subject: Selecting An It Outsourcing Services Company [print this page] When it comes to the vitality and longevity of today's successful outsourcing relationship it is wise to complete your due diligence before selecting an IT outsourcing services company. By setting standards for both parties, you will create a mutually beneficial relationship based on efficiency and trust. The following are considerations for selecting an IT outsourcing services company.
Be informed on both sides. The process of selecting an IT outsourcing services company needs to start at the information gathering phase. When selecting a vendor be sure to understand your vendor's business model. If they cannot convey how their business makes money, how could they possibly build a long-term, winning scenario for you? And if you believe your prospective outsourcing partner doesn't understand your business, then keep looking.
Check your vendor's references. Not the ones they want to give you but the ones they don't want to give you - tell potential vendors you'd like to speak with ex-customers. Review the potential IT outsourcing services company's recent press releases and look at the different stages of their customer relationships: transitioning, steady state or contract term expiration. Instead of asking for three references, ask for the complete customer list and select customers that you believe most closely match your profile.
Look in the mirror - objectively. Consider how your IT department is viewed internally. Is it a department of business-savvy IT professionals who are aligned to the primary objectives of your organization? If it's not, is that what you're looking to find in an outsourcing partner? Do parts of your team function more effectively than others? Understanding what you have is the lion's share of defining what you need.
It's also important to fully understand what your customer - the end user - wants from IT. Is IT viewed positively and as being successful in your company? Is IT a strategic enabler or a necessary evil? The answers to these questions are essential clues to finding the best IT outsourcing services company for your needs, and not simply taking the recommendation of one company.
Turn back to plan ahead. When considering how best to manage your outsourcing services vendor, you should revisit why you decided to, or why you are considering outsourcing in the first place. This primary motivation should then be able to be tracked through all aspects of governance.
Is your primary motivation strategic transformation? Or is it improved quality of service, cost containment, or a combination of the above? With these factors in mind, does your planned or current governance strategy support those objectives?
For example, if your primary motivation is strategic transformation, how are you going to measure the success of that transformation? When are you going to measure it? And what happens if your goals aren't reached? These are all factors that play a role in creating a successful, long-term outsourcing relationship with realistic expectations and well-defined metrics for measurement in place.
