| Mary C. Lacity probably knows as much about IT | | | | hungry offshoring customers and suppliers. And they |
| outsourcing as anyone in the industry. Currently | | | | plan a book to be published by early 2008. |
| professor of information systems at the University of | | | | Lacity and Rottman's early examinations focused on |
| Missouri-St. Louis, Lacity has studied the industry since | | | | the offshore outsourcing learning curve and best |
| its genesis nearly 20 years ago. And you'd be hard | | | | practices for accelerating it while maintaining quality |
| pressed to find someone who's talked to more CIOs | | | | and cost savings. Now they're focused on the delicate |
| about their outsourcing coups and catastrophes.Yet | | | | process of transferring knowledge offshore while still |
| just a few years ago when CIOs would call Lacity up | | | | protecting intellectual property. |
| and ask her if she could send them any good | | | | The basic thrust of their findings-that offshore |
| offshoring research, even she had to say, "No." | | | | outsourcing takes a lot more work than its domestic |
| Sure, there's anecdotal evidence of what's worked for | | | | counterpart-comes as no surprise. But their research |
| some and what hasn't for others when sourcing IT | | | | crystallizes just where that micromanagement proves |
| work overseas. But definitive best practices have | | | | most effective and sheds light on some novel tricks of |
| been hard to come by. | | | | the trade. Although most advice about how to do |
| To date, they've interviewed more than 165 individuals | | | | offshore outsourcing right focuses on processes, |
| from 40 companies-and not just the usual suspects. | | | | requirements, and the like, Lacity puts forth an |
| Certainly, they've talked to IT executives and project | | | | interesting thesis. Successful offshore outsourcing |
| managers at client organizations. But Rottman also | | | | ultimately is not about processes or requirements. |
| spent three weeks in Bangalore, Mumbai and | | | | Rather, it is the result of a continuous build up of "social |
| Hyderabad interviewing members of offshore | | | | capital" between customer and supplier. Recently, |
| development teams from managing directors down to | | | | Lacity and Rottman sat down with Senior Editor |
| programmers. Cumulatively, these one-on-one talks | | | | Stephanie Overby to discuss some of the best-and |
| have provided a gold mine of data. The duo has | | | | worst-ways to do just that. |
| produced no less than eight published articles and | | | | Read full article at For more information visit |
| reports from their research, gobbled up by information | | | | softwaredevelopmentblog. |