Ed Ashley

Think outsourcing may be the best way to enlarge your talent pool and increase your profits? Outsourcing For Dummies gives you hands-on, step-by-step guidance in implementing an effective and productive outsourcing program that reduces costs and improves your company’s capabilities.
This practical, plain-English guide helps you prepare your people and plan an effective sourcing strategy. You’ll find plenty of tips on negotiating with vendors, get help in drafting a binding contract, and find out how to verify and maintain compliance. Plus you’ll get a handle on the importance of communicating with vendors; find ways to measure performance, productivity, and cost-effectiveness; get the lowdown on troubleshooting and solving outsourcing problems; and, if the arrangement isn’t working out, get advice on ending the deal. Discover how to:
Determine the costs and risks of outsourcing
Identify qualified suppliers and consultants
Minimize the impact of outsourcing on your employees
Define the scope of your outsourcing program
Decide whether to go offshore, nearshore, or onshore
Understand the impact of cultural differences on outsourcing
Document objectives and review proposals
Plan for the disruption in business operations
Deal with international employees and vendors
Manage outsourcing relationships
Protect your data from piracy
Avoid common outsourcing mistakes
Outsourcing can be the best decision your company has ever made —or the worst! Read Outsourcing For Dummies today, and get it right the first time.

Ed Ashley has over 25 years' experience in business and technology leadership, and works with senior management in organizations to run programs for improving efficiency of people and processes, including developing sourcing strategies and managing outsourcing suppliers.

Introduction.
Part I: The Ins and Outs of Outsourcing in Today’s Marketplace.
Chapter 1: A Quick Overview of Outsourcing.
Chapter 2: Understanding What Outsourcing Is and Isn’t.
Chapter 3: Cha-Ching: The Costs of Outsourcing.
Chapter 4: Determining Whether Your Organization Is Ready to Outsource.
Part II: Getting Your Outsourcing Ducks in a Row.
Chapter 5: Preparing Your Organization (and Team) for Outsourcing.
Chapter 6: What to Consider When Outsourcing in the International Arena.
Chapter 7: Planning a Sourcing Strategy.
Chapter 8: Defining Your Scope: What You Want to Outsource.
Part III: Putting Outsourcing into Action.
Chapter 9: Choosing Service Providers: The Selection Process.
Chapter 10: Getting a Firm Grasp on Pricing.
Chapter 11: Documenting Your Objectives and Reviewing Proposals.
Chapter 12: Negotiating with Vendors and Signing on the Dotted Line.
Chapter 13: Implementing the Transitions, Transformations, and Other Changes.
Part IV: Making Your Outsourcing Arrangements Work.
Chapter 14: Governing the Service and the Relationship.
Chapter 15: Communicating Your Outsourcing Plans.
Chapter 16: Completing or Ending the Job.
Chapter 17: The Ethics of Outsourcing.
Part V: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 18: Ten Benefits of Outsourcing.
Chapter 19: Ten (Plus One) Top Outsourcing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.
Part VI: Appendixes.
Appendix A: Glossary.
Appendix B: About the CD.
Index.