Robert White and Barry James are directors of outsourcing specialists Lucidus Ltd based near Oxford. Robert White’s varied career includes managing and selling outsourcing services for the Hoskyns Group prior to establishing his own consultancy practice. Barry James has worked in outsourcing for more than twenty years, first with the Hoskyns Group and later with Andersen Consulting.

'a very informative handbook for practitioners considering large-scale outsourcing of information systems ... highly recommended' Journal of Information Technology 'Anyone unfamiliar with outsourcing who fails to study this manual before inviting proposals from external providers will be ignoring a valuable source of expert advice.' People Management 'Of the growing number of books on outsourcing, this appears to be the most comprehensive.' - Managing Information 'Full of useful detail' Long Range Planning 'Headings and subheadings, bullet points, numerous process maps, and the manual's step-by-step arrangement all contribute to the reader’s growing sense that this outsourcing challenge just might be manageable' American Reference Books Annual '... recommended to any company considering the possibility of outsourcing.' Logistics Focus

• Contents: Introduction. Part 1 Think First!: Introduction to Part 1; Setting clear objectives; Assessing the potential for internal performance improvement; The implications for user business units; Managing the constituency; Risks and their management. Part 2 Preparation - The Key to a Good Job: Introduction to Part 2; The procurement process; Project planning and resources; Agreement packaging; Defining the service requirement; Human resources; Assets; Charging formulae; The contract; Models for evaluating proposals; Model for evaluating relationships; The Statement of Service Requirement. Part 3 Procuring the Agreement and Managing its Implementation: Introduction to Part 3; Making a market; Negotiation approach and checklist; Contract management process overview; Implementation management. Part 4 The Suppliers’ Perspective - Three Case Studies: Introduction to Part 4. Appendices: Illustrative project plan; Sample reference questionnaire; Contract management process overview; Illustrative implementation plan; Index.

Robert White and Barry James are directors of outsourcing specialists Lucidus Ltd based near Oxford. Robert White’s varied career includes managing and selling outsourcing services for the Hoskyns Group prior to establishing his own consultancy practice. Barry James has worked in outsourcing for more than twenty years, first with the Hoskyns Group and later with Andersen Consulting.

'a very informative handbook for practitioners considering large-scale outsourcing of information systems ... highly recommended' Journal of Information Technology 'Anyone unfamiliar with outsourcing who fails to study this manual before inviting proposals from external providers will be ignoring a valuable source of expert advice.' People Management 'Of the growing number of books on outsourcing, this appears to be the most comprehensive.' - Managing Information 'Full of useful detail' Long Range Planning 'Headings and subheadings, bullet points, numerous process maps, and the manual's step-by-step arrangement all contribute to the reader’s growing sense that this outsourcing challenge just might be manageable' American Reference Books Annual '... recommended to any company considering the possibility of outsourcing.' Logistics Focus

• Contents: Introduction. Part 1 Think First!: Introduction to Part 1; Setting clear objectives; Assessing the potential for internal performance improvement; The implications for user business units; Managing the constituency; Risks and their management. Part 2 Preparation - The Key to a Good Job: Introduction to Part 2; The procurement process; Project planning and resources; Agreement packaging; Defining the service requirement; Human resources; Assets; Charging formulae; The contract; Models for evaluating proposals; Model for evaluating relationships; The Statement of Service Requirement. Part 3 Procuring the Agreement and Managing its Implementation: Introduction to Part 3; Making a market; Negotiation approach and checklist; Contract management process overview; Implementation management. Part 4 The Suppliers’ Perspective - Three Case Studies: Introduction to Part 4. Appendices: Illustrative project plan; Sample reference questionnaire; Contract management process overview; Illustrative implementation plan; Index.