Multisourcing: No Silver Bullet, But Benefits Are Achievable

Although multisourcing programs encounter the same frustrations as single-sourcing environments, clients believe that their multisourcing efforts are bearing fruit, particularly in the areas of access to skills and maintaining competitive pressure on prices. The impact of multisourcing on quality improvements and innovation, however, are more elusive. Although the body of best practices in multisourcing continues to grow — and techniques like operating-level agreements (OLAs) and process standards like ITIL v3 are beginning to assist clients in multisourcing efforts — there is as yet no simple way to avoid the hard work of multisourcing governance. Taking a systematic approach to multisourcing governance is essential to success.