Recently, the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) brought a Gartner special report to my attention. Titled The Future of Outsourcing and IT Services, it is based on the article, Steering Your Business Through the IT Services and Outsourcing Revolution, and makes the somewhat ominous-sounding assertion that“[t]he IT services market is at a tipping point. The status quo won’t be able to sustain buyers or providers in the long term. Buyers and providers will need to adopt new delivery models and methods to improve the quality, predictability and value of services.”
This tipping point is the culmination of a trend that has been building over the last several years. Three Pillar Global acknowledged the inadequacies of traditional outsourcing delivery models several years before this study came out. It was out of our recognition of this issue that we specifically designed our shore agnostic approach and methodology.
Creating virtual development centers to leverage a distributed model of resources allows our clients to leverage the cost of arbitrage of traditional off-shoring while simultaneously increasing the quality and velocity with which we are able to deliver. This model features teams that are integral parts of a larger strategy, creating cross-functional and sustainable teams. This is especially important for software product development where the impact of continued innovation and self-funding teams are immense. Our teams are pieced together using a unique mix of strategic resources to meet business objectives and balance the realities such as the effectiveness of face-to-face communication with the cost advantages of global staffing. Each client product requires a unique mix, but best practices and standards guide our process.
Of course, tactical low-cost delivery is not enough. Low raw hourly cost does not always map to overall cost savings. Time to market and quality are also significant success factors and critical cost components. Recognizing products must move rapidly toward real-world profitability and self-funding is a crucial element of Three Pillar Global’s Product Mindset.
Our shore agnostic model is successful because the solutions we provide are aligned with client-specific business objectives; they are designed to generate real ROI for both the product owner and consumer. It is crucial that these goals are achieved without compromising performance, usability, and other critical factors. Three Pillar Global’s shore agnostic approach, coupled with our Product Mindset, addresses the most common issues associated with IT project failure. Each development opportunity is approached from a business perspective and thereby each of the common risks is proactively mitigated.
Gartner’s report asserts a need to develop innovative delivery models and methods to improve quality, predictability, and value of services. Three Pillar Global is meeting that need, and has been for some time. It has been great to pioneer those methodologies and models well before this report was published, and we are determined to keep our position ahead of the curve.