ref> ===Work, labour, and economy=== ====Net labour movements==== ====Productivity==== Offshore outsourcing for the purpose of saving cost can often have a negative influence on the real productivity of a company. Rather than investing in technology to improve productivity, companies gain non-real productivity by hiring fewer people locally and outsourcing work to less productive facilities offshore that appear to be more productive simply because the workers are paid less. Sometimes, this can lead to strange contradictions where workers in a third world country using hand tools can appear to be more productive than a U.S. worker using advanced computer controlled machine tools, simply because their salary appears to be less in terms of U.S. dollars. In contrast, increases in real productivity are the result of more productive tools or methods of operating that make it possible for a worker to do more work. Non-real productivity gains are the result of shifting work to lower paid workers, often without regards to real productivity. The net result of choosing non-real over real productivity gain is that the company falls behind and obsoletes itself overtime rather than making real investments in productivity. ====Standpoint of labor==== From the standpoint of labor within countries on the negative end of outsourcing this may represent a new threat, contributing to rampant worker insecurity, and reflective of the general process of [[globalization]] (see [[Paul Krugman|Krugman, Paul]] (2006). "Feeling No Pain." ''New York Times'', [[March 6]], [[2006]]). While the "outsourcing" process may provide benefits to less developed countries or global society as a whole, in some form and to some degree - include rising wages or increasing standards of living - these benefits are not secure. Further, the term outsourcing is also used to describe a process by which an internal department, equipment as well as personnel, is sold to a service provider, who may retain the workforce on worse conditions or discharge them in the short term. The affected workers thus often feel they are being "sold down the river." =====The U.S.===== 'Outsourcing' became a popular political issue in the United States during the [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004 U.S. presidential election]]. The political debate centered on outsourcing's consequences for the domestic U.S. workforce. [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] U.S. presidential candidate [[John Kerry]] criticized U.S. firms that outsource jobs abroad or that incorporate overseas in tax havens to avoid paying their fair share of U.S. [[tax]]es during his 2004 campaign, calling such firms "[[Benedict Arnold]] corporations". Criticism of outsourcing, from the perspective of [[U.S. citizen]]s, by-and-large, revolves around the costs associated with transferring control of the labor process to an external entity in another country. A [[Zogby]] International poll conducted in August 2004 found that 71% of American voters believed that “outsourcing jobs overseas” hurt the economy while another 62% believed that the U.S. government should impose some legislative action against companies that transfer domestic jobs overseas, possibly in the form of increased taxes on companies that outsource.<ref>Zogby International survey results online at [http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=870 zogby.com]</ref> One given rationale is the extremely high corporate income tax rate in the U.S. relative to other OECD nations <ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_comment/comment-rugy041802.asp Veronique de Rugy on Corporate Flight & Taxes on NRO Financial<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/1466.html The Tax Foundation - U.S. Lagging Behind OECD Corporate Tax Trends<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ODZjNjI4ZTNjZmNiOGMxYjAwOTg1ZGI0NmFiOWFjZjI= John Tamny on Hillary Clinton Economics on NRO Financial<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, and the peculiar practice of taxing revenues earned outside of U.S. jurisdiction, a very uncommon practice. It is argued that lowering the corporate income tax and ending the double-taxation of foreign-derived revenue (taxed once in the nation where the revenue was raised, and once from the U.S.) will alleviate corporate outsourcing and make the U.S. more attractive to foreign companies. [[Sarbanes-Oxley]] has also been cited as a factor for corporate flight from U.S. jurisdiction. Policy solutions to outsourcing are also criticized. ===Security=== Before outsourcing an organization is responsible for the actions of all their staff and liable for their actions. When these same people are transferred to an outsourcer they may not change desk but their legal status has changed. They no-longer are directly employed or responsible to the organization. This causes legal, security and compliance issues that need to be addressed through the contract between the client and the suppliers. This is one of