Smarter Outsourcing – An executive guide to understanding, planning and exploiting successful outsourcing relationships
Authors: Jean Louis Bravard and Robert Morgan
Price: £34.99
Pages: 225
Publisher: Financial Times Prentice Hall
ISBN: 0273705601
Despite the fact that Ross Perot claims to have invented IT outsourcing back in 1962, and that outsourcing programmes are seemingly the daily diet of contemporary executives and employees alike, there hadn’t been a comprehensive handbook written on the topic until this one came along.
Like any business tool – and that is exactly what outsourcing is – used wisely, it can make a significant difference to the fortunes of an organisation. Used badly, it becomes just another discredited management fad, or simply ‘your mess for less’.
So, this is a very welcome and necessary addition to any management library.
The authors, who both have a significant pedigree in the outsourcing business from both the buy and sell sides, have aimed their advice at CEOs. But it is a highly valuable reference source for anyone – particularly HR professionals – involved in initiating an outsourcing strategy programme, managing an implementation or getting a derailed project back on track. It is thorough, clear, easy to read and well-referenced, with practical advice and informative case studies.
Useful? 5 out of 5
Well-written? 5 out of 5
Practical? 5 out of 5
Inspirational? 4 out of 5
Value for money? 4 out of5
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Overall 5 out of 5
Reviewed by Janet Davies, freelance management development consultant and editor of the New Life Network: www.newlifenetwork.co.uk
