Key Risks to consider when Outsourcing your Network Services: #3 Know Your Resource Types.
Understanding your critical resources is key to success.
The outsourcing of network services can have a positive or negative impact on key resources.
These key resources are critical to ensuring accurate discovery and valid solution structure during the bid cycle, and a smooth service transition to your outsource supplier.
In my experience I've found these key personal usually fall into one of three categories:
Keepers:
These resources are typically your key go-to people, easy to work with and beyond helpful when crisis arise. In most cases, these resources will be eager & willing (although somewhat nervous) to work through an outsourcing transition, providing maximum value to the Enterprise. These resources expect a retained position post-transition, and the opportunity to learn & develop alongside the outsourcing supplier. Efforts should be made to accommodate and retain these resources.
Leavers:
As soon as any outsourcing activity is revealed, these resources will resign. It's usually not worth trying to retain these resources long term. In the short term, dedicate time to transferring their knowledge to your discovery data repository, Keepers and outsource supplier. Avoid the position of re-hiring Leavers to fulfill knowledge transfer tasks, it can be costly.
Saboteurs:
Unfortunately, they do exist. These resources will actively interfere with discovery and transition activities. It is critical to identify such resources early and transfer as much of their knowledge as possible to your discovery data repository, Keepers and outsource supplier. Risk analysis should be performed to determine the retention period of any such resource.
Challenges:
Identifying your resource class can be a challenge, most likely resulting in a "judgment" call by the resource's immediate management layer. Outsourcing announcements can affect the impacted in unpredictable ways, particularly those with a significant investment in the underlying Enterprise.
Risks:
Knowledge loss due to Leavers poses the most common risks. This can result in service disruption and additional costs as orphaned services are brought in-scope post-transition.
Saboteurs can introduce service disruption and scheduling risks.
Mitigation:
Classify your resources early, ideally before any discovery activities. Adapt your discovery and transition strategy to mitigate or minimize any risks associated with Leavers and Saboteurs.
Next-> #4 Know Your Workflows.
Quick Links: