Strategic IT Outsourcing from Deloitte's 2018 Enterprise Report

"Traditional outsourcing is dead." Stark words from global consulting firm Deloitte, but certainly an opener for the ages. In their newly released "Global Outsourcing Survey," Deloitte pulled information from over 500 leading organizations to better understand how technology is reshaping the needs and options for companies looking to shake up their in-house IT. What they found could only be described as follows: "long live disruptive IT."

Here Are the Most Interesting Things We Read in Deloitte's 2018 Enterprise Report:

Cloudy with a (High) Chance of Savings

Their findings are indicative of a widespread shift in how companies perceive outsourcing. Traditionally, IT outsourcing has been relegated to back-office operations: taking care of end-user tickets and overseeing system upgrades and patches. However, new outsourcing strategies are taking a cross-organization approach moving from back of office concerns to all facets of operation, spanning departments and employee hierarchies. This has been driven, in large part, by the growing adoption of cloud technologies and business automation. 

These technologies offer a range of opportunities, from greater innovative capacity to enhanced user experience. This translates to improved products and services, greater market reach and delivery, and competitive advantage. But what does this look like in practice? Deloitte found that strategic outsourcing is thriving in the realm of mergers and acquisitions.

67% of companies now use outsourcing to:

• cut down on redundant transition service agreements

• accelerate system and workflow integration between organizations

• lower operational costs for acquired businesses through strategic cloud spend
  
  

Cloud-based solutions continue to thrive due to their inherent elasticity. They are highly scalable, allow for the easy addition of employees and platforms, and are often more budget-friendly. Cloud services also sidestep common roadblocks such as lengthy upfront planning and implementation timelines, without interrupting regular workflows. This is why 93% of companies are currently considering or actively adopting cloud solutions.

It’s Raining… Bots?

In addition to cloud services, another 72% of businesses are unlocking the potential of robotic process automation (RPA). RPA is thriving in the IT and finance industries, with a respective 87% and 83% adoption rate. Human resources and legal firms also harness RPA technologies to cut down on redundant workflows such as invoice processing. Of those surveyed, businesses reported the impetus for RPA adoption as follows:

1. Improve performance - 62%

2. Improve time to market - 59%

3. Reduce errors - 53%

4. Streamline existing processes - 52%

5. Access to new technology - 51%

Companies across the industry spectrum are leveraging the transformative capacity of outsourcing. No longer relegated to the back-office, cloud-based and automative resources are just the sort of disruptive modern business thrives on. Ready to astound your clients with a higher caliber of service? Reach out to iCorps for a free consultation.