| The experiences of the technology companies in the | | | | everyone involved and setting-up formal processes for |
| last few years who failed to navigate the rapid | | | | handling sensitive information are keys to eliminate |
| changes brought about in their marketplace by | | | | risks surrounding privacy. Learn to politely say 'No' few |
| disruptive flattening forces may be a warning to all the | | | | times a day if asked for information that you are not |
| businesses, institutions that are now facing these | | | | comfortable divulging.Overhead |
| inevitable, even predictable, changes but lack the | | | | Geographically India is farthest from us, twelve time |
| leadership, flexibility, and imagination to adapt - not | | | | zones away. When we are looking forward to a good |
| because they are not smart or aware, but because | | | | start on any day they are tired of that day and simply |
| the speed of change is simply overwhelming them.The | | | | retiring and vice-versa. When you find out something |
| Internet now makes this whole world like one | | | | important during middle of the day here, they are |
| marketplace. This infrastructure is not only going to | | | | probably dreaming about your finding (its middle of the |
| facilitate sourcing of work to the best price, best | | | | night there) or having nightmares. You may have to |
| quality, from the best place, it is also going to enable a | | | | wait to share it with the team in India.If they have a |
| great amount of sharing of practices and knowledge, | | | | question on your specification, you would prefer they |
| and it's going to be 'I can learn from you and you can | | | | send you an email instead of calling you when you are |
| learn from me' like never before. It's very good for the | | | | fast asleep. We all loose some time and productivity |
| world. And India has emerged as back office hub for | | | | due to this overhead.Face-to-face meetings are |
| all kinds of services for the world.Two thirds of | | | | sometimes required to build team dynamics, but a |
| Fortune 500 companies have setup offices in India for | | | | daunting 20-hour flight followed by 5-day jetlag is |
| this reason. Most think of its 300 million-strong | | | | definitely overhead. Best is to entrust them with |
| well-educated and ready-to-spend-more middleclass | | | | responsibility and never micromanage.Honesty |
| as an opportunity of our times. It's a market to capture, | | | | When you say a simple word 'couple' you mean |
| and a talent pool to tap into. Big multinationals are | | | | exactly two, in India it's open to interpretations. When |
| moving forward in that direction and it gives them a | | | | someone says a couple of our engineers are working |
| competitive edge. A competitive edge you wish you | | | | on your problem it means some, it could be 2 or 3 or |
| had.Well, it's finally time to compete with the global | | | | more. When you hire someone on hourly basis, it is |
| leaders. Time has come for every business to benefit | | | | hard to validate the number of hours or number of |
| from a new trend in global economy. Partnering with | | | | consultants they bill you for. A company can claim that |
| India. The global economy is going to drive more | | | | researchers on their team have PhD degrees, you will |
| integration (of India into it) and integration is going to | | | | never know where from and how many really know |
| drive the global economy.PROFITS: | | | | about their company's claim. Some small businesses in |
| Let's begin with why it makes sense to work with | | | | India will have their employees fabricate qualifications, |
| India:Quality | | | | numbers or experience when asked by client. An art |
| It used to be that work would go wherever cheapest | | | | mastered by Enron.It is highly recommended to select |
| labor is available. That is not the case with India. Sure, | | | | a proven partner and check references from past |
| it's cheaper than here but not the cheapest. More and | | | | clients. Getting agreements reviewed by a local |
| more work is going to India because it provides good | | | | attorney, and alerting concerned parties on |
| quality services at competitive rates. Thanks to the | | | | non-compliance as soon as they occur reduce risk of |
| dot-com-bust, more and more companies in India are | | | | failure.Quality |
| learning that quality brings return business. And there | | | | If the company you are working with oversold you on |
| are plenty of clients who would outsource every | | | | the benefits or is unable to retain the key employees |
| aspect of their business that can be done remotely. | | | | and cannot deliver, what you get is low quality work |
| Vast English speaking population sees outsourced jobs | | | | and a place back to square one. Poor quality of |
| as gateway to better life. They come to work every | | | | products and services delivered is cited the main |
| day (and night to synchronize with us here) with such | | | | reasons why clients in the USA change the vendor or |
| enthusiasm not seen for that type of work and | | | | supplier in India often.Just to avoid the last minute |
| reward anywhere else.The drive for quality also brings | | | | surprises, you should start small. First get a small |
| Indians to US companies for products and services for | | | | feature done in a few weeks and verify the quality of |
| their needs. If Dell, GM, Microsoft, and Citibank have | | | | work done before outsourcing |
| benefited over past several years, I bet you will find | | | | everything.Accountability |
