Discover the Best Outsourcing Strategies and Tactics
I just put a posting on my personal blog about recent press releases, reports and studies of offshore outsourcing. Some predict growth in offshoring for 2007 and others anticipate mergers in the offshoring industry.
My reaction is, “So what?”
This kind of information doesn't help you much when you are looking for a small team of offshore programmers. Do these reports mean you should look for a large “stable” vendor or a small one that will give you the attention you need.
The reports don't say.
Most reports are about outsourcing in general, covering everything from Call Centers to Medical Transcription. Oh yeah, software development is in there somewhere, too. But the reports don't say how to actually go about outsourcing your software development offshore when you are a small company.
Most of this information is free but some reports cost hundreds of dollars to get the details. What's up with that?
Shouldn't this information be free?
It depends on the business model of the information provider. If the information supports the value of the services they offer, then the information should be free.
Even when the information costs money it doesn't necessarily mean it is objective. Sometimes reports are paid for by a sponsoring organization to promote the sponsor's own product or service offering. The publisher is paid by the sponsor to write the report and the money you pay to get a copy is just gravy.
Paying hundreds of dollars for reports seems old fashioned to me.
In contrast, the information on offshore outsourcing from Accelerance is free or offered at a very reasonable and low cost.
For example, suppose you have to decide if outsourcing is right for your company or not. Accelerance offers you a free decision matrix where you enter your ranking and weights for 17 criteria to help you make a good decision. I know of no other tool like it, free or otherwise. It is available for download from the Software without Borders book website and the details are described in the book if you need them.
Why is it free? Because if you are a small company, then there is no way you can afford an expensive consultant to help you decide. And if offshore outsourcing is right for you, then Accelerance services will also be of value to you also.
An objective process to qualify and select an offshore vendor is also discussed in the book. It includes the three S's of Sourcing, Screening and Selecting. Then the three R's of Rates, References and Resumes used in the Selecting step are also described.
By the way, Software without Borders is now available directly from Earthrise Press for a lower price than on Amazon. You get the hard cover book and also an immediate download of the eBook version when you order. See the book website for details.
Software without Borders is still available on Amazon if you need overnight delivery or to have the book sent to physical address other than your own.
You might be thinking, “OK, so I have to buy your book to get this information. I thought you said information should be free!?”
Actually, much of this information is in past issues of Runtime and on the Accelerance blog. The details of the vendor selection process are conveniently compiled in the book, along with many other valuable pointers and advice.
But here is your chance to get this information for free!
Next Tuesday, January 30th you are invited attend a free teleseminar that covers all the topics important to making good decisions about offshore outsourcing of your software development. It's called the Outsourcing Jumpstart TeleSeminar and will be an hour of solid information that you can use to get started with offshoring. You won't need anything but a telephone to attend.
Click here to get the details: http://www.Accelerance.com/teleseminar.htm
This is the first of many free monthly teleseminars offered to new Runtime subscribers. However, even if you are a long-time Runtime subscriber, the teleseminar will be of value and you are welcome to attend.
Also, stay tuned for more details on a new series of teleseminars about how to describe your software for successful offshoring. Accelerance global partners report that 70% of clients don't know how to describe their software accurately. And Runtime subscribers tell me that a combination of lectures and real-world examples from volunteers attending the teleseminars will be the best way for you to discover the most powerful software specification techniques and methods used today.
The “Fast Track to Offshoring Your Software Development” teleseminar series is presently scheduled to begin in the middle of March. Watch for details!
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The Runtime Bottom Line: Most reports, news items and surveys about offshore outsourcing are of limited value to small software companies. Even reports that cost money contain interesting statistics but few tactics to help you make good offshore outsourcing decisions. In contrast, Accelerance delivers valuable information to small companies interested in offshore outsourcing – online, in print and now in live teleseminar format.
Until next time,
Steve Mezak, CEO
Accelerance, Inc.
Risk-Free Outsourcing
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