The 24-Hour Knowledge Factory Paradigm: The Evolving Model for Offshoring based on Strategic, Economic, Legal, Health, Technical, and Other Considerations

The 24-Hour Knowledge Factory paradigm involves 3 (or more) collaborating centers, each located in a different continent. Individuals at each center work from 9 am to 5 pm in that country, and then pass the work-in-progress to the next collaborating center to enable round-theclock performance in a manner somewhat akin to the deployment of three shifts in the manufacturing sector. The 24-Hour Knowledge Factory is relevant for structured and semi-structured applications in many knowledge-based industries including accounting, legal, design, and development. There is a growing array of examples from healthcare and other domains where off-site professionals have been able to provide better results than on-site professionals, thereby validating that many tasks can be more effectively performed using the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory approach. The gradual adoption of this paradigm is motivated by several considerations. In 2007, the World Health Organization concluded that working at night is a probable cause of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. Attempts by US state governments and even the federal government to discourage outsourcing are unlikely to succeed for multiple reasons, and the notion of “hybrid outsourcing” will gain momentum over time. Plus there are the advantages of developing products and services in a shorter timeframe; furthermore, these products and services can command broader appeal in the global marketplace. A detailed study was conducted at IBM to compare the performance of a co-located team and a distributed team, and the performance of the latter team exceeded initial expectations. The key results from this study will be discussed in this session

Public and Private Sector Legal Process Outsourcing: Moving Toward a Global Model of Legal Expertise Deliverance

Legal process outsourcing (“LPO”) involves the use of foreign lawyers to conduct, perform and apply domestic law, most often for cost-saving purposes. Large, global firms have already begun to embrace the concept of LPO, and small firms and sole practitioners are increasingly reaching out to foreign firms, seeking more efficient, lower-cost providers. Ethical considerations, liability limiting agreements, ERISA compliance, certification and oversight models are all part of the LPO landscape. This paper discusses these aspects, as well as issues related to outsourcing in non-traditional areas such as the public sector and the judiciary

Global Outsourcing of Professional Services

As a growing number of firms outsource more of their professional services across geographic and temporal boundaries, one is faced with a corresponding need to examine the long-term ramifications on business and society. Some persons are convinced that cost considerations should reign as the predominant decision-making factor; others argue that outsourcing means permanent job loss; and still others believe outsourcing makes U.S. goods and services more competitive in the global marketplace. We assert that if outsourcing options need to be analyzed in detail with critical objectivity in order to derive benefits for the concerned constituencies

Toward the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory

The term 24-Hour Knowledge Factory connotes a globally distributed work environment in which members of the global team work on a project around the clock; each member of the team works the normal workday hours that pertain to his or her time zone. At the end of such a workday, a fellow team member located in a different time zone continues the same task. This creates the shift-style workforce that was originally conceived in the manufacturing sector. A globally distributed 24-hour call center is the simplest manifestation of this paradigm. The true example of the 24-hour factory paradigm discussed in this paper involves groups working together to accomplish a given set of deliverables, such as a software project, and transcending conventional spatial and temporal boundaries

Toward the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory

The term “24-Hour Knowledge Factory” connotes a globally distributed work environment in which members of the global team work on a project around the clock; each member of the team works the normal workday hours that pertain to his or her time zone. At the end of such a workday, a fellow team member located in a different time zone continues the same task. This creates the shift-style workforce that was originally conceived in the manufacturing sector. A globally distributed 24-hour call center is the simplest manifestation of this paradigm. The true example of the 24-hour factory paradigm discussed in this paper involves groups working together to accomplish a given set of deliverables, such as a software project, and transcending conventional spatial and temporal boundaries

Global Outsourcing of Professional Services

As a growing number of firms , especially those in the United States, outsource more of their professional services across geographic and temporal boundaries. Using a multi-faceted framework for this study, this paper shows that very careful analysis is needed to establish the optimal level and structure for the 24-hour Knowledge Factory., one is faced with a corresponding need to examine the long-term ramifications on business and society. Some persons are convinced that cost considerations should reign as the prevalent predominant decision-making factor, ; others argue Many of the immediate conclusions being drawn by stakeholders, such as that outsourcing means permanent job loss, ; and still others believe outsourcing makes US goods and services more competitive in the global marketplace. that short-term investments are sufficient,We assert that if outsourcing options need to be analyzed in detail with critical objectivity in order to derive benefits for the concerned constituencies

Impact of COVID-19 on the patient visits in ortho emergency at a tertiary care centre

Background: COVID-19 pandemic effects are still being elucidated. Stay-at-home orders issued during peak of COVID-19 and social distancing as lockdown measures compounded with COVID-19 concerns have caused significant disruptions in daily life. One notable effect of these variables may be a change in the number of emergency department (ED) visits. This study aims to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on ED visits, and possible reasons for changes.Methods: Retrospective analysis using data for ED visits and procedures performed in the orthopaedics department of GMC Jammu were collected from the record section of GMC Jammu for four months prior and post implementation of lockdown and results were deduced with regards to the comparison in the number of visits, admissions and surgeries done pre and post-lockdown period.Results: The mean number of ED visits/admissions per day for the last four months of available data post lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic was significantly less than the four months prior to COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusions: A number of factors have likely contributed to the substantial decrease in ED visits observed in this study. In light of these findings, it is important to raise patient awareness regarding conditions that require urgent ortho consultation so as to avoid any type of deformity/disability whatsoever

Crisis in American Information Systems Education: Innovations to Address the Threat of Offshoring

Our classrooms are nearly empty. The job prospects for our graduates are bleak. Offshoring is reconfiguring the American information technology industry. What are we to do? After years of unprecedented growth, demand, and skill shortages, IT faculty find themselves in a new environment. As a shortterm solution, some faculty are scrambling to develop and redesign courses. This is not enough and will not sustain the fundamental shifts needed in a global economy. How can individual faculty, Information Systems departments, and schools respond to survive the rapidly changing landscape? The situation calls for innovations in academic delivery. Academics must serve as examples of agility to students by rethinking and revising curricula. We have responded when faced with other changes such as DBMS, end-user computing, networking, and e-commerce when it was in our favor. Can we do it again? How do we instill in students how they can become innovators and not merely problem solvers? What new organizational forms can academic programs take to help students bridge global teams? The panel will discuss innovations to address the crisis of low enrollments and dated skill sets. The format lists panelists in order of presentation along with their relevant expertise