Rural IT Outsourcing Process - Assessment
Saturn Systems three-step approach (Assessment,
Transition and Management)
provides the detailed view you need to make the outsourcing decision. Our approach
has proven effective with clients across multiple industries. After determining
the internal health of each application you have selected for evaluation, Saturn
develops a strategy to keep them in top form, while anticipating future needs and
expectations.
Assessment Overview
A Rural Outsourcing Assessment is the means by which we evaluate a company or agency's needs and determine how Rural Outsourcing can lower their costs.
An assessment involves the following steps:
- Determine the scope of
the work to be outsourced.
- Identify the tasks
and/or positions best suited to Rural
Outsourcing and confirm these with the client.
At this stage we want to gain some commitment
from the client that given the right incentives
they would be willing to proceed with a Rural
Outsourcing plan.
- Develop a customized plan in terms of costs, resources and timeline. Completion of these three phases will result in a clear view of the cost savings and efficiencies that can be realized through Rural Outsourcing with Saturn Systems.
Completion of these three phases will result in a clear view of the cost savings and efficiencies that can be realized through Rural Outsourcing with Saturn Systems.
The key to providing value with Rural Outsourcing is in properly identifying those tasks and projects that best fit the model. Listed below are some of the questions we ask during the Assessment process:
- What types of skills or
knowledge are required to perform the work?
- Are there any highly
specialized or proprietary skills required?
- What development
standards or processes are used or required by
the client organization?
- What level of experience
is required to handle the work?
- How many employees are
performing the work now and are they fully
utilized?
- What type of
infrastructure would be required to perform the
work offsite?
- What level of
communication will be required in order to make
the support successful and seamless?
- What are the current costs incurred for the work to be outsourced?
The exercise of answering these questions objectively will make it clear whether outsourcing is a good fit.
Task assessment involves interviewing upper level IT managers as well as select technical managers to understand the software systems used by the client. Saturn provides an outside opinion as to those pieces and that might be good candidates for outsourcing and why. Frequently these sessions result in a fresh view of the issues involved with support and enhancement of a set of software applications.
The goal is to split off those pieces that make sense for the client to outsource, and keep only the necessary packages in house. To do this we ask many questions that focus on the level of support or enhancement required for each software entity, the current age and expected lifespan of the software and the staff required to maintain it.
Finally we attempt to clarify the immediate interests and focus of the client in terms of their technology direction. What portion of IT will require the majority of their focus over the next 1-2 years, and will outsourcing allow them to better focus on their business priorities?
On completion of this exercise, if there are some tasks clearly identified as viable for the Rural Outsourcing program, we look for a level of commitment from client management. If the proposed solution and costs are acceptable, are they interested. If so we proceed to producing a formal plan to
Transition
the work.
