Flexible Manpower Outsourcing
Picking the first post for my blog was a difficult task nevertheless an enjoyable one. As the head of a company specialising in a plethora of IT outsourcing services, there were plenty of options to go around. In the end the choice was to go with what was at the heart of our services - "Manpower Outsourcing". I hope this blog post clarifies the scope of IT support services beyond the clichéd off-shoring debate.
IT and globalisation have changed the way we do business from Europe through to America and the mantra is now "a productive and cost effective workforce". The demand for professionally qualified and skilled staff in various areas continues to be high however some of these niches are susceptible to troughs in demand. Such volatility can have an adverse impact on company margins. In areas that experience such a temporary drop in demand it still remains important to have a continuous presence due to strategic reasons. This brings up the paradox of retaining competence on non-core areas whilst pursuing better margins during a downturn. A paradox that's best answered through "flexible outsourcing".
Today, every organisation is aiming at achieving productivity by enhancing return on investments and achieving economies of scale. In this context, it makes sense to focus only on the organisation's core competencies and outsource non-critical business activities like, routine administrative work, IT & network support, data centre maintenance, and other back-office work. To get the best value for their money, companies should consider a flexible workforce to protect themselves against unpredictability and help them gain a competitive advantage.
I believe that a flexible workforce can help companies to perform and service their customers with greater efficiency. Key considerations in the choice of flexible workforce providers include long-term, short term and project based capabilities, adherence to TUPE regulations and a global sourcing model. In such a partnership, the company also gets to share risks with the partner company whilst gaining staffing flexibility and the ability to tap into industry best practices. In addition, knowledge will not be lost as the partner company has permanent staff and provides a ‘service’ and not just ‘resources’.
Flexible manpower outsourcing is one of the best solutions available to sustain clients and yet provide a quality service realising economies of scale whilst achieving standardisation of services.
What do you think? How do you see manpower requirements evolving in organisations? Please don't forget to leave your responses; I would love to hear your comments!
Richard Skellett
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