TALKING

Getting on the road to smart sourcing

As they continue to reinvent the role of IT in their business , a new trend of ‘ smart sourcing ’ has emerged .

bolster in-house IT expertise , is encouraging more businesses to consider smart sourcing as a more flexible approach that allows scope for procuring the ‘ best of breed ’ solutions .

One of the first steps to smart sourcing is to map the organization ’ s current services and technology architecture , including that of any existing outsourcing contract . This tracks how it is performing and its effect on customers , which allows organizations to understand how it can be managed for optimum results . A thorough understanding of the organization ’ s information architecture is also key , along with assessment of the critical or commodity nature of each element . Inevitably , as elements change , there are impacts on other parts of the whole , knowing exactly which components fit where is essential to making a good start .

Smart sourcing can provide a fruitful middle ground between fully outsourced and in-house delivery of IT services that maximizes the benefits of both worlds to create a future-proofed technology environment .

It can also help organizations find the right blend of cloud platforms , including hybrid and on-premise systems , to create a multi-cloud approach that meets their unique demands . It also enables them to balance investment in external and internal skills , paying for the former only when there is real value in doing so , and building up the latter to increase their control over the long-term .

With the flexibility and agility required in today ’ s digital world , smart sourcing is a continuous process , not a one-off event . It is a ‘ mindset ’ that empowers IT leaders to get the best combination of technology services and suppliers for their organization as their needs evolve . It requires smart thinking to maximize the plethora of cloud options available – treating multiple suppliers as a menu from which to find the right fit for their organization .

Secondly , it is vital that organizations ensure that their skills and knowledge are retained and invested in education , especially because keeping a core internal team offers a degree of agility . In the main , smart sourcing is around out tasking and not outsourcing so knowledge is rarely impacted .

Choosing the right path for your organization

Ultimately , while big changes in technology and business management can open up new opportunities , there is no one single approach that is likely to provide the best solutions for all organizations . Many are thereby coming to realize that smart sourcing brings the benefits of both in-house and third-party skills and allows businesses to maximize the benefits of the cloud services they leverage such as improved scalability and cost savings .

In turn , businesses can have the ease of mind to focus on their strategic goals to innovate in this competitive landscape while still taking control of their IT and achieve high levels of effectiveness . p

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