Posts From: Outsourcing

It’s a presidential election year in the U.S. and yet again politicians are positioning outsourcing as a bad economic policy for America. Every day there are ads on television of one candidate attacking the other for their position on outsourcing. The media loves the controversy and feeds the frenzy by representing outsourcing as an economic peril. But is the problem really outsourcing? Or is it really offshoring? And is outsourcing really such a bad thing? Most people would say yes, but it could be argued that our economy and many of the jobs in our society depends on outsourcing for sustainability. Yes, I know that’s a controversial statement to many. But the only reason it’s controversial is because we don’t understand what outsourcing really is.

Read More

In my many years of working in the training profession, virtually every training organization I've ever worked with uses an external supplier to assist with some part of their training activities. Whether it is contracting for external instructors, having a company provide print services for student materials, renting classroom space in hotels or conference centers, or hiring companies to create online courses, we all depend on partners to help us deliver successful training programs.

Read More

Creating training that's in alignment with business needs is more than a short-term goal, it's an ongoing mission of the organization. And it all starts with a clear understanding of what it takes to create alignment between learning and business. It takes, in a word, greatness. But what does that mean?

Read More

Training BPO has changed considerably since the late '90's when many believe it actually took root as a viable business strategy for learning leaders. Today's training outsourcing market has changed considerably. Here are some of the biggest changes I've seen in the last few years.

Read More

GP announced they have entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of the consulting business of RWD Technologies. It's now about how how the two companies will integrate their culture, capabilities, and brand.

Read More

This year has been one heck of a year and one that evokes the full range of emotions…. anger, worry, conservation, uncertainty, desperation, and in the background the mere fact that we are here should be viewed as being blessed. If we take just one bit of time to disconnect ourselves from these fear driven emotions we would realize that no matter what the future might bring, and what the past has slapped us with, we still can have hope be our guide.

Read More

Anyone that has engaged in or explored the possibility of outsourcing will tell you that there is an abundance of information on how to choose a location, prepare your organization for political fallouts and pick a supplier and negotiate a sound bargain that may result in many rewards (as well as post contract transitioning, engagement administration, and contract renewals). What they don’t tell you , and many won’t share, are some of the intricate details that de-rail and often result in a catastrophic sourcing experience.

Read More

I recently read a news quote that said; “Indian National Knowledge Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda says India can help create jobs in the US by providing alternative training. Everyone's focus in US is on job creation. To create jobs you need to provide alternative training to the people. I think India can help US in retraining people," adds Pitroda. When I read this the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I felt a bit insulted to think that suppliers now feel they are in a position to educate the West. While most of us would acknowledge our education systems can be improved, why is it that our students (who are outsourcers) now not feel they are prepared to advance our education sector for the unemployed?

Read More

If you haven't seen the new sitcom, "Outsourced," I'm sure you've heard plenty about it, and probably already formed an opinion. The fact that some people can laugh at what others deem offensive demonstrates free speech in our society. One of the creators of "Saturday Night Live" once said the show finds humor around potentially offensive topics because you can't ignore the elephant in the room. Exporting jobs to India and China may be our 'economic' elephant and unemployment is certainly no laughinb matter.

Read More

There is probably no better example of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) where there is a need to have a common belief and spirit directed at a defined objective. In order to have this occur, morale also known as esprit de corps, must be in place. An atmosphere which allows the group to be a part of the institutional and client beliefs is essential. To increase the effectiveness of esprit de corps the coaching element is a must. Out of this we have seen the emergence of coaching as a nurtured role. I sometimes wonder why the skills of coaching had to be a trained endeavor. Where along the line did we lose this as an endowed skill? Maybe it happened at the same time we lost the socially responsible nature of business?

Read More