| clients keenly interested in your expertise now.Quick | | | | If responsibility can be dodged, it will be. Well, in most |
| Proof of Concept | | | | cases. When arriving on time for a meeting is not |
| So, you are excited to be working on innovative new | | | | considered very important, deadlines will come and go. |
| technology but have a shoestring budget to create a | | | | Most Indian consulting company's executives have had |
| prototype. Welcome to outsourcing to India. Getting | | | | experience working in the USA, but working bee does |
| prototype done in India gives you a chance to evaluate | | | | not. Dog ate my homework still rules for young fresher |
| the Indian partner without loosing your shirt. If you get | | | | out of college.You can specify the release date or you |
| next round of funding, you already know whether to | | | | can specify what features are to be in a release. It is |
| continue working with same company or look for a | | | | hard to do both and get a reliable commitment. |
| better partner.Routine & Maintenance Work | | | | Release dates are most reliable if people who will |
| To maintain legacy applications you have tried hiring | | | | work on them also estimate them.CONCLUSION: |
| consultants here and the one who lasted longest was | | | | India is a threat, India is a customer, and India is an |
| with you for 6 months. It's not worth the effort | | | | opportunity. You have to internalize India to succeed. |
| anymore. Most Indian companies would compete for | | | | You cannot ignore it. Instead of competing with India as |
| your routine maintenance work for long-term and do it | | | | an enemy you break down your business and think |
| more efficiently and effectively for far less money. | | | | about which part of the business you would like to do |
| And remember since it uplifts their standards of living, | | | | in India, which part you would like to sell to India, and |
| they do it passionately.Productivity | | | | which part you would like to buy from India.Sending |
| If you find the right company to outsource your work | | | | software, accounting, billing and any such work AND |
| to, you can focus your own resources on doing more | | | | selling US products and services to India, is now |
| of what you do better and stay lean. Your Indian | | | | possible for all of us. Whether you should do it, |
| partner can surprise you by doing more than just what | | | | depends on your objective, growth, and need. |
| you originally thought was possible to do remotely. | | | | Distance, communications, lack of information, and |
| Most of the time outsourcing increases your own | | | | quality etc. should not be roadblocks anymore. You |
| productivity, increases sales, and increases customer | | | | should choose your Indian partner diligently and audit |
| satisfaction and loyalty. It builds value.The other side of | | | | them regularly.About 60 percent of IT projects |
| productivity coin is ramping up demand for leadership | | | | outsourced to offshore companies fail to meet the |
| skills building, mentoring, and management consulting | | | | deadline and budget in comparison to moderate 23 |
| within Indian companies. Concepts nurtured and | | | | percent of projects outsourced to local US |
| mastered by the US companies command high price | | | | companies.Following are some pointers to improve |
| from their counterparts.Quick ROI & Cost Savings | | | | your chances of success in working with India:· |
| If it weren't for saving big money for investors and | | | | Discover the best way to specify your services, |
| stakeholders, businesses would still be dealing with | | | | software or business process |
| labor associations on pay hikes for things that can be | | | | · Keep in touch with your outsourcing team |
| done at a fraction of the cost outside. The cost | | | | without micromanaging |
| benefits of sending work to India can range from 20% | | | | · Communicate directly with development team |
| to astonishing 70% sometimes. In all cases it's the | | | | by email, instant messaging, and telephone. |
| quickest route to ROI and that should convince your | | | | · Treat the outsourced Indian team as part of |
| CFO to start asking why aren't we doing it.PITFALLS: | | | | your own team |
| Are you thinking everyone else is doing it and I should | | | | · Require local leadership and entrust them with |
| too? Sure. Like each new wave, just take some time | | | | authority and responsibilityIf you cannot do it yourself, |
| to see if it's really for you. Study all your options, do | | | | use services of Pacview, Inc. with expertise and |
| market research for services you plan to offer. | | | | presence in both US and India to:· Find the right |
| Evaluate your Indian partner, and measure | | | | outsourcing team that best fits your situation, |
| performance if you plan to avail their services. Here's | | | | · Choose from more than a dozen proven |
| is list of things that can; and do; go wrong:Privacy | | | | expert teams in India categorized by skills, |
| There is very little privacy in life of an average Indian. | | | | · Cut your team search time by 90% - from |
| It is very common for people to ask each other salary | | | | months to just days, |
| they make and everything else that is not asked out | | | | · Cut your software development or BPO costs |
| of courtesy in the USA. If people do not worry too | | | | by up to 70%, |
| much giving such personal information, Corporations | | | | · Increase your customer base by 100% - from |
| can hardly ensure privacy of your consumer data | | | | Bay Area to Bangalore. |
| because companies are run by people.Educating | | | | |