Computerworld UK "HART of outsourcing "

Labour's deathbed deal on NHS IT

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:34:00 GMT

And so the NHS IT saga continues. According to BBC reports, and the resulting media storm, Labour plans to push through what amounts to a ‘deathbed deal’ before the general election, committing a new government to many years more tussling with the fated National Programme for IT.

Supply, demand, skills and sourcing

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:28:00 GMT

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) survey released last week opens up an important debate for the outsourcing industry and industry in general. The research, conducted by KPMG, found a “continued increase in foreign workers filling ‘British’ jobs overseas as well as at home”.

Keeping people happy

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:39:00 GMT

A couple of bits of research hit the press this week that should worry those in the customer services game.

A week for positivity

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:54:00 GMT

It is all happening exactly as we had foreseen. Research figures have abounded this week and thankfully confirmed a few more of our NOA member predictions. It’s always great to be proved right, and even more its better than we predicted, great for the industry.

What BSkyB's victory against HP-EDS will mean

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:20:00 GMT

Though EDS may appeal again, it looks likely its case with BSkyB won’t go much further. The dispute has been raging since 2004 and it appears HP/EDS will finally have to bite the bullet and cough up almost £200m for misrepresenting its talents.

Should public sector IT professionals hang their heads in shame?

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:49:00 GMT

This week the Independent newspaper decided to reopen old wounds from public sector IT failures of the past. The paper, with the bit between its teeth, decided to mount an investigation into the biggest IT ‘bungles’ presided over by a labour government. The current bill stands at a staggering £26bn above initial estimated costs.

Outsourcing: A lot in store for 2010

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:16:00 GMT

It’s the time of year again where Christmas-addled sourcing professionals come up with their thoughts on the coming 12 months.

Stop the Indian interlopers?

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:28:00 GMT

They took our jobs! Cry the detractors. Thousands of UK jobs are simply disappearing as big “Indian” (insert outsourcing location as applicable) outsourcers continue do our work at lower cost.

Outsourcing Europe

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

The NOA attended the launch of the European Outsourcing Association’s Spanish chapter this week, EOA Espaňa.

The public sector recession is on its way

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:36:00 GMT

With the recession apparently coming to an end, 2010 promises to be a game of two halves for the UK.

Lies, damn lies and statistics

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:17:00 GMT

More statistical confusion hits the press this week with the release of TPI’s latest 3Q09 EMEA TPI index. According to the latest round of outsourcing research, ‘Europe’s Outsourcing Market [is] Lagging Rest of World.’

Public sector outsourcing -- get ready for round two

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:47:00 GMT

So, it’s finally happened. The public sector has been told, in no uncertain terms, that outsourcing, real no nonsense outsourcing, will be necessary in 2010 and beyond.

Offshoring's sooty secret?

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:39:00 GMT

I picked up on an interesting news story this week that opens up a whole can of worms for the sourcing industry and the process of globalisation as a whole.

Outsourcing and carbon reduction - it's not simple

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:59:00 GMT

The green agenda has increased in significance at an incredibly rapid rate over the past few years. New legislation, with its hefty carbon reduction targets, means that all businesses must incorporate green strategies into their overall business plan.

Innovate for the Future

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:19:00 GMT

The National Outsourcing Association has predicted, for some time, that innovation will be a really key feature in the future of outsourcing.

British Council takes the leap

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:15:00 GMT

My last blog focused on public sector offshoring; low and behold the week that the blog gets published, The Times prints a story on how the British Council is offshoring 100 jobs to India. Of course this announcement sparked a furious debate amongst the public, unions and the upper echelons of the public sector. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) are considering lodging a tribunal application in response.

Public sector offshoring- time to discuss

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:08:00 GMT

The public sector is facing some of the most aggressive spending cuts and efficiency targets in recent memory. Towards the end of last year the government announced a savings target of £35bn, with a lot of emphasis placed on reducing the multi-billion pound IT bill.

Bridging the outsourcing gap

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:45:00 GMT

Bridging the gap

HR outsourcing under the microscope

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:22:00 GMT

This week, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has released a report entitled, HR outsourcing and the HR function: Threat or Opportunity, which focuses on approximately 300 UK HR professionals within a variety of organisations, public and private.

Recession sparks sharp drop in offshoring

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:32:00 GMT

The Financial Times this week released a report highlighting a sharp decline in the offshoring of jobs from Britain to cheaper locations in eastern Europe as a result of the recession.

China's growing strength

Tue, 26 May 2009 12:03:00 GMT

Shanghai is set to become the new Bangalore according to a recent report released by KPMG. The report entitled, ‘A new dawn: China’s emerging role in global outsourcing’ has China down for outsourcing greatness over the next few years.

Obama's first move

Tue, 12 May 2009 03:05:00 GMT

President Obama has revealed his first move at reducing the amount US companies offshore. He has proposed a tax revision which will mean that US companies, earning income overseas, will have to pay US corporate tax on that money immediately, rather than deferring payment until the income is returned back to US soil.

The Budget -- what does it mean for outsourcing?

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:22:00 GMT

The announcement of the budget is something which always generates interest from the public as well as businesses. However, this year’s announcement was particularly poignant. Everyone has been affected by the recession and the new budget dictates how the UK will address this turbulent global economy, consumers and companies alike all kept a sharp eye on what came out of the famous burgundy briefcase.

Outsourcing and the virtualisation boom

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:17:00 GMT

The NOA predicted that 2009 will be the year that virtualisation bursts into the outsourcing industry.

BPO: Shaping the future of outsourcing?

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:44:00 GMT

A recent report by the London School of Economics predicts that BPO will eventually take over ITO as more companies look to outsource back office processes. This increase in BPO has allowed fledgling outsourcing suppliers to get a foot hold in the market.