Outsource Magazine Issue 27 - (Page 73)

feature Strategic reviewS Good Reviews Understanding why you’re doing what you’re doing should lie at the heart of any outsourcing project – it might sound obvious, but knowing what you want is crucial to getting it, as David Lewis explains… David Lewis, Carphone Warehouse David Lewis is Vendor Relationship Manager, Group Operations for Carphone Warehouse. He has over 25 years’ experience in IT environments across a number of different disciplines. P eter Drucker is credited with challenging businesses to “do what you do best and outsource the rest” – but is this really all you need to do? Understanding why you want to outsource in the first place is key to ensuring that you finish up with the outcome that is right for you. Most businesses understand what their core business is. They will understand that they are not a company renowned for supporting IT systems, providing HR services, procuring goods not for resale and the like. These will form their non-core businesses and it’s these that are ripe for outsourcing. However, as part of any strategic review, companies will identify that certain areas within the anticipated scope will be more valuable than others, often referred to as the “crown jewels”. In my experience, the crown jewels were seen to be the IT infrastructure (pieces of tin) which supported our ability to sell. Ensuring that you understand what your crown jewels are, is the first step to understanding the overall scope “Strategy must have continuity. It can’t be constantly reinvented.” – Michael Porter www.outsourcemagazine.co.uk 73 ● ● ● http://www.outsourcemagazine.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Outsource Magazine Issue 27

NEWS
PLANET ITO
NORM JUDAH MICROSOFT’S
IN THE KNOW
CALL BRITANNIA
DAVID EVELEIGH
CHAIN GAIN
CAN EVERYTHING BE OUTSOURCED?
NOA ROUND-UP
QUICK CHANGE?
TRANSFORMING FINANCE
CAROLINE STOCKMANN
GOOD REVIEWS
OUTSOURCING IS NOT MAKE VERSUS BUY: IT IS A CONTINUUM
PAYING ATTENTION
POWERING UP YOUR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ENGINE
BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS
HEAD-TO-HEAD
TOP TEN
THE LEGAL VIEW
HFS RESEARCH
HEADLINES...
ONLINE ROUND-UP
INSIDE SOURCE
THE LAST WORD

Outsource Magazine Issue 27