Industry Standards For Outsourcing: Think Beyond The Checklist

Sourcing and vendor management professionals routinely solicit and verify their suppliers' credentials in the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon University's Capability Maturity Model Integrated Development (CMMI-DEV) and perhaps the IT infrastructure library (ITIL). For many, the emphasis on outsourcing standards stops there. These are admittedly among the most prominent and obvious standards relevant to sourcing and vendor management professionals in an IT outsourcing context, but there are others of interest as well. Moreover, standards are dynamic, as witnessed by the new, broadened scope of ITIL v3 and the continuing evolution in the CMM standards family. Beyond CMM and ITIL, the world offers myriad, seemingly overlapping standards, such as SAS 70 and ISO 270001 in security. Despite this, outsourcing buyers should take a broader view, not only in terms of the standards they look for but in terms of their value. Think beyond checklist marking and focus instead on the potential value for superior service delivery that these standards provide. Even seemingly overlapping standards can add value through synergy.