In today’s environment, companies can no longer avoid the question of where to locate their operations. Offshoring is a factor in all our fields of activity. It is important to understand why operations could be offshored or outsourced, to identify the most suitable activities, and then to clearly grasp the challenges associated with this management approach. This study presents the factors influencing offshoring decisions, possible problems, and the appropriate management approaches for managing offshored operations. The research also shows that offshoring can affect the organization’s innovative capability. It is essential to carefully choose the operations to be moved outside the organization’s traditional boundaries, so as not to harm the firm’s long-term competitiveness.

Aubert, Benoit, Croteau, Anne-Marie, Leblanc, Charles, Le Roux, Ronan. Externalisation des services informatiques. Centre for Productivity and Prosperity, HEC Montréal, March 2013. (Available in French only)