Strategy

OPINION: Why Lebanon as a hub for business process outsourcing?

Posted: 09/20/2016 - 21:00
Author: Frederic Chemaly

A couple of years back, I approached a number of legal process outsourcing (LPO) firms - all of the largest and most reputable American and British ones. Many replied; only one expressed interest and took it further. I made a proposal to establish a centre in Beirut, Lebanon, and was hoping it would go further - but it didn’t.

But what if it had? What would have happened?

Asking the right questions

Posted: 09/20/2016 - 02:11
Author: William Hooper

The formation of a good sourcing agreement relies on clear thinking and agreement between the parties on what is to be done, why and how. The market and technology are changing so rapidly that the next agreement is likely to bear little resemblance to the last. How to make sure we ask the right questions and not just the obvious of the suppliers and ourselves?

Your mess for less

In days of old, when suppliers were big, profitable and mostly American, the questions to be asked to define what a customer wanted of a new service addressed aspects such as:

Relationship marketing: is the (out)sourcing of innovation a buyer's dream challenge?

Posted: 09/09/2016 - 02:12
Author: Colin Bidewell

I recently posted on LinkedIn an article relating to the outsourcing of innovation, how large corporates were joining up with entrepreneurs and startups in the fashion, cosmetics and lifestyle sectors to form a 'supply chain of innovation'; and what opportunities and threats this type of relationship pose to an entrepreneur and SME from an agility and independence perspective.

Advisor Roundtable: A Dizzying Pace of Change (Part 1)

Posted: 09/08/2016 - 01:27
Author: Jamie Liddell

Earlier this year, Outsource editor Jamie Liddell had the privilege of chairing a roundtable dinner hosted by Capgemini, and attended by some of the most prominent advisors in the UK outsourcing community. The evening saw a huge variety of topics covered - but took place under Chatham House Rules, meaning that the conversation did not take place "on the record".

Doing more with less

Posted: 09/02/2016 - 19:58
Author: Thom Mead

Several times throughout my career, people have queried of me, “How do you manage to get so much done?” I think there are a few factors, working in concert, that have enabled me to get more done, often with less, and for less. Much of what I have done and done well, I give credit to my mentors throughout my life. Many of them did not know the high regard in which they were held by me, and others. True leaders do not do it for the praise, they do it because it is inherent to their character.

It’s time to communicate the true meaning of ‘robotics’

Posted: 09/02/2016 - 19:55
Author: Neil Kinson

When we talk about ‘robotics’, we are no longer talking about plugging in ‘dumb’ machines to mimic human action. Enterprise process robotics has evolved to a point where it can be integrated into existing systems, talking directly to applications with a built-in understanding of process best practice. However, despite this, perceptions often remain outdated.

OPINION: Was the Delta Air Lines failure linked to outsourcing?

Posted: 08/18/2016 - 23:54
Author: Mark Hillary

Last week, Delta Air Lines faced a technical hitch. On the surface it wasn’t an enormous problem - a power outage at their Atlanta data centre caused a switchgear to fail (like a circuit breaker in your home). However, the backup systems didn’t come online correctly and the failure of this one piece of equipment then caused a complete shutdown of the Delta IT systems globally.

What Brexit might mean for the UK’s relationship with Poland – and its effect on outsourcing

Posted: 08/10/2016 - 02:50
Author: Jaroslaw Czaja

With the United Kingdom set to leave the European Union, the impact on the Polish outsourcing market looks likely to be both positive and negative. The full extent on outsourcing is yet to be determined, but some predictions can be made based on various scenarios.

If Polish talent leaves the UK

Introducing 'Sourcing Architecture': next-generation sourcing and procurement transformation

Posted: 08/05/2016 - 19:52
Author: Sanjay Chadha

Sourcing and procurement (S&P) leaders continue to reference efficiency, effectiveness and continuous improvement of operations as a high priority. Most will admit that continuous optimisation is not a destination, rather a journey that has become increasingly complex. Today, an agile S&P organisation that effectively aligns with the needs of the business is critical to establish. S&P organisations want to embrace accelerated decision-making, improve productivity and spend visibility, and implement tighter controls for supplier performance.

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