The Outsourcing Revolution : Why It Makes Sense and How to Do It Right

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: Author Michael F. Corbett boldly stakes out the territory for his book on outsourcing. As a consultant and as an advocate of the offshore outsourcing movement, he states plainly that he wants this to become the essential guidebook for anyone considering outsourcing. Impressively, he takes great strides toward achieving just that. Clearly written and easily readable, his book refutes exaggerated concerns about job loss while providing nuts and bolts advice on getting started, picking a leader for your outsource project design team, negotiating contracts and maintaining your relationship with your outsourcing vendor. He makes a sound case for a strategic approach to outsourcing as a potential primary driver of the global economy. We find that his comprehensive treatment of outsourcing issues makes this a must-read for anyone who seeks a better understanding of the outsourcing phenomenon, particularly executives thinking about dipping their toes into offshore waters.

Rating:
Summary: A wealth of information
Review: Clearly, the book shows why Michael has been called the "expert in Outsourcing" over the last decade. This book is clear, to the point, insightful and provides the reader an easy to follow roadmap on how to be a part of the revolution. This is an authoratative book for the next decade.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For All Business Executives!
Review: I am an executive that has been actively involved in the outsourcing arena as both a buyer and a provider of outsourcing services for critical but non core administrative functions. And I truly believe that this book is clear, concise, and compelling, and is ultimately a "must read" for any executive that is contemplating utilizing outsourcing services.

It explains not only why outsourcing has become an essential part of today's business world, but lays out a detailed process that any organization can follow to evaluate, implement, and manage good deals.

The specifics Mike Corbett provides, all within the framework of a sound strategic approach to outsourcing, blend theory and practice in a way that no other book on the topic has previously done. I think it's required reading for everyone in business and for everyone trying to understand how outsourcing is affecting the U.S. as well as the global economy.

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Rating:
Summary: This book sucks...
Review: I was quite disappointed with this book. With Corbett's experience you would think that there would be a great amount of "how-to" details into the process and what goes on behind the scenes. Instead the book is high-level overview of outsourcing.

I was specifically looking for help with an offshore decision that our comany is making. Based on what I read so far, if you are looking for an how-to I suggest that you save your money and buy Robinson and Kalakota's book on "Offshore Outsourcing". That book has much more meat.

Rating:
Summary: hypocritical
Review: If Corbett thinks outsourcing is so great, why has he moved his own call center people back to the US? I read this book, then consulted other business people who made the move to India. Like a past reviewer noted 1 in 3 outsourcing projects fail. Don't let Corbett lead your firm on a costly gamble that could wreck you.

Rating:
Summary: This book helped me score
Review: Michael Corbett is God - or the Devil, it doesn't matter which. The important thing is that I followed the advice in this book and outsourced my call center and IT dept. to India and tripled my profits.

Even better, though, is the satisfaction I feel at destroying three dozen lives here in the US. Last week I read that two of my old employees killed themselves, three went into bankruptcy, and four have suffered the failure of their marriages. COOL! One of them, a young woman in her 20s, begged me to help her with her son's doctor bills after she lost her company insurance. I tossed a few hundred bucks her way - after getting what I wanted, of course. I used to think of my workers as people, but now I see them as tools. Money is my new God, and Corbett my Saviour.
In him I will trust forever!

Rating:
Summary: A manual for bankruptcy
Review: Michael Corbett peddles outsourcing like snake oil....and it's about as effective. I bought this book, followed its guidelines, and yes I saved money on IT and customer service. I also got shoddy work and customers that cancelled their orders left and right after finding the Indian phone workers unhelpful and unintelligible. Do a little research and you'll find out that 1 in 3 outsourcing projects fail. Mine was one of those. With the growing backlash against business owners that farm their work overseas I think it's going to be 2 out of 3 soon. Make sure you check out the pros and cons of outsourcing thoroughly before falling for Corbett's song and dance.

Rating:
Summary: Don't believe the hype
Review: One day historians will look back on the first decade of the 21st century and talk about "the outsourcing bubble," just as they now talk about "the dot.com bubble" of the 90's. Corbett is the head pitchman for this false solution to labor problems. He neglects to mention the staggering cost of lawyers versed in international contracts, the infrastructure problems, the widespread corruption in foreign governments and other factors that wipe out the wage savings involved in outsourcing. This book nearly wiped me out; don't let Corbett's ramblings do the same to you.

Rating:
Summary: Dangerous to life, health and purse
Review: These outsourcing firms like Corbett's promise the world, I can tell you that first hand, and at first glance this book reads like a font of wisdom. However, I learned painfully that if something sounds too good to be true it is. We gave up after six months of Hell, trying to work with an Indian call team. They were incomprehensible to most of our customers, and we lost 30% of our customer base! Not to mention the death threats from the anti-outsourcing nuts out there - one published my address and phone number on a site, as well as my kid's names and where they go to school! The bottom line: you get what you pay for. Stay away from Corbett and his kind; they'll lead you down the path to ruin.

Rating:
Summary: The Outsourcing Revolution
Review: We learn on the first page of this book that in 1987 Michael F. Corbett helped put IBM in the outsourcing business, ultimately one of that company's most important sources of revenue and profit. It becomes clear in the course of the book why IBM must have chosen Corbett for that role, and why over the past 15 years he's become the industry's leading pioneer, practitioner, teacher, catalyst, and stateman. From everything I know about the field, Corbett knows more than anyone else, and no one writes better about it than he does. Well-organized, informative, insightful, and thorough, if you're going to read one book about outsourcing, this is the one.

Donald S. Warner