http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/news/2004/story07-22-04.html
Earth Institute News
Jobs Offshored for Cost Savings and Quality
Seventy percent of companies that outsource report increases in quality of work, Columbia survey finds
NEW YORK -- Forty-five companies known for sending work outside of their own employee base for completion, surveyed by the Earth Institute at Columbia University, show that 82 percent are currently outsourcing jobs, 79 percent to offshore businesses. The majority not only report finding competitive prices but better work skills than at home. Seventy percent of those who outsourced reported that the quality of outsourced business processes had increased between 5 to 25 percent.
Companies, including offshore pioneers such as General Electric, Nortel Networks and Citibank, found that actual cost savings, which remain the primary reason for outsourcing, were achieved by 67 percent of the companies to the tune of 5 to 50 percent.
“This is an enormously important phenomenon that needs to be better understood,” says Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute. “I’m very happy with my colleagues’ contributions.”
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http://www.ais.columbia.edu/ais/html/body_improvedstaffservices.html
New and Improved Faculty & Staff Services Starting in Fall 2004
A combined team from Human Resources, the Controller’s Office, AIS, and Accenture Consulting is working on a multi-phased PeopleSoft project to implement new personnel, benefits, and payroll systems for Columbia.
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<http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/story/0,10801,93965,00.html>
Illinois moves to blacklist Accenture The state comptroller cites the firm's offshore status
News Story by Dan Verton
JUNE 21, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Bermuda-based IT services vendor Accenture Ltd. is taking heat from Illinois lawmakers who want to prevent the company from receiving taxpayer-funded contracts. At issue is the offshore location of Accenture's headquarters.
At least four contracts awarded to Accenture have come under fire in the state, where legislators, local unions and the state's comptroller have attempted in recent weeks to block all payments to the company.
State Comptroller Dan Hynes has asked the Illinois Procurement Policy Board for guidance on his desire to block all payments on four Accenture contracts totaling more than $2 million. The five-member board voted 3-2 on May 19 to send the issue to the board's legal adviser for review before making a recommendation. There is no word on when the board will make its decision.
However, Alan Henry, a spokesman for Hynes, said the comptroller believes that "he's in the right" on the issue and that the policy board doesn't have the power to force him to make payments to Accenture.
