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Think you know everything you need to know about outsourcing? Find a great vendor, sign on the dotted line, and cross your fingers that all will go smoothly? The authors of a new book, Smarter Outsourcing, say, it's just not that simple. And, they have something to offer you: knowledge they've each acquired from years of doing business in the U.S. and Europe, and arranging and overseeing outsourcing deals. As enterprises increasingly move into the global economy, outsourcing, or "sourcing," as Jean-Louis Bravard and Robert Morgan call it, involves a balance of strategy, executive support, lots of due diligence, subtleties in communication, and more. A outsourcing deal has much in common with a marriage, they say, or even a merger and acquisition activity; a much more effort is required to achieve a good outsourcing partnership than is usually expended.

In this podcast interview, Bravard and Morgan talk about why, and for whom, they wrote their book, "holistic" outsourcing, some of the greatest risks in an outsourcing deal and how to mitigate them, and why smart outsourcing may just be how Western companies can maintain their edge in a global marketplace of increasingly smart, cheap competition. In short, this podcast is a must-hear for senior, enterprise executives going forward into 21st century business.

Resources

More about Smarter Outsourcing from Pearson Publishing

Smarter Outsourcing, on Amazon.com

Bios

Jean-Louis Bravard champions the "sell-side" and is a former investment banker who managed technology for a Wall Street company. He has been a firm advocate of outsourcing since the early 199s. Jean-Louis is a relationship executive for one of the leading outsourcing vendors and has been a catalyst of countless global and regional transactions.

Robert Morgan ounded a specialist outsourcing advisory consultancy more than 10 years ago, which acts for corporations considering outsourcing. It advises boards on how to design flexible strategic approaches, manage the outsourcing process, benchmark and to realize at the very least, the planned benefits of the deal. Robert therefore represents the "buy-side" of the outsourcing deal.

Production Credits

Dana Farver, Executive Producer, Communities Editor-in-Chief
Tom Parish, Audio Producer, Show Host
Kimberly Stone, Web Development Manager
Scott Ebner, Web Developer