Sourcing Strategy and the Project Manager

Recently  I took on a new position in my company to help the IT infrastructure group determine its sourcing strategy. In the beginning, I was a little nervous, because I was not sure how much my PMP® certification would help in this new endeavor. Moreover, I needed to understand the fundamentals in order to contribute to the organization. For example, what does “sourcing” mean? My perception had always been that it meant outsourcing; however, what I discovered, was that sourcing really means the optimal placement of work internal or external to a company to meet its business goals and objectives. A sound sourcing strategy helps assure both the operational and cost effectiveness of the enterprise, which is a huge factor in today’s economy.

Robust sourcing strategies require sound project management skills in order to make informed decisions about work that can stay in-house and work that can be outsourced. More and more project managers will find themselves supporting aspects of their companies’ sourcing strategies. In this article, you will learn the process model, which is similar to the PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT cycle you already know, as well as understand the critical issues you must think about to successfully manage one of these projects.

It is vital to understand not only what your company is planning to source, but also why, …