International Examples of Large-Scale Systems - Theory and Practice II:A Case Study of Managing IT Outsourcing Partnerships in Asia

This case study describes an Asian Information Technology (IT) outsourcing partnership in the discrete manufacturing industry. Interviews with business and IT executives of both the Outsourcing Company and the IT Services Supplier provided the necessary insights. Nowadays many organizations in discrete manufacturing move their plants to Asian countries or other lower wages countries. Most IT services suppliers in Asia are relatively inexperienced with the management of IT outsourcing relationships. However, not only are the IT services suppliers inexperienced, the outsourcing companies do not have a track record in managing IT outsourcing relationships. Cultural issues also play an important role, especially power distance and collectivism. Contrary to the level of experience, cultural factor do not change over a few years. This article aims to provide a better understanding of managing IT outsourcing partnerships in developing Asian countries on the basis of an IT outsourcing partnership model

The Impact of Online Mobile Office Applications on the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Mobile Workers Behavior: A Field Experiment in the IT Services Sector

The wireless application protocol (WAP) is an example of technology that has found itself ìstuck in the middle.î Its introduction is not a clear success, especially when compared to the high expectations during its launch at the end of the 1990s. However, it is not dead. There is a significant number of users, and the telecommunications and content industry continue to invest. The interesting phenomenon is that ìnonbelieversî say, ìWe donít need WAP,î and that ìbelieversî say, ìWait until we have resolved the technical problems.î This paper discusses a field experiment that tested the hypothesis that mobile workers benefit from a specific kind of WAP technology: the mobile office. In an 8-week pilot, 40 mobile workers of an IT services company in the Netherlands received a WAP phone providing them with mobile access to their agenda, mail, directory services, outstanding invoices information, and resource availability. They could also access public infor- mation services such as stock market information, weather forecasts, and traffic information. For research purposes, we distinguished two groups of workers: relationship managers and technicians. We expected that relationship managers would benefit more from their WAP phone than technicians. During the 8-week period, all participants were closely monitored on a daily basis. We collected data on perceived usefulness and on the impact of using the mobile office on the efficiency and effectiveness of the work of relationship managers and technicians. The results show a clear increase in perceived usefulness and also in effectiveness, especially for relationship managers. In our discussion section, we argue there is indeed hope for the believers. Mobile workers have a positive attitude towards WAP if it brings their working environment within reach at any place. As the initial focus for WAP application was on mass private market services, this may explain the initial lack of success of WAP

Understanding transition performance during offshore IT outsourcing

Purpose - Within an IT outsourcing relationship, transition represents a critical and complex phase that starts immediately after contract signing. Transition involves handing over outsourced activities from client firm to service provider firm and accompanies a new way of operating. The purpose of this paper is to determine and detail factors influencing the performance of transition phase within global IT outsourcing relationships. Design/methodology/approach - In this paper, the authors present a framework for transition performance that includes four factors: transition planning, knowledge transfer, transition governance and retained organization. This framework is tested and enriched by utilizing a single, in-depth case study involving over 25 interviews with a global offshore IT outsourcing engagement. Findings - It was found that knowledge transfer and transition governance are more critical factors than transition planning and retained organization for transition performance. This was due mainly to two reasons: the critical challenges faced, within the scope of these factors, had higher potential to disrupt transition; and both these factors and their related issues required a significant joint and coordinated effort from client and service provider firms, thereby, making implementation challenging for transition. Originality/value - Practitioners have suggested that over two-thirds of failed outsourcing relationships are due to transition-related challenges. This paper represents one of the first in-depth studies that provides insights from a real-life global outsourcing engagement, which contributes to and complements existing literature on IT outsourcing by providing a greater understanding of transition. Furthermore, it provides practitioners with insights and best practices that can be used to guide transitions in real-life engagements

Origin and clinical relevance of chromosomal aberrations other than the common trisomies detected by genome-wide NIPS: Results of the TRIDENT study

PurposeNoninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) using cell-free DNA in maternal blood is highly sensitive for detecting fetal trisomies 21, 18, and 13. Using a genome-wide approach, other chromosome anomalies can also be detected. We report on the origin