The Challenges of Outsourcing Selling it to the business Selling it to the employee A viable business arrangement Effective knowledge transfer Managing the virtual team

Preparing The Organization for Offshore Partners Be clear about your desired outcomes ($avings, Experience, Independence, IT Expansion…) Identify your target resources (small, medium, large) Identify your desired relationship model (long term or quick fix) Clearly define your budget, project(s), and commitment

Securing an Offshore Arrangement Finding a partner Creating the arrangement Cultural considerations Distance considerations Economic considerations

Metrics That Matter Time to working code Accuracy of estimates Amount of redo/missed requirements Open issues list – growing or shrinking?

Lessons Learned Start with a mature business process On-site liaison role needed to manage the relationship/requirements. Documentation needed to make sign offs visible on scope, requirements, testing. Simplify the architecture required in the solutions Use service level agreements (fixed hours, escalation steps, etc.)

Our Organization Support Roles Enterprise Architect/Systems Director Business Analyst IT Program Manager Procurement and Legal Support IT Security Officer Business contacts/networking groups