Companies are increasingly asking which of their value chain activities are best performed within their own company and which may be outsourced. In addition, they are also considering which pieces of their value chain may be better performed abroad. These interrelated decisions concerning outsourcing and offshoring have not only changed entire industries, they have also transformed the lives of people across the world. Hundreds of millions of jobs in emerging nations have been the direct result of outsourcing and offshoring decisions. At the same time, many people in the developed world have lost their jobs because a company has been able to find a cheaper alternative. Featuring contributions from scholars in eleven different countries, this book was the first to examine the theory and practice of outsourcing and offshoring simultaneously. It includes studies of a variety of different industries, including pharmaceuticals, automobiles, medical records, appliances, human resource management and telecommunications.

Now in its third edition, this is the only outsourcing and offshoring book to offer a broad but coherent guide to the strategy, operations and management of ITO and BPO outsourcing and offshoring, from how to source new relationships to managing business processes in a national and global context.

This book offers a broad perspective on issues relating to the sourcing of systems and business processes in a national and global context, examining the client's and the vendor's involvement in sourcing relationships by putting the emphasis on the capabilities that each side should develop as a result of their interactions with each other.

Global Outsourcing and Offshoring deals with some of the most fundamental structural and organizational issues facing many companies today. It considers two key strategic decisions, firstly Outsourcing: which activities or functions should be kept in-house versus outsourced; and Offshoring: in which nation is a particular function or operation best performed? These are interrelated and simultaneous decisions that are changing the spatial and organizational configuration of entire industries. The book integrates academic theories from diverse fields, including Economics, Strategy, and Industrial Organization. Contributions are drawn from scholars from 11 nations, who relate theory to practice in the pharmaceutical, automobile, medical records, appliances, human resource management, and telecommunications fields.

Global sourcing is a complex area, and one that managers must get to grips with as business investment in outsourcing continues to climb. This book provides invaluable guidance for the reader, walking them through the fundamentals of global sourcing to very recent trends, including intelligent automation, cloud services and crowdsourcing. Replete with key examples and cases, it allows students and managers alike to relate academic theory to practice, acting as a roadmap to a rapidly evolving field. For the last decade, the authors have studied the full spectrum of activities involved in global sourcing from both client, supplier and advisory viewpoints. Their research has shown that while more firms engage in global sourcing activities, many of them are still struggling to extract value from sourcing relationships. While past research has produced numerous practical frameworks regarding the management of global sourcing of services, little of this insight has been put into practice. This book addresses such shortcomings by exploring the impact of theory on practice. It is important reading for any academic, student or practitioner concerned with global sourcing either from the client or supplier perspective.

"This book discusses the considerations and implications surrounding the outsourcing and offshoring of professional services, such as software development computer-aided design, and healthcare, from multiple global perspectives. This book, offers industry professionals, policymakers, students, and educators with a balance between a broad overview and detailed analysis of offshore outsourcing, would make an invaluable addition to any reference library"--Provided by publisher.

The decision to source software development to an overseas firm (offshoring) is looked at frequently in simple economic terms - it's cheaper, and skilled labor is easier to find. In practice, however, offshoring is fraught with difficulties. As well as the considerable challenge of controlling projects at a distance, there are differences in culture, language, business methods, politics, and many other issues to contend with. Nevertheless, as many firms have discovered, the benefits of getting it right are too great to ignore. This book explains everything you need to know to put offshoring into practice, avoid the pitfalls, and develop effective working relationships. It covers a comprehensive range of the important offshoring issues: from ROI to strategy, from SLA to culture, from country comparisons to provider marketing. Written for CTOs, CIOs, consultants, and other IT executives, this book is also an excellent introduction to sourcing for business students.

This book offers a broad perspective on issues relating to the sourcing of systems and business processes in a national and global context, examining the client's and the vendor's involvement in sourcing relationships by putting the emphasis on the capabilities that each side should develop as a result of their interactions with each other.

Widely practiced by many Fortune 500 companies, global outsourcing has become one of the key strategic imperatives for successful enterprises. Often referred to as offshore outsourcing, services globalization is the next step in the evolution of global trade and capitalism. Top organizations are performing, buying, selling, and transforming services at an incredibly quick pace. Written by outsourcing and global services experts Atul and Avinash Vashistha, The Offshore Nation presents a comprehensive, balanced view of the rapid growth of outsourcing and its expanding role in corporate strategy, providing a roadmap for business leaders and upper-level managers to plan their own strategies. Drawing upon their vast experience as consultants to Fortune 1000, multinational corporations, the authors help you determine what role offshore services should play in your company, how to integrate the strategy into your overall corporate identity, and successfully manage the initiative on an enterprise-wide level. This practical, strategy-packed guide outlines the "big picture" of outsourcing, breaking down its different components and examining its impact on world and local economies and employment shifts. Covering outsourcing in many different countries and a variety of services--from IT, telecom, and customer service to accounting--the authors reveal best practices and step-by-step, proven methods for: Building a sound globalization strategy Identifying the processes that are mature enough to send offshore Choosing the right business model for globalizing IT, back office, and other services Attracting and retaining customers Effectively managing your suppliers Chock-full of valuable insights and tactical advice, The Offshore Nation is the authoritative primer for global outsourcing, helping companies to minimize the risks and maximize their return on investment.