Outsourcing - am I prepared?

Please ask yourself three questions regarding fitness:

• Are you fit for outsourcing?
  How well did you define the client processes? Do you know in detail which activities you would like to implement, which result types you want to pass on to the supplier, and which ones you expect from him? Do you possess a management system which allows you to react quickly and flexibly to the growth of knowledge within the project?

• How fit is your supplier?
  Does he have the necessary technical skills? What is his process maturity like? Does he possess the necessary experience in the relevant line of business? When answering these questions, do not place too much trust in the certificates presented. Approach reference clients instead, and pilot parts of the entire task in order to test his professionalism.
• What is the mutual fit?
  Do you complement  each other in such a way that the task can be accomplished? Are both partners at eye level and are they important to each other? Do analyse the mutual fit continuously throughout the implementation of the project and fill up the gaps in a timely manner.

Answering these questions will show you what you or your supplier have to do in order to implement an outsourcing project successfully.