Offshoring Information Technology
Sourcing and Outsourcing to a Global Workforce

This book explains everything you need to know to put IT offshoring (outsourcing overseas) into practice.

Erran Carmel (Author), Paul Tjia (Author)

9780521843553, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 12 May 2005

306 pages, 41 b/w illus. 18 tables
25.5 x 18 x 2.3 cm, 0.777 kg

'… there are some fascinating insights here for IT executives … The superb content isn't surprising once you realize that co-author Erran Carmel … was a leading expert on globally dispersed software teams long before CNN's Lou Dobbs ever heard of offshore outsourcing. … As you'd expect, the book has country sketches and thoroughly covers subjects such as managing contractors, risks and legal issues. But for me, the richest sections deal with 'soft' topics like cross-cultural issues and overcoming the problems of distance, time zones and language. For example. there's a great danger of miscommunication with Indian IT workers if Americans use slang, business code words or too-subtle hints. An American who says, 'I was a bit disappointed that …' may actually be upset, but the Indian may interpret that statement as 'It doesn't really matter'. And while American IT workers use the word contractor as a business term, in India, the term could mean one who cleans toilets. Don't fly to Bangalore without reading this book.' Computerworld

The decision to source software development to an overseas firm (offshoring) is looked at frequently in simple economic terms - it's cheaper, and skilled labor is easier to find. In practice, however, offshoring is fraught with difficulties. As well as the considerable challenge of controlling projects at a distance, there are differences in culture, language, business methods, politics, and many other issues to contend with. Nevertheless, as many firms have discovered, the benefits of getting it right are too great to ignore. This book explains everything you need to know to put offshoring into practice, avoid the pitfalls, and develop effective working relationships. It covers a comprehensive range of the important offshoring issues: from ROI to strategy, from SLA to culture, from country comparisons to provider marketing. Written for CTOs, CIOs, consultants, and other IT executives, this book is also an excellent introduction to sourcing for business students.

Preface
Part I. The Fundamentals: 1. The offshore landscape
2. Offshore economics and offshore risks
3. Beginning the offshore journey
4. The offshore country menu
Part II. Managerial Competency: 5. Offshore strategy
6. Offshore legal issues
7. Managing the offshore transition
8. Overcoming distance and time
9. Dealing with cross-cultural issues
Part III. Other Stakeholders: 10. Building software industries in developing nations
11. Marketing of offshore services - the provider perspective
12. Offshore politics
Biographies
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Engineering: general [TBC]