OUTSOURCE
Competing in the Global Productivity Race
Published on 14. October 2004
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-0-13-147571-7 (ISBN)
Description
Brain Drain does not focus on just the IT phenomenon, though it continues to be one of the more prominent examples because of recent media coverage of outsourcing. The focus of this book is more on strategies and guidelines for coping--at the individual, corporate, and national level ---with a phenomenon that's alraady here, and alresy "mainstream" in nature. The real focus of this book is on the individual. After all, it has been individuals who have emailed Ed continually, ever since the publication of Decline and Fall of the American Programmer. It's individual knowledge workers, far more often than corporate executives, who run the risk of losing their jobs as a result of this global shift of products and services. And it's individuals, as several correspondents have reminded me in recent months, who have to advise their children what careers and professions they should follow -- and the outcome of those choices will ultimately have a far more profound effect than a politician's modification of a visa quota.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Upper Saddle River
United States
Publishing group
Pearson Education (US)
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 162 mm
Width: 236 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
494 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-13-147571-7 (9780131475717)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
OutsourceAuthor Bio
EDWARD YOURDON has been a futurist, pundit, and advisor to CEOs around the world for nearly 40 years. He has been named as one of the ten most influential people in the software industry and has been inducted into the Computer Hall of Fame along with Charles Babbage, Grace Hopper, Bill Gates, Seymour Cray, and James Martin.
A New York Times best-selling author, his two dozen books include such classics as Nations At Risk, Decline and Fall of the American Programmer, Death March, and Byte Wars. Several of his books have been translated into Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, German, and Polish. He has testified before the U.S. Senate on the Y2K problem, has served on advisory councils of the U.S. Defense Department, and has been a board member of numerous high-technology companies in the United States and India.
Yourdon received a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from MIT and has carried out graduate work at MIT and the Polytechnic Institute of New York. He has been appointed an Honorary Professor of Information Technology at Universidad CAECE in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has lectured at MIT, Harvard, UCLA, Berkeley, and other universities around the world. He has been quoted and interviewed in numerous newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek, Boston Globe, the Times of India, and several computer trade publications. He has also been interviewed on numerous TV news shows and radio programs, including CNBC, National Public Radio, ABC Evening News, and Fox News.
(c) Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
EDWARD YOURDON has been a futurist, pundit, and advisor to CEOs around the world for nearly 40 years. He has been named as one of the ten most influential people in the software industry and has been inducted into the Computer Hall of Fame along with Charles Babbage, Grace Hopper, Bill Gates, Seymour Cray, and James Martin.
A New York Times best-selling author, his two dozen books include such classics as Nations At Risk, Decline and Fall of the American Programmer, Death March, and Byte Wars. Several of his books have been translated into Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, German, and Polish. He has testified before the U.S. Senate on the Y2K problem, has served on advisory councils of the U.S. Defense Department, and has been a board member of numerous high-technology companies in the United States and India.
Yourdon received a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from MIT and has carried out graduate work at MIT and the Polytechnic Institute of New York. He has been appointed an Honorary Professor of Information Technology at Universidad CAECE in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has lectured at MIT, Harvard, UCLA, Berkeley, and other universities around the world. He has been quoted and interviewed in numerous newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek, Boston Globe, the Times of India, and several computer trade publications. He has also been interviewed on numerous TV news shows and radio programs, including CNBC, National Public Radio, ABC Evening News, and Fox News.
(c) Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Content
1. Introduction.
2. Key Factors Driving Outsourcing.
Introduction.
The Influence of Lower-Cost Workers.
Secondary Factors: Productivity and Quality.
Additional Factors: Availability, Manageability, and So On.
New Factor: Dramatic Improvements in Infrastructure.
New Factor: Political Changes.
New Factor: The Post-Dot-Com Recession.
3. Today's Situation in It.
Introduction.
Data Entry.
Call Center/Help Desk.
Maintenance/Enhancement Work and Infrastructure Admin Support.
Traditional Software Development: Body Shop, Project, Full IT Department Replacement.
Creation and Marketing of Software Products.
4. Additional Forms of Outsourcing.
Introduction.
Data Entry: The Bottom of the Food Chain.
Call-Center/Help-Desk Services.
Back-Office Work.
Clinical Trials.
Insurance Claim Processing.
Mortgage/Loan Applications.
Tax Filing and Regulatory Filings.
Financial/Market Research.
Legal Work.
Conclusion: What About Your Profession?
5. Likely Trends for the Next Decade
Introduction.
Offshore IT and Call Centers Are Now Mainstream.
Many Other Industries Are Where IT Was in the Mid-1990s.
Work Is Expanding to Other Countries: China, Eastern Europe, and Others.
Potential "External" Factors.
Political Backlash.
Terrorism/War.
Economic Upheavals.
Other Industries Provide Models.
Possible Novel Twists on Outsourcing.
Personal Outsourcing.
6. Implications for the Individual.
Introduction.
Initial Caveats.
Is Outsourcing a "Blip" or a "Sea Change"?
It's Unlikely to Be All-or-Nothing, Unless You're in a One-Company Town.
Political "Protection" Unlikely, at Least in the Short Term.
Variations for the Individual.
Age, Years of Experience.
Salary.
"Commodity" Nature of Skills/Profession.
Flexibility: The Ability to Shift Quickly.
Strategies.
Be Proactive.
Quantify and Protect Your "Cost-Benefit" Value Proposition.
Look for Innovative or Specialized Niches.
Be Prepared to Work Harder.
Be Prepared to Relocate.
Consider Going Out on Your Own.
Consider a Career Change.
Ethical Issues.
What Should You Tell Your Kids?
