This October, the Future of Sourcing Awards will celebrate seasoned veterans whose thought leadership and innovative work in the sourcing field have made a transformative difference over the course of their career. Below, read about Sourcing Star Finalist Jerry Durant, who established the International Institute for Outsource Management (IIOM) with the sole purpose of developing and supporting the service side of the supply chain.
Sourcing Star Interview: Jerry Durant
Quite by accident. In 1985 a long standing customer approached us to find resources to maintain one of their legacy applications. Through the course of discussion about resource and annual costs we jointly reached the conclusion that finding foreign resources might be a solution. After deliberations, bid proposals, visitations and indepth reviews it was concluded to offshore the application to Calcutta.
Aside from the work which culminated in the formation of the International Institute for Outsource Management we had over 15 years in which we repeated called upon to assist buyers but also we saw an ever increasing interest on the part of suppliers. At first it was to seek out work but we saw this as an uphill endeavor because many suppliers fell short in keeping with foreign buyer expectations. As a result we saw this as an opportunity to evaluate supplier viability, giving them a roadmap for development, develop skills appropriate to dealing in an international and culturally diverse climate, and to bolster brand development in a tangibly meaning way. These goals resulted in some of the things which I mentioned in my accomplishments such as the Outsourcing Management Body of Knowledge (OMBOK), Certification as an Outsource/Offshore Project Manager (COOPM), establishing the Outsource Management Research Center (OMRC) and skill development to address an ever changing international business market. In the latter case we were honored to be chosen as a Research Fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center during the development of the Impact Sourcing Implementation Guide.
This is a very interest question since a number of the advisory firms who were knee deep into critiquing outsourcing have gone on to other more vogue pursuits. The challenge today remains in obtaining business but in order to accomplish this suppliers need to shed traditional efforts in order to develop capabilities while forming durable brand. What was once price driven is now focused on value delivery.
Having been self employed for 35 years my greatest achievement has been survival. This would not have been possible without being on top of global trends and to put them into an appropriate context relative to both strategic direction as well as tactical implementation.
Practical, Adaptable, Honest/Integrity
Goals are achieved through the formation of purposeful value. To accomplish this on an international level we need to fully understand and appreciate cultural differences.
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