E-Commerce Times Talkback

Re: Is 2008 the Year of the Chief Outsourcing Officer?
Posted by: Erika Morphy 2008-01-02 06:18:16

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2008 may be the year the outsourcing function or process in a business becomes as standardized and mainstream as, say, accounting or human resources. Outsourcing, of course, has been an integral part of the global economy with countless firms handing off to third party providers their contact center operations, payroll, manufacturing and even research and development. These trends have been met with equal parts revulsion and admiration.

Re: Is 2008 the Year of the Chief Outsourcing Officer?
Posted by: Peter_Allen 2008-01-04 14:31:28 In reply to: Erika Morphy

Sourcing success depends on the vision of committed leadership and courage to take a longer-term view. But cost savings pressures cause nearsightedness, with 40% of companies in TPI’s governance benchmark failing to have a corporate-wide body to guide outsourced activities. We think it’s appropriately a “Chief Sourcing Office,” however. The art comes through integrating various delivery organizations into a holistic and seamless utility for business users. Focusing on discrete sourcing chunks, or “Franken-Sourcing” as it is referred to in my blog (www.considerthesourceblog.com), is risky without an architect at the top. Recognition of the Chief Sourcing Officer as an integral corporate function will generate positive externalities, and more partnership-minded, long-term relationships.
-Peter Allen, Partner & Chief Marketing Officer at TPI