Is Outsourcing a Silver Bullet?
Or so we are told.
Why do organizations outsource services? The stated reasons—the ones frequently used to justify an outsourcing initiative—include: reducing costs, improving quality, focusing on core competencies, making better use of administrative time, making better use of resources, and acquiring new technologies. These are the textbook reasons and have become talking points for outsource proponents. But they are hollow and cloud the real issues.
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.