the most complex areas of outsourcing and requires a specialist third party adviser. ===Fraud=== Fraud is a specific security issue that is criminal activity whether it is by employees or the supplier staff. However, it can be disputed that the fraud is more likely when outsourcers are involved, for example about the credit card theft when there is scope for fraud by credit card cloning. In April 2005, a high-profile case involving the theft of $350,000 from four [[Citibank]] customers occurred when call center workers acquired the passwords to customer accounts and transferred the money to their own accounts opened under fictitious names. Citibank did not find out about the problem until the American customers noticed discrepancies with their accounts and notified the bank.<ref>Ribeiro, J (2005) [http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/04/07/HNcitibankfraud_1.html Indian call center workers charged with Citibank fraud]. www.infoworld.com</ref>. ==See also== {{top}} * [[Business process outsourcing in India]] * [[Business process outsourcing in the Philippines]] * [[Business process outsourcing]] * [[Comparative advantage]] * [[Compromise agreement]] * [[Co-sourcing]] * [[Crowdsourcing]] * [[Farmshoring]] * [[Homeshoring]] * [[Hot desking]] * [[Hotelling (office)|Hotelling]] * [[Information technology consulting]] * [[Insourcing]] * [[Knowledge process outsourcing]] (KPO) {{mid}} * [[Engineering process outsourcing]] (EPO) * [[Legal outsourcing|Legal process outsourcing]] (LPO) * [[List of management topics]] * [[Nearshoring]] * [[Offshore software development]] * [[Offshoring IT Services]] * [[Offshoring]] * [[Recruitment Process Outsourcing]] (RPO) * [[Service level agreement]] * [[Small office]] * [[Supply Chain Management]] * [[Supply chain]] * [[Telecentre]] * [[Telecommuting]] * [[Vertical integration]] * [[Programmers Guild]] {{bottom}} ==References== {{reflist|1}} ==Further reading== *Bharat Vagadia, "Outsourcing to India: A Legal Handbook", August 2007, Springer, ISBN 978-3-540-72219-9 * Mario Lewis, [[IT Application Service Offshoring]]: An Insider's Guide, Sage Publications, 2006, ISBN-10: 0761935258 ISBN-13: 978-0761935254 * Ganesh, S. 2007. "Outsourcing as Symptomatic: Class visibility and ethnic scapegoating in the US IT Sector." Journal of Communication Management. 11.1: 71-83. * Tim R. Holcomb, Michael A. Hitt. 2007. "Toward a model of strategic outsourcing". Journal of Operations Management, volume 25, issue 2: pp. 464-481 * Thomas Kern, Leslie P. Willcocks: ''„The Relationship Advantage“'' Oxford University Press 2002, ISBN 0199241929 * Thomas Kern, Leslie P. Willcocks, Mary C. Lacity: ''„Netsourcing “'' Prentice Hall PTR 2002, ISBN 0130923559 * Peter Bendor-Samuel (author), ''Turning Lead Into Gold: The Demystification of Outsourcing'' (2000), ISBN 1-890009-87-3 * A.D. Bardhan and C. Kroll, [http://repositories.cdlib.org/iber/fcreue/reports/1103/ The New Wave of Outsourcing] (2003). * Peter Brudenall (editor), ''Technology and Offshore Outsourcing Strategies'' (2005), ISBN 1-4039-4619-1 * Lou Dobbs, ''Exporting America Why Corporate Greed is Shipping American Jobs Overseas'', 2004 ISBN 0-446-57744-8 *Christopher M. England, ''Outsourcing the American Dream'', October 2001, Writer's Club Press, ISBN 0-595-20148-2 * Georg Erber, Aida Sayed-Ahmed, '' Offshore Outsourcing - A Global Shift in the Present IT Industry '', in: Intereconomics, Volume 40, Number 2, March 2005, S. 100 - 112, [http://springerlink.com/(cjss10jclc5nzv55zy21zmqt)/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,5,6;journal,8,9;linkingpublicationresults,1:113472,1] * Gary Gereffi and Vivek Wadhwa, [http://memp.pratt.duke.edu/outsourcing/ Framing the Engineering Outsourcing Debate: Placing the United States on a Level Playing Field with India and China] (2006). * Thomas L. Friedman, ''[[The World is Flat]]: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century'' 2005 ISBN 0-374-29288-4 * Ron Hira and Anirl Hira, with forward by [[Lou Dobbs]] ''Outsourcing America, What's Behind our national crisis and how we can reclaim American Jobs '' 2005 ISBN 0-8144-0868-0 * [[Mark Kobayashi-Hillary]]. 2004. (2nd ed 2005) ''Outsourcing to India.'' ISBN 3-540-23943-X. * Mark Kobayashi-Hillary, 'Building a Future with BRICs: The Next Decade for Offshoring' (Nov 2007). ISBN 978-3-540-46453-2. * Mark Kobayashi-Hillary & Dr Richard Sykes, 'Global Services: Moving to a Level Playing Field' (May 2007). ISBN 978-1-902505-83-1. * William Lazonick, ''Globalization of the ICT Labor Force'', in: The Oxford Handbook on ICTs, eds. Claudio Ciborra, Robin Mansell, Danny Quah, Roger Solverstone, Oxford University Press, (forthcoming) * Baziotopoulos A. Leonidas (2006), "Logistics Innovation and Transportation", Work-in-Progress Conference paper, EuroCHRIE Thessaloniki, 2006. * Catherine Mann, ''Accelerating the Globalization of America: The Role for Information Technology'', Institute for International Economics, Washington D.C., June 2006, [http://bookstore.iie.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=3900], ISBN paper 0-88132-390-X *Stephen Haag, Maeve Cummings, Donald J. McCubbrey, Alain Pinsonneault, Richard Donovan "Management Information Systems For The Information Age", 2006, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, ISBN 0-07-095569-7 * National Academy of Public Administration. (2006). "Off-Shoring: An Elusive Phenomenon". Report for the U.S. Congress and the Bureau of Economic Analysis: Washington. * McDonald, SM and Jacobs, TJ (2005) [http://www.inderscience.com/storage/f531181271064912.pdf Brand Name ‘India’: The Rise of Outsourcing,] Int. J. Management Practice, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp.152-174. * Toledo, Mario, Outsourcing and Offshoring: Companies immerged in a complex environment, Institute of Technology and Innovation Management Project Work, Hamburg University of Technology. * Peter Wiggers, Maritha de Boer-de Wit, and Henk Kok, "IT Performance Management", 2003, ISBN 0750659262 ==External links== {{linkfarm}} ===Industry bodies=== *[http://www.noa.co.uk/ The National Outsourcing Association] The outsourcing trade association advocating best practice in the industry. *[http://www.sharedservicesnetwork.com Shared Services & Outsourcing Network] *[http://www.outsourcingprofessional.org International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP)] <!-- No advertising in this section please! That means: Articles about outsourcing: YES. Links to outsourcing companies or providers: NO! --> ===Journals and publications=== *[http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=3282216&story_id=9546338 economist.com] *[http://www.outsourcemagazine.co.uk/ Outsource Magazine] *[http://btquarterly.com?page=ss-research Business Trends Quarterly (BTQ) - Strategic Sourcing Section] *[http://www.zdnet.co.uk/toolkits/outsourcing/0,1000002075,,00.htm zdNET Outsourcing Toolkit] ===Articles=== *[http://www.byuilmr.org/media/articles/winter2007/BookReview.pdf Identifying, understanding and resolving legal and operational issues in outsourcing] *[http://www.smartchinasourcing.com/outsourcing-to-china/setting-up-china-sourcing-office.html Outsourcing to China] *[http://home.hccnet.nl/jgm.boersen/paper/outsourcing.html Nearshore outsourcing is more cost efficient than offshore outsourcing] - by H.J.M. Boersen, W.G. van Gils and M. Zantinge * [http://www.freetrade.org/node/104 Free Trade Bulletin no. 10. Why We Have Nothing to Fear from Foreign Outsourcing] *[http://www.petrosmichaelides.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=27 Reasons Leading to the Ineffectiveness of Information Systems Outsourcing in Minimising Costs] - by Petros Michaelides (2006) *[http://www.btquarterly.com/?mc=chindia-sweeps-sourcing&page=ss-viewresearch Chindia Sweeps the Sourcing Space] - by Partha Iyengar and James Popkin (Q2 2007) * [http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2118489.cms At Mysore We are Running a US Law Firm by Shelley Singh (Economic Times)] * [http://www.business-standard.com/iceworld/storypage.php?leftnm=lmnu9&subLeft=2&autono=293702&tab=r Fortune 500 firms driving LPO industry by Praveen Bose (Business Standard)] * [http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/06/16/stories/2007061603480400.htm U.S. corporates outsource legal work to India by Anjali Prayag (The Hindu Business Line)] * [http://www.lexpert.ca/globe/article.php?id=1109 New York Firm Takes On India... "Very Nice!" by Heather Greenwood Davis (The Globe and Mail -- Lexpert Magazine)] *[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Infotech/ITeS/LPOs_to_add_more_punch_to_India_action/articleshow/2145677.cms LPOs add more punch to India action by Sushmita Mohapatra & P P Thimmaya (The Economic Times)] * [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007070350050400.htm&date=2007/07/03/&prd=edu& Now, for some LPO action by Sachin Malhan (The Hindu)] * [http://www.qulix.com/Article_-_Making_Decision_Outsource.html Making a Decision to Outsource: Driving Factors] ===Videos=== *[http://www.freetrade.org/events/calendar04.html Trade and the Future of American Workers] *[http://money.cnn.com/video/#/video/fortune/2007/10/18/csuite.lenovo.world.sourcing.fortune Difference between Outsourcing and Worldsourcing] {{Trade}} [[Category:Business terms]] [[Category:International economics]] [[Category:Management]] [[Category:Offshoring]] [[Category:Outsourcing]] [[Category:Telecommuting]] [[bn:আউটসোর্সিং]] [[be-x-old:Аўтсорсынґ]] [[br:Outsourcing]] [[bg:Износ на производство]] [[cs:Outsourcing]] [[da:Outsourcing]] [[de:Outsourcing]] [[es:Subcontratación]] [[eo:Outsourcing]] [[fa:برون‌سپاری]] [[fr:Externalisation]] [[id:Alih daya]] [[is:Útvistun]] [[it:Outsourcing]] [[he:מיקור חוץ]] [[lt:IT outsourcing'as]] [[nl:Uitbesteding]] [[ja:アウトソーシング]] [[no:Outsourcing]] [[pl:Outsourcing]] [[pt:Outsourcing]] [[ro:Outsourcing]] [[ru:Аутсорсинг]] [[sk:Outsourcing]] [[fi:Ulkoistaminen]] [[sv:Outsourcing]] [[vi:Thuê ngoài]] [[tr:Dış kaynak kullanımı]] [[uk:Аутсорсинг]] [[zh:外判]]