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Outsourcing as a business practice is gaining popularity among both private and public sector organizations in the Middle East and South Asian region. It is a relatively new phenomena in this region. The idea of handing over part of your business processes to another to perform has not typically been the method adopted by MENASA companies and governments.
For sub-continental countries like Pakistan, outsourcing presents huge opportunities: as a country destination for providing outsourced services (following the already booming Indian example), as an agent for transforming and modernising government, as a business model for importing innovation and competitiveness into business.
For corporates and governments, outsourcing in the current financial-troubled times not only can deliver cost-cutting measures, but can increase the delivery of value to customers or citizens.
Outsourcing requires a high degree of leadership and senior management commitment, a systematic and comprehensive approach, and a good deal of change management. And like any business model, in the context of Pakistan, outsourcing must take into account the cultural, political and business environment unique to this country.
In the current environment of economic uncertainty, outsourcing of key business services has taken on even greater importance. The cost reduction and value creation opportunities are now even more compelling, however it is also true that contracts and relationships are re-examined and, if necessary, transformed to reflect changing risk dynamics, improvements in technology and a changing supplier landscape.
Companies and government bodies need to ensure that their outsourcing contracts reflect the outsourcing relationship they want to achieve - it is an unfortunate reality that too many contracts lack sufficient flexibility, are poorly drafted and do not focus the parties on maintaining a close commercial relationship based on shared objectives.
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