Outsource Magazine Issue 29 - (Page 113)

THE BACK END INSIDE SOURCE Peering under the blankets of the outsourcing space… The blame game Having watched the escalation earlier this summer of what it’s now apparently mandatory to term “the G4S debacle” with growing disbelief and anger, I thought I would share a few thoughts on the issue with a former colleague of mine who happens to know some of the principals in the whole sorry affair. My perspective was that while nobody comes out of the situation with any dignity – other of course than the soldiers drafted in to get the government out of its hole – the spotlight had been unfairly trained on G4S to the benefit of the government’s procurement “professionals” who should simply have done an immeasurably better job. Not to excuse G4S its failings; but the blame hasn’t been justly apportioned. “But that, my dear, is exactly the point,” my friend condescended. “The policy is increasingly to outsource the blame. Look at Atos: getting paid a fortune to take the flack for implementing an unpopular government policy. And somehow it’s working: the hatred of the mob is all for the suppliers rather than the paymasters.” A day or so later I came across a couple of opinion pieces in the national press making very similar points. And I have to say, I’m inclined to agree. So much of the negative press around outsourcing this summer has revolved around activities which would have been similarly controversial had they been carried out by the government of the day – but the state has dodged bullets extremely successfully by sending them out to the private sector. If this is in fact a primary driver of policy I think it’s disgusting. The government should be outsourcing because it makes sense from a strategic economic perspective, not to sidestep the train of public opinion at a cost to the taxpayer. This is “stupid sourcing” at its very, very worst. A fondled farewell… ‘Leaving drinks’ are often a recipe for exactly the kind of scandal that gets Inside Source all flushed and hot under the collar; emotions run high, blood alcohol levels run higher and behaviours get warped by opportunities for people to say goodbye in ever more (less?) meaningful ways. Such was the case, according to one of my confidential informants, at the departure from his role of a well-known and well-loved member of the business media back in the Spring. My source has it that the strong spirits had been flowing freely for several hours when our gallant anti-hero made his rather unsteady way to perform his ablutions. Watching him go was an admirer of long standing who decided to pick her evenless-steady self up, pursue him and, er, make him an offer he couldn’t refuse. As he emerged from the littlest room he was met by this imposing presence who pushed him into a dark nook – and her tongue into his mouth. Apparently his resistance was less than fervent – which was unfortunate for him as at that point a gentleman made his own way to the bathroom, and spying the two would-be lovers flew into a rage and launched himself savagely at our Romeo. The reason? He just happened to be the husband of our errant Juliet, coincidentally stopping into the bar along with another party… And much fun was had by all… “An espionage organisation is a collector: it collects raw information. That gets processed by a machinery that is supposed to resolve its reliability, and to present a finished product.” – Aldrich Ames www.outsourcemagazine.co.uk ●●● ● 113 http://www.outsourcemagazine.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Outsource Magazine Issue 29

Call Me Maybe?
Optimising Your supplier Portfolio
Application Development Outsourcing
Are You Fat?
The Future of BPO
Digital by Default
The Face of Finance
Procuring Excellence
The Importance of Being Secure
NOA Round-Up
Steering the Flow
Changing Shape
Legal Transformation
Getting to the Real-Life Win-Win
What’s the Point of Outsourcing?
outsourceXplores
Head-to-Head
The Legal View
Top Ten
NelsonHall Round-Up
The Oral Review
Online Round-Up
Inside Source
The Last Word

Outsource Magazine Issue 29

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