Business managers work with IT decision makers on just
24% of outsourcing deals, according to research company Vanson
Bourne.
The survey, which questioned 100 IT managers, revealed that 90%
of respondents agreed that better understanding between business
and IT managers would help reduce the likelihood of IT outsourcing
projects failing.
Service level agreements are at the heart of any outsourcing
contract and ensure a minimum downtime on applications and services
run by the contractor. However, the survey revealed business
managers' lack of involvement in establishing effective
agreements.
The Vanson Bourne study, supported by business service
management company Managed Objects, found that 39% of business
managers were rarely involved in negotiating the service level
agreements of an outsourcing project affecting their business.
Eleven per cent of respondents said business managers at their
companies were never involved in establishing service level
agreements. Just 5% of respondents said business managers were
always involved in setting up service level agreements.
Only 36% of IT managers surveyed said they believed that
outsourcing suppliers had a good understanding of their
organisation and the business impact that a failed IT outsourcing
project could cause.