Offshore Analysis
byA recently published study says that the IT outsourcing landscape is changing in surprising ways.
A recently published study says that the IT outsourcing landscape is changing in surprising ways.
All too often, outsourcing is equated to offshore outsourcing. But it spans a much broader spectrum and includes any work or service performed by third parties for a company. So let’s look at outsourcing from both sides of the aisle, and explore the trade-offs. In doing so, a framework will be developed that you might find useful in evaluating the extent to which outsourcing is appropriate for your IT organization.
Question: My organization outsources to save money, but it creates communication issues and other problems for my agile team. Can offshoring (outsourcing) work effectively for non-collocated agile groups?
A. | Yes, but success may depend on how far away from your collocated team the outsourced resources are located. |
B. | No. Agile practices stress collocated teams. If you are not based together, there is no way for an agile approach to be effective. |
C. | Yes, but only if the teams switch the locations where they live every six months so that each group learns the language and culture of the other. |
D. | No. Agile was created in the United States, and therefore it is only intended to work for American teams. |
Some studies have indicated that the real benefits of offshore outsourcing can be diminished by issues in communication, skill sets and accountability. But if managed properly, offshore IT projects can reap substantial rewards.
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This article will describe the different components of a governance model for out-tasked development activities. The goal is to describe a framework that can be relatively easily adapted and deployed if needed. In this case, the framework was implemented for IT-related deliveries, but it can potentially be transferred to other business areas.
"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock." - Will Rogers |