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| Think
Through the Inhouse/ Outsource Options |
Outsourcing
alleviates drain on internal resources
Don’t underestimate the value of being able to delegate work
to an external supplier. In the chapter on planning, we explored the
fact that many companies totally underestimated the amount of time
required to manage and implement an eBusiness project. A key learning
point that arose was the need to “backfill” staff involved
in the project, i.e. to allocate some of the individual’s duties
to other employees.
If you are involved in a business, it can be very difficult to “let
go” of your responsibilities. Even if you do manage to allocate
your responsibilities to others, once you are on the premises, day-to-day
work will inevitably come your way. We’ve all experienced that!
Another option is to outsource the work. By doing this, you can stay
focused on the important role you play in the business without delaying
the implementation of the project.
When the board at Blarney Stone, a company which produces various
gift ideas manufactured from blarney stone, decided to outsource the
project management of the implementation of their eBusiness project,
they employed the services of a project manager within Solomon Solutions.
The initial role was to set up the servers and databases and subsequently
project manage the design process and the roll-out of the site. In
return Solomon Solutions received equity in the company. Their experience
in such roles proved invaluable to the project. Specifically, Solomon
Solutions was able to draw up a plan detailing the site requirements
and timescales. It managed the development and roll-out process on
a daily basis, spending time on the management of details that Declan
Fearon, the business owner, didn’t personally have time to oversee.
 Meanwhile,
back at Lotus, a provider of industrial automation products and
services, considerable time was invested in scoping the requirements
of their project. The company also employed an external consultant
to help in the design of the process and in choosing the right technology
to deliver on the requirements.
In fact, this consultant then went on to join the company. This allowed
the company to internalise his knowledge and skill set and it strengthened
the company’s IT capability. Despite this unexpected advantage,
one of the lessons learned by the company was that they would have
outsourced a lot more if they had known the pressure on management
time.
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