#4 - Interview with David Poindexter on Outsourcing in General

I have spoken with David Poindexter from nvisionative.com about his experience with Outsourcing in general. We spoke about some of the difficult aspects in outsourcing projects as well as his views on outsourcing locally versus going offshore. We also did a bit of role playing. It was a fun experiment!

Video

Audio Only

Long Recap

Transcription

Short Recap

What, why and how does nvisionate outsource. Finding the right partners who measure up to raised expectations and commitments. A bit of a horror story. The challenges of nearshoring and offshoring and some role play about a project that "went south".

Timeline

01:23 Nvisionate
03:42 What is Outsourcing
07:28 What to Outsource and Why.
10:22 Selecting whom to outsource.
13:48 Offshore/ nearshore
18:50 On having a local “ambassador” to bridge with local cultural gaps and language barriers
21:20 Horror stories
26:48 Making amendments
31:22 A project “went south” – role play
38:09 Recommendations for someone about to procure outsourcing services

Key Points

"Outsourcing brings back both good and bad memories and feelings, for it all comes down to the people you have interacted with. "

"Outsourcing is to enable (as a provider) or resort to (as a client), 3rd party specific expertise and know-how that either does not exist or is not available in-house. "

"Outsourcing Go/No-go derives from budget, availability, expertise and/or project deadlines. "

"At the end success pivots around communication and the ability to understand each other as well as the expectations. "

"You don’t have to commit to anything until you are ready to commit to something. "

"If you made a mistake but want to ensure a relationship, clearly assume your mistake and live with it while fulfilling your part of the deal. "

"If a project has derailed, the relevant attitude is to set up a feasible recovery plan and clearly communicate it to the client. "

Links Mentioned

Guest:

I'm an Outsourcerer. I'm a DNN Geek. I help people with their sites @ DeskPal. I'm a #Pomodoro practitioner. I'm a husband and a father of 2 beautiful girls.