Delivery
Accenture's work with Sainsbury's begins with a consulting
premise - how best to improve business performance - and translates this into
practical changes to systems and processes. While advising its client on how to
achieve those improvements, it is also responsible for making them happen. Thus,
while PA's role was to develop a commercial framework within which other
suppliers could work, Accenture's work with Sainsbury's includes implementing
new systems, exploring the use of new technology, and re-engineering the way
Sainsbury's and its suppliers work collaboratively. Atos Origin, too, was
responsible for the delivery of the outsourced service, working side by side
with
VOSA's own staff across a wide range of operational areas.
Clearly, both firms' track record in delivery is fundamental to
their success here, but it was the use to which this experience was put that
makes these projects outstanding examples of this kind of work. Neither firm was
satisfied with the conventional relationship between client and outsourcing
supplier: both set out to create environments in which more time would be
focused on achieving the client's business objectives, and less on debating the
minutiae of the contract. Success in this sector of the outsourcing market will
primarily stem from the supplier's attitude.
That advice and delivery are being undertaken by different firms
is significant. While 10 years ago it might have been possible for a single
supplier to fulfil both of these functions, to give advice and to be involved in
delivering the service, most clients now see the two roles as mutually
exclusive. A firm that sells delivery services cannot be expected to offer
independent advice on who is best positioned to deliver a service, because it
has a vested interest in the outcome. By contrast, a firm that focuses on
delivery is likely to be better positioned when it comes to offering in-depth
knowledge about a particular technology. Both roles have their place in the
market, but clients want suppliers to be clear about their position.
However, both models illustrate the extent to which organizational
boundaries are changing - and this is one of the reasons why a more open,
collaborative and flexible relationship is so critical. To be effective,
outsourcing advisers and suppliers have to function as though they were part of
their client's organization, sharing common objectives, making decisions on
their behalf, and developing a similar culture.
Ironically, the greatest measure of successful outsourcing is
the extent to which a process appears to be in-sourced.
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