The difference between outsourcing and "smart sourcing."
5/6/2002
IT outsourcing is not just for cost reduction, say the authors, both management professors in Europe. Instead, it's a way to gain major competitive advantage in constantly changing environments. "Smart sourcing" is using best practices to both transform organizations in order to obtain that competitive advantage, and to manage outsourcing arrangements. The book covers three topic areas: emerging trends, best practices, and the future. One unique aspect of the book is the authors' own survey work. They canvassed a large number of executives to understand how outsourcing is used today, and how it may be applied in the future. These interviews provide some interesting insights, such as David Scotland's perspective on how outsourcing may promote child labor exploitation.