Exploring information technology outsourcing relationships: theory and practice

A growing concern among the organisations who are actively involved in Information Technology outsourcing is post-contract management and the ensuing development of what many practitioners and scholars have coined the ‘outsourcing partnership’. This paper integrates theoretical concepts from organisation theory, social exchange theory, and relational contract theory with existing research on IT outsourcing, to develop a conceptual model for understanding the relationship. In particular, we conceptually elaborate and then address the relationship's properties — identified as interactions, contract, context, structure, and behavioural dimensions. Preliminary exploratory research into relationship practice in twelve organisations involved in outsourcing presents some interesting findings that advance the thinking about the outsourcing relationship. We found the conceptual model useful in elucidating important relationship management areas, highlighting not only the outsourcing relationship's contractual, social, and economic characteristics, but also many additional elements found to have relevance in practice.     

我国IT外包企业核心能力构成要素分析

IT外包企业的核心能力是其竞争优势的重要源泉。根据调研数据,对我国IT外包企业核心能力的构成要素进行研究,发现对于我国IT外包企业而言,客户关系管理能力、服务交付能力、人力资源管理能力是构成其核心能力的三大要素。IT外包企业未来应该从这些方面要素着手加强核心能力建设,以便为自身长远发展积蓄力量。     

西塘河引水工程信息管理系统运维外包管理探索

本文针对西塘河引水工程信息管理系统运维外包管理的现状,分析了系统运维管理存在的问题,对系统运维模式进行了优化调整,进行了混合运维模式一体化管理的探索。     

雾计算中支持计算外包的访问控制方案

在雾计算中,基于密文策略属性加密（Ciphertext-Policy Attribute-Based Encryption,CP-ABE）技术被广泛用于解决数据的细粒度访问控制问题,然而其中的加解密计算给资源有限的物联网设备带来沉重的负担。提出一种改进的支持计算外包的多授权CP-ABE访问控制方案,将部分加解密计算从物联网设备外包给临近的雾节点,在实现数据细粒度访问控制的同时减少物联网设备的计算开销,适用于实际的物联网应用场景。从理论和实验两方面对所提方案的效率与功能进行分析,分析结果表明所提方案具有较高的系统效率和实用价值。     

Is there a fallacy of composition of external R&D? An empirical assessment of the impact of quasi-internal,external and offshored R&D

Empirical studies at the individual firm level often find a positive impact of external R&D on innovation. However, external R&D sourcing might produce an impoverishment of the local knowledge base and thus damage innovation production at the regional level. To address this possible fallacy of composition, we first review the various forms of ‘external’ R&D. We then use the French R&D survey to assess the impact of four different ways of transacting or collaborating on R&D: onshore affiliate external R&D, offshore affiliate external R&D, onshore non-affiliate and offshore non-affiliate external R&D. We then estimate knowledge production functions on the 94 metropolitan French NUTS3 regions observed between 1997 and 2008, differentiating internal R&D and these categories of external R&D. We obtain that the impact of onshore non-affiliate external R&D is significantly negative. The other external R&D categories are non-significant and we do not detect any complementarity between internal and external R&D.     

A robust optimisation approach to the problem of supplier selection and allocation in outsourcing

We formulate the supplier selection and allocation problem in outsourcing under an uncertain environment as a stochastic programming problem. Both the decision-maker's attitude towards risk and the penalty parameters for demand deviation are considered in the objective function. A service level agreement, upper bound for each selected supplier's allocation and the number of selected suppliers are considered as constraints. A novel robust optimisation approach is employed to solve this problem under different economic situations. Illustrative examples are presented with managerial implications highlighted to support decision-making.     

Integrated maintenance management of hospital buildings: a case study

Over the course of the past three decades, facilities management has become the subject of an increasing number of research and development efforts. The main objective of the present research was to examine the efficiency of maintenance under alternative maintenance policies and different sources of human resources. The research focused on the maintenance of public hospital buildings in Israel, with the objective of providing a model for multi‐system facilities operating in a dynamic environment. This paper describes the last three stages of the research: the establishment of key performance indicators, the implementation of these indicators in a case study in order to appraise them, and the validation of the indicators. Four key performance indicators were developed, as follows: the Building Performance Indicator (BPI), the Manpower Sources Diagram (MSD), the Maintenance Efficiency Indicator (MEI) and the Managerial Span of Control (MSC). This paper illustrates a case study in which the four developed indicators were implemented in practice. Characteristics of the case study hospital are presented and analysed. Finally, the conclusions and recommendations drawn from the analysis of the hospital case study are discussed, validated and deliberated upon. The approach presented in this paper integrates performance, financial, human resources and organizational aspects to facilitate an improved evaluation method of the parameters affecting the execution of maintenance activities.     

The Client–Vendor Offshore Relationship: Success Factors

IT Offshoring has become a common strategic practice for many U.S. companies. Success offers access to technical expertise in emerging markets. This study recognizes the complexity of the IT offshoring relationship and examines social exchange factors difficult to address in contracts, and the relationship of these factors to a successful relationship. A recent survey of Fortune 500 CIOs found that a close relationship between client and vendor, characterized by trust and communication, is correlated with success.     

云计算环境下访问控制关键技术

可控信任域的消失和多租户环境的出现,导致云计算环境下访问控制在诸多关键技术上都面临新的严峻挑战.该文从身份供应、身份认证、访问控制、身份联合和单点登录几个方面介绍了产业界在云访问控制上面临的问题和主要解决方法.从访问控制模型、基于属性的密文访问控制和外包数据的访问控制三个方面评述了学术界在云访问控制上的最新研究成果.基于对已有技术和研究成果的分析,预测了云访问控制研究的未来走向.     

Long term impacts of international outsourcing of manufacturing on sustainability

International outsourcing seems to be a cost efficient way of production. However, there are serious concerns about its long term impacts on the environmental, social and economic sustainability. This paper aims to quantify these impacts by using input output analysis, linear programming and system dynamics in a case study including European electrical industry (outsourcer), Chinese electrical industry (outsourcee) and their main suppliers. Results depict the differences related to the total CO₂ emissions, the number of employees and the gross value added of these two regions between a 10% international outsourcing scenario and the baseline scenario due to their differences in production technologies.