7. Implications for Companies Supplying Knowledge-Based Services.
Introduction.
General Strategies.
Revisiting the Strategies for Individuals.
Be Proactive.
Quantify Your "Cost-Benefit" Value Proposition.
Look for Innovative or Specialized Niches.
Be Prepared to Work Harder.
Be Prepared to Relocate Geographically.
Consider Starting Your Own Business.
Consider Changing Careers.
If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them.
8. Implications for Companies Buying Knowledge-Based Products or Services.
Introduction.
Traditional Outsourcing Issues.
Don't Outsource Core Competencies.
Don't Outsource What You Can't Manage In-house.
Start Small, with a Pilot Project.
Measure Your Expectations with Service Level Agreements.
Learn from Veterans.
Peopleware Issues.
Give Your Employees a Chance to Compete.
Don't Expect Employees to be Dupes.
Treat Outsourced Employees Honestly and Fairly.
9. Implications for Government and Society.
Introduction.
Objectives and Strategic Focus.
The Wal-Mart Factor.
What Role Should the Nation's Leaders Play?
Strategic Focus: Top Down or Bottom Up?
Protectionism.
A Non-Jobs Protectionist Issue: Security and Privacy.
National Investment in What Makes Us Competitive.
Encourage Immigration.
Invest in Education.
Invest in Infrastructure.
Change Tax/Accounting Rules to Encourage Long-Term Investment in Workers and Productivity Improvement.
Conclusion.
10. Conclusion.
Introduction.
Other Issues Besides Offshore Outsourcing.
America Itself Practiced Offshore Outsourcing of Knowledge-Based Products and Services.
Outsourcing Is Not a New Phenomenon.
Your Future Is in Your Hands.
Index.
2. Key Factors Driving Outsourcing.
Introduction.
The Influence of Lower-Cost Workers.
Secondary Factors: Productivity and Quality.
Additional Factors: Availability, Manageability, and So On.
New Factor: Dramatic Improvements in Infrastructure.
New Factor: Political Changes.
New Factor: The Post-Dot-Com Recession.
3. Today's Situation in It.
Introduction.
Data Entry.
Call Center/Help Desk.
Maintenance/Enhancement Work and Infrastructure Admin Support.
Traditional Software Development: Body Shop, Project, Full IT Department Replacement.
Creation and Marketing of Software Products.
4. Additional Forms of Outsourcing.
Introduction.
Data Entry: The Bottom of the Food Chain.
Call-Center/Help-Desk Services.
Back-Office Work.
Clinical Trials.
Insurance Claim Processing.
Mortgage/Loan Applications.
Tax Filing and Regulatory Filings.
Financial/Market Research.
Legal Work.
Conclusion: What About Your Profession?
5. Likely Trends for the Next Decade
Introduction.
Offshore IT and Call Centers Are Now Mainstream.
Many Other Industries Are Where IT Was in the Mid-1990s.
Work Is Expanding to Other Countries: China, Eastern Europe, and Others.
Potential "External" Factors.
Political Backlash.
Terrorism/War.
Economic Upheavals.
Other Industries Provide Models.
Possible Novel Twists on Outsourcing.
Personal Outsourcing.
6. Implications for the Individual.
Introduction.
Initial Caveats.
Is Outsourcing a "Blip" or a "Sea Change"?
It's Unlikely to Be All-or-Nothing, Unless You're in a One-Company Town.
Political "Protection" Unlikely, at Least in the Short Term.
Variations for the Individual.
Age, Years of Experience.
Salary.
"Commodity" Nature of Skills/Profession.
Flexibility: The Ability to Shift Quickly.
Strategies.
Be Proactive.
Quantify and Protect Your "Cost-Benefit" Value Proposition.
Look for Innovative or Specialized Niches.
Be Prepared to Work Harder.
Be Prepared to Relocate.
Consider Going Out on Your Own.
Consider a Career Change.
Ethical Issues.
What Should You Tell Your Kids?
7. Implications for Companies Supplying Knowledge-Based Services.
Introduction.
General Strategies.
Revisiting the Strategies for Individuals.
Be Proactive.
Quantify Your "Cost-Benefit" Value Proposition.
Look for Innovative or Specialized Niches.
Be Prepared to Work Harder.
Be Prepared to Relocate Geographically.
Consider Starting Your Own Business.
Consider Changing Careers.
If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them.
8. Implications for Companies Buying Knowledge-Based Products or Services.
Introduction.
Traditional Outsourcing Issues.
Don't Outsource Core Competencies.
Don't Outsource What You Can't Manage In-house.
Start Small, with a Pilot Project.
Measure Your Expectations with Service Level Agreements.
Learn from Veterans.
Peopleware Issues.
Give Your Employees a Chance to Compete.
Don't Expect Employees to be Dupes.
Treat Outsourced Employees Honestly and Fairly.
9. Implications for Government and Society.
Introduction.
Objectives and Strategic Focus.
The Wal-Mart Factor.
What Role Should the Nation's Leaders Play?
Strategic Focus: Top Down or Bottom Up?
Protectionism.
A Non-Jobs Protectionist Issue: Security and Privacy.
National Investment in What Makes Us Competitive.
Encourage Immigration.
Invest in Education.
Invest in Infrastructure.
Change Tax/Accounting Rules to Encourage Long-Term Investment in Workers and Productivity Improvement.
Conclusion.
10. Conclusion.
Introduction.
Other Issues Besides Offshore Outsourcing.
America Itself Practiced Offshore Outsourcing of Knowledge-Based Products and Services.
Outsourcing Is Not a New Phenomenon.
Your Future Is in Your Hands.
Index.