The Outsourcing Enterprise - (Technology, Work and Globalization) by L Willcocks & S Cullen & A Craig (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Evidence shows that organizations with both a CEO and a team involved in sourcing strategy and supplier configuration make more effective decisions. If the wrong supplier is chosen, performance can be negatively affected. Here the authors look at how companies can improve their outsourcing capabilities.

Review Quotes

'Leslie Willcocks has been a reliable guide to the latest outsourcing fashions for years. Here he and his colleagues are once again ahead of the curve in showing how sophisticated outsourcers are building collaborations and adding value, not just cutting costs. With examples from Machiavelli to leading edge IT businesses the Outsourcing Enterprise is an entertaining and practical guide to best practices.' - Sir Howard Davies, Director, London School of Economics and Political Science

'An invaluable guide to professional practice. The book is carefully throught through and well illustrated with myriad examples from USA, Europe and Asia Pacific. As a CIO who has been and is still working in multiple industries and countries I only know too well precisely what the authors are describing and recognize from my own experience the value of their work in systematizing and distilling the practices that make the difference. This book should be on every outsourcing professional's desk.' - Peter Mahler, CIO Axa Australia, and formerly Coles Myer and Belgacom

'Frustrated by the sense that you're failing to cash in on the opportunities that outsourcing presents? This book's for you! Directive, insightful, and easy to read, the authors have leveraged their enormous research base to explain how smart companies can create real business advantage from strategic outsourcing.' - Dr. Jeanne W. Ross, Director, MIT Center for Information Systems Research, MIT Sloan School ofManagement

'With two-thirds of our members telling us that senior executives are more involved in outsourcing decisions than ever before, the timing of Leslie's book could not be better. Here he and colleagues show how outsourcing can produce great results, but only when outsourcing professionals ensure great execution.' - Michael F. Corbett, Chairman, International Association of Outsourcing Professionals

'Based on the learning from some 2500 practitioners, this book is an excellent source for CEOs, strategists, or anyone that needs to understand the drivers and issue of outsourcing, especially global outsourcing, and how to use these opportunities to propel their business forward. The UK's National Outsourcing Association (part of the European Outsourcing Association) fully endorses this book's central theme that outsourcing has now moved firmly to the strategic corporate agenda . It would.. be very useful to those considering or taking qualifications in outsourcing such as the NOA's degree or Masters Pathway courses.' - Martyn Hart, Chairman, National Outsourcing Association

'If you are looking for a blueprint for understanding how to leverage external services, this book is required reading. IT and business executives, consultants, and academics alike will find it invaluable . Fundamental to attaining your strategic external services objectives is active engagement by the appropriate senior business executives. Demonstrating why and exactly how they should care is the decisive contribution made by this book.' - Jerry Luftman, Executive Director & Distinguished Professor, Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey, USA

About the Author

LESLIE WILLCOCKS is Professor of Technology, Work and Globalization and Director of the Outsourcing Unit in the Information Systems and Innovation group, Department of Management at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. He is recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on outsourcing and has an international reputation for his research and advisory work on the management of information and communications technologies and organizational change. He is co-author of 33 books and over 180 papers in journals such as Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, California Management Review, MIS Quarterly, MISQ Executive, and Journal of Management Studies. In February 2001 he won the PriceWaterhouseCoopers/Michael Corbett Associates World Outsourcing Achievement Award for his contribution to this field. He is a regular keynote speaker at international practitioner and academic conferences, and is regularly retained as adviser by major corporations and government institutions.

SARA CULLEN is the Managing Director of The Cullen Group, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and a former National Partner at Deloitte (Australia). She has a leading international profile in contracting and is one of Asia Pacific's most experienced sourcing advisors. She has consulted to over 125 organizations, spanning 51 countries, in over 150 projects with contract values up to $1.5B p.a. Sara is a widelypublished, internationally recognized author having written over 110 publications, conducted 7 government reviews, and presented in over 300 major conferences. Her recent books include: Toward Reframing Outsourcing, The Contract Scorecard, Contracting for the Outsourcing Lifecycle: A Practical Guide, and Intelligent IT Outsourcing (with Leslie Willcocks). She holds a PhD (Outsourcing), Masters (Technology), and BSc (Accounting) in addition to being a Chartered Accountant, Certified Mediator, and Certified Trainer and Teacher.

ANDREW S. CRAIG heads the IT Leadership and Governance team of Craig Ltd and is also a Director of Board Coaching Ltd. He is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK working in the Outsourcing Unit. He has coached executives, teams and boards in the Defence Procurement Agency, the UK Border Agency, the leisure industry, Balfour Beatty, HSBC and finance and fund management companies. In his professional Army career, as Brigadier, he directed the recruiting operation - an annual requirement of 16,000 people - and was responsible for Human Resource planning for a workforce of 120,000. He commanded engineering operations worldwide, including in the first Gulf War and Bosnia, and led the UK's planned military response to nuclear, biological and chemical terrorism. He was awarded an OBE in 1998.