Is Outsourcing a Silver Bullet?
The real story is that most outsourcing research is focused on: What (identifying products and services that organizations chose to buy) and Why (anecdotal representation of stated reasons for outsourcing services). When surveyed, organizations often select cost reduction as a reason for deciding to outsource something. Cost reduction becomes synonymous with outsourcing and the myth is born. Vendor claims to be able to reduce printing expense by closing the in-plant and buying all printing are questionable at best, but no one checks them. In short, outsourcing research fails to ask the right questions.
Ray Chambers, CGCM, MBA, has invested over 30 years managing and directing printing plants, copy centers, mail centers and award-winning document management facilities in higher education and government.
Most recently, Chambers served as vice president and chief information officer at Juniata College. Chambers is currently a doctoral candidate studying Higher Education Administration at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU). His research interests include outsourcing in higher education and its impact on support services in higher education and managing support services. He also consults (Chambers Management Group) with leaders in both the public and private sectors to help them understand and improve in-plant printing and document services operations.
