Don't want to be replaced by outsourcing? These tips will show you how. The best defense is a good offence. Here’s how to make your department more competitive Focus on collaboration. Coding to spec can be easily outsourced; collaborating with businesspeople to develop a new technology-enabled process cannot. Compete on process. Consider being assessed on Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), a model for standard, repeatable development and project management processes. After all, that’s how outsourcers compete. Develop an enterprise architecture. A standardized architecture doesn’t just save money on hardware, it makes your developers more flexible and productive across different areas of the business. Sell service levels. Sure, offshore programmers may cost 35 percent less, but can they guarantee the quality of service your business has become accustomed to? (If they can, start worrying now.) Re-educate your staff. Give your developers training time and the opportunity to transform themselves into collaborators and designers. Create a new career path. Promise and deliver more money and stature to developers who move into collaboration and project management. Augment, don’t replace. Use outsourcers to make your staff more flexible and to meet demand peaks and valleys. Get transparent. If you can’t show how much IT costs (people, projects, time spent), businesspeople will assume that you’re more expensive than the outsourcer. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management 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