Wondering how you can do more for less? You're not alone. According to the Gartner EXP 2003 CIO Agenda survey, IS organizations everywhere are in the third year of relentless cost pressures. All the easy budget cuts were made long ago. The next step is to cut into the muscle - or is it?
There is an alternative. The IT industry is going through one of its periodic upheavals, and this one can actually benefit all CIOs. IT is following manufacturing. The clearest evidence is the arrival of a global supply chain for IS services.
Geosourcing IS is hot because the apparent cost, quality, flexible scale and time-zone advantages appear more compelling than domestic alternatives. But geosourcing comes with cultural, project management, communication, geopolitical and intellectual property risks - not to mention possible backlash from unions and legislators to prevent jobs from leaving the country.
To help you answer the question, Is geosourcing right for you? Gartner EXP researchers interviewed Gartner EXP members active in geosourcing, reviewed Gartner research on offshoring and outsourcing, and held early-findings workshops with members to verify results.
1 Evaluate the benefits and risks
Compared with domestic sourcing, geosourcing offers benefits that increase with your commitment's breadth and depth. But strategic risks increase as well.
2 Choose your partners judiciously
Geosourcing offers more organizational and locational options than domestic sourcing. Each option has different benefits, management overhead costs and risks.
3 Prepare carefully and start smartly
Migrating to geosourcing, and then managing the relationship, present greater management challenges than domestic sourcing because geosourcing puts pressure on your processes and your culture - and introduces new risks.
4 Anticipate backlash
The economics of geosourcing are too compelling to ignore, but the shift from domestic sourcing to geosourcing can be painful - in the short term and the long. If you have decided that geosourcing is right for you, take steps to reduce the negative consequences.
5 Assess your readiness
Some geosourcing is inevitable. Your IS suppliers may do this on your behalf and keep it transparent for you. But the extent and speed of transition are still uncertain. Success depends on your readiness.
Der vollständige Bericht gehört zum Angebot der Gartner Executive Report Serie. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an Gartner .