The First Thing We Do: Let's Offshore the Managers

[OhioChick]

The First Thing We Do: Let's Offshore the Managers
By Jeff Angus, Ziff Davis Internet
Opinion: It makes no sense to offshore application developers. But outsourcing management, now that's a tactic with some serious benefits! Disagree? Angus wants to hear your arguments, pro and con. Why should you keep your job when a programmer's gig goes to Bangalore?

This is going to be reader-participation week at CIOInsight.com. We're asking your opinion on a revolutionary, if completely logical idea.

First, some background: The Vesuvian eruption of mail we received about the last column, Why Offshoring Will Always Be a Novelty, Never a Valuable Strategy, surprised me. I expected it to be a divisive issue. It wasn't.

Not one correspondent took issue with the underlying assertions—that the problems offshoring was meant to address can't be addressed by offshoring.

The problem is not lack of trained programmers in North America nor cost-effective methods for cranking out successful projects here; the problem is sloppy or incompetent or lazy management.

*snip* There's more money to be saved outsourcing technology management work than technology line work. If you can replace a $74K-per-year U.S.-based programmer with a $23K-per-year offshore contractor, you can replace a $149K-per-year application-development manager with a $32K-per-year offshore contractor; you can also replace a $275K-per-year CIO or CTO with $45K-per-year offshore contractor with the same title (unless you are the CIO, then self interest tends to settle in). As you move up the salary chain, the savings you reap skyrocket.

http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1397,1823626,00.asp

[ThoughtCriminal]

1. Every off-shore programming project at my former employer

attempted was a disaster. Buggy applications, insane interfaces, ignored specs. In one case the EXE blue screened every computer we tested on but the developer claimed they could not reproduce it. I'm sure there are some good firms and programmers overseas, but none of the ones our management hired to save $ was worth it.

I have my own company now and do all my own programming. It would be nice if I could afford to outsource some of the work, but there is no way I'm going to repeat that mistake.

[FloridaPat]

2. Actually, considering some of the managers I've had, you could replace

a $149K manager with almost anything - a chair, my cat. I work with one programmer who kept say her dog could do a better job.

Now, how about replacing congress and the WH with dogs and cats.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Hey ! I've been promoting this idea for years.

In my version, you start with the CEOs and offshore down the org chart until you hit people with skills. It would save the shareholders bundles of money.

I like the idea of dogs and cats in Congress, as long as the cats are the Senators. Dogs would be too easy for the lobbyists to buy off with treats. ;)

[CrispyQ]

7. Truer words were never spoken!

"Dogs would be too easy for the lobbyists to buy off with treats. ;)"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[MamaBear]

4. Minus their assets. n/t

[dweller]

5. start here

"Asked if anyone's security clearances should be revoked while the investigations are ongoing, he said that is a decision for the manager involved - in this case, President Bush."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4193737

dp

[fujiyama]

6. To some extent it's already happening

Many of the top consulting and banking companies are recruiting abroad for MBA grads. Some are recruiting more a year from say the Indian Institute of Management than the University of Michigan Business School.

[MsTryska]

8. you know...i was at my doctor's last night looking through a

Fortune magazine of all things.


They were pushing education as our way out. Which i found to be rather liberal of them.


They feel americans really need to refocus on education, value it more, and push our kids to excel.


no mention of whether they were on the voucher side, or the increase quality side of things tho.