Outsourcing to India: The Offshore Advantage
Mark Kobayashi-Hillary | 2005-04-19 00:00:00 | Springer | 321 | MIS
Introduction to key background information on India, its culture and its history as well as its industry.
Step-by-step guide through the whole outsourcing process.
Guidance from leading managers and industry experts.
Each chapter can be used as a primer on a particular subject.
Updated information on companies and the Indian market.
Reviews
This book is a detailed guide on what to consider when you are thinking of outsourcing to India, but it might leave you with unanswered questions. Overall, I found the book to be a good start in my research. However, I noted that the author omits any anecdotes of project failures in India, and instead he takes the rosy view that all India projects result in lower cost and higher quality. There is little discussion on turn-over rates, which are very high in some fields and negatively impacting projects. (The fact that the author is or was the president of an Indian software association called NASSCOM may explain his positive views). The book also lacks much discussion on in-house outsourcing (using your own employees, but located in India). Finally, the book may leave you with many specific questions, such as infrastructure costs, and requirements for visiting India for business.
Reviews
This book has several notable strengths. Author Mark Kobayashi-Hillary, an outsourcing consultant, combines detailed information about India with in-depth knowledge of outsourcing markets, processes and methods. He provides an overview of India and a profile of India's outsourcing industry, including the major players in a rapidly changing marketplace, important aspects of cultural awareness and thoughts on how to organize your outsourcing endeavor, including vendor selection and contract provisions. At times, the organizational structure of the book is somewhat disorienting, shifting focus from travel guide to outsourcing primer to nuts-and-bolts analysis of India's outsourcing market and how best to capitalize on it. Occasionally the narrative flow is a bit mechanical, but who really cares? If your company is considering or already has a major investment in offshore outsourcing in India, this book is an outright must read. Despite its structural flaws, we strongly recommend its authoritative blend of practical business, legal and cultural advice.
Reviews
Sad but true. I read this book when we were first considering outsourcing. It sounded like a dream come true - cheap, compliant labor at bargain rates. So we jumped in, outsourcing our IT dept. and even some of our legal services.
Now we're facing half a dozen lawsuits. It seems that Indian paralegals don't understand the concept of client confidentiality. They misused some of our client's information and now we're paying the price.
If we can stay in business till '05 I plan to move everything back to Florida. Maybe I can sue the author for the lousy advice his book gives.
Reviews
I have read other books on this subject which are boring and content-free. This book is very readable and gives an excellent insight into where and how to take your BPO project, the issues you are likely to encounter, and into building the relationships to make an outsource project work.
There is something for everyone involved in outsourcing in this book.
Reviews
Not many books have been written on this subject yet, although it is becoming ever more important to companies in the West seeking to outsource work to cut costs and improve flexibility.
This book helped me enormously to understand the challenges and problems I was likely to encounter. I would recommend it to anyone who is starting to look at India.
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