1. What’s your outsourcing experience? I can write an SLA in Bengali. 10 points My last company had an outsourcing deal…somewhere. 5 points What’s an SLA? 0 points If you’ve never outsourced before, then an offshore engagement might not be the best way to learn?not without help from an experienced partner, at least. 2. How well can you manage overseas vendors? I always keep my watch set to Bangalore time. 10 points I know a good dry cleaner at O’Hare. 5 points The wife and I went out for Italian last night. 0 points All outsourcing deals require strict vendor management, but offshore accounts need special care from people who are comfortable working with different time zones, cultures and languages. 3. How critical are cost savings to the success of your offshore project? Cost savings are my greatest concern. 10 points Well, yeah, it would be swell to save some money. 5 points Saving money isn’t my job. 0 points Typically, offshore deals save customers 30 percent to 50 percent in labor costs, but half these savings could be gobbled up if you go through a broker. 4. Are you looking for a long-term offshore engagement? I’m looking for an ongoing rela-tionship with my vendor. 10 points I think it would be nice to have an ongoing relationship, but I’d rather not commit. 5 points Can you just design this one webpage for me? 0 points The tier-one vendors are looking for long-term deals, not one-project stands. Your intentions may decide whose interest you attract. If your score is 30-40 points: Do it yourself. Go directly to the nearest offshore vendor. If your score is 20-30 points: Maybe you should consider using a broker?at least until you get a better feel for the lay of the land. If your score is less than 20 points: You’re not ready to venture offshore alone. Related content feature 4 remedies to avoid cloud app migration headaches The compelling benefits of using proprietary cloud-native services come at a price: vendor lock-in. Here are ways CIOs can effectively plan without getting stuck. By Robert Mitchell Nov 29, 2023 9 mins CIO CIO CIO case study Steps Gerresheimer takes to transform its IT CIO Zafer Nalbant explains what the medical packaging manufacturer does to modernize its IT through AI, automation, and hybrid cloud. By Jens Dose Nov 29, 2023 6 mins CIO SAP ServiceNow feature Per Scholas redefines IT hiring by diversifying the IT talent pipeline What started as a technology reclamation nonprofit has since transformed into a robust, tuition-free training program that seeks to redefine how companies fill tech skills gaps with rising talent. By Sarah K. White Nov 29, 2023 11 mins Diversity and Inclusion Hiring news Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh By Andrea Benito Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe