| 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.
