August 28, 2008

It is impressive how many companies in mature markets like US do not leverage the potential of outsourcing only due to the fear of communication. In-house IT development seems secure, all settled in one box compared to some distant teams that can be barely managed on phone, email or even video conferences. Yes, too many companies, especially, the small ones have been burned by inefficiencies.

The reality is that IT managers who are actually deciding whether to outsource or stay in-house (with much higher cost) should pay critical attention to the attitude of the outsourcer. Because of the distance and cultural differences - one of the parties [either the client or the outsourcer] – should ensure quality of communication and lead. Without strong leadership and critical questions, emails and telephone are useless causing frustration and misunderstanding. Manager of the outsourcing relationship should clearly understand this.

Outsourcing is not a dump of ephemeral tasks, but is always an effort from both sides. If the client sees that there is no internal resources to manage such outsourcing relationship (this actually requires a lot of experience), then such company should choose the Outsourcer with Proactive Attitude. Specifically, Proactive Attitude will make all the difference.

Tips to Identify Proactive Attitude Outsourcer:

- Never leaves a telephone call without checking his/her gaps in understanding;
- Summarizes what was said or discussed during the conversation;
- Uses humor or other methods to keep conversation dynamics;
- Always follows up with email summaries for tasks, projects and timelines;
- Picks up the phone immediately if the email is not answered on time.