outsource issue 31 - (Page 88)

Dead and Buried? Some say outsourcing is dead – but for others, it’s become an accepted part of multifaceted business strategies. Should we be talking instead about evolution – or even resurrection? Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess is a leading figure in the sourcing advisory world, and in particular legal transformation. Formerly Consulting Director at Orbys, he has recently joined the leadership team at Source as a Director. T here has been much talk on the wires recently about the alleged “death of outsourcing”. Many of the reasons given are simply to promote someone’s new “outsourcing paradigm”, from which you can assume that it is still outsourcing but with a fancy acronym attached. Other reasons are rather more serious – that outsourcing has “had its day” and is no longer appropriate in an austere world where jobs should be kept on your own shores. I actually believe that outsourcing, as a concept, is dying out not because of its risks and failures, but because of its success. Think about it: over the last ten years, people “did outsourcing”. They had “outsourcing projects” and used “outsourcing advisors”. That was because outsourcing was still a relatively new concept that required focus and specialist skills. But now we have seen outsourcing become part of “business as usual”. This is evident when I speak to CIOs who don’t talk anymore about their “outsourcing strategy” but about their IT strategy, of @christinekane: Outsourcing is one of the best ways to make money. It makes time for your brilliant work. You have to learn to let go of the little things. 88 ● ●● www.outsourcemagazine.co.uk p88-89 andrew burgess APP.indd 88 22/3/13 11:29:00 http://www.outsourcemagazine.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of outsource issue 31

Upwardly Mobile
Keys to Driving Supply Chain Outsourcing Success
Biography of a Carve-Out
Culture and Values
Redefining the Law Firm Delivery Model
Sharing the Glory
Norn Ironman
Breaking the Outsourcing Conundrum
NOA Round-Up
Back from the Summit
Losing the Race Before You Put On Your Trainers
Innovate to Accelerate
Comparing Clouds
People Power
Making an Impact
Home or Away?
Dead and Buried?
So What Now?
The Legal View
Top Ten
NelsonHall Round-Up
Sourcing Sage
Online Round-Up
The Deal Doctor
Inside Source
The Last Word

outsource issue 31