Outsourcing has increased and developed immensely in scope, sophistication and ambition over the last twenty years - and continues to evolve. Information technology outsourcing is potentially highly complex and risk-laden, especially for the fast growing areas of business process and transformational outsourcing, and where whole departments or business areas are outsourced. Decisions taken by the customer at the outset have long term ramifications: they need to ensure that the processes are flexible enough to deal with change, maintain necessary levels of security, avoid abandoning management of key resources and prevent costs spiralling out of control. It is essential to have a good contract to meet such challenges. All these issues and others, such as intellectual property arrangements, the complexities of transferring staff, property and other assets, tendering procedures and performance monitoring, must not be ignored and are addressed in the second edition of Rachel Burnett's successful ""Outsourcing IT"". Whether you are a supplier or a customer, it is vital to have a properly negotiated formal contract if you are entering into an outsourcing arrangement. A good contract needs careful planning and this book provides a comprehensive guide to the whole process. Well-planned and well-structured outsourcing arrangements, by well-informed and well-advised customers, are far more likely to work for both customer and supplier alike and ""Outsourcing IT: Planning, Contracting, Managing and the Law"" is the perfect place to start.
Author(s): Rachel Burnett
Edition: 2
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 254
Contents......Page 6
Foreword to the Second Edition......Page 8
Foreword to the First Edition......Page 10
Preface to the Second Edition......Page 12
Introduction......Page 14
1 Contract Planning, Structuring and Negotiating......Page 26
2 Selecting a Supplier......Page 44
3 Public Procurement......Page 60
4 Services and Service Level Agreements......Page 72
5 Business Assets: Premises and Equipment......Page 88
6 Human Resources......Page 96
7 Software......Page 114
8 Costs and Charges......Page 130
9 Management Liaison and Review......Page 146
10 Allowing for Change......Page 162
11 Confidentiality, Data Protection and Security......Page 170
12 Contract Duration, Termination and Transition Management......Page 184
13 Redressing Fault and Failure......Page 198
14 Offshore Outsourcing......Page 220
15 Conclusion......Page 230
Index......Page 242