Sie wollen sich als Vordenker im IT-Outsourcing etablieren. Wie fange ich am besten an?

Define your niche Create quality content Build your network Showcase your results Establish a strong personal brand Know your audience AND Be consistent

When companies are being asked why they go for Outsourcing, the answers vary but a consistent pattern is centered around cost savings, cutting down workforce, focus on core business, scalability and flexibility fast and efficient access to latest technology, benefit from the experience of the service provider and similar reasons. Please always keep in mind that you need to answer one key question, this is the WHY, and you need to do your homework in terms of where do you see the company strategy heading towards and how can smart sourcing help you on that journey. Also, print out the sentence "you can never outsource accountability" and hang it on your wall. This all must be part of your overall Vision, Mission and strategy.

For those overwhelmed, a simpler way could be to find the intersection of your passion, interests/ambition, and (one or more) industry/technology. It does not need to be perfect. The goal should be to get started quickly and pivot as you find your rhythm. (You will need to pivot one way or the other as the landscape evolves)

The best way to establish yourself as a thought leader in IT outsourcing is to share valuable insights and expertise through various channels such as writing articles, speaking at industry events, and engaging with relevant communities on social media platforms like LinkedIn. For example, you could start by writing blog posts or articles on trending topics in IT outsourcing or offering tips and best practices based on your experience in the field.

Outsourcing is and will remain a very people-centric business, and as such it is fairly important that you build-up trust and relationship by being authentic, growing into a real partner model with your client and help the client to manage whatever challenges he faces today and tomorrow. For this, community building and knowledge sharing is an excellent vehicle, feeding and engaging in Wikis, GitHub discussions, forums, conferences, symposiums, fairs and other related events is crucial to build and enhance the perception with your clients. You should also think about setting up measurements and controls to measure data on social media, web, Meta etc. platforms and do a proper Sentiment analysis on what the perception of client business is

The paradox on is that we live in a data-driven world and there have never been such huge risks to the democratic foundation of our society due to the ability to misuse data and technology for purposes that are not good for the society. In other words, data gets information gets knowledge gets wisdom by having the ability to use it in the right way, the right context, to achieve legitimate goals and objectives. You must develop the capabilities yourself and engage with independent sourcing advisors to be able to understand, digest and conclude on the huge amount of data that each service provider will dump on you. You also need to define which areas can never be a subject of outsourcing considerations as shall remain core competencies.

Focusing on your niche is the first step towards becoming a thought leader in IT outsourcing. Create informative and entertaining material that simplifies difficult concepts into understandable revelations. Enter LinkedIn's virtual agora by interacting with followers and peers and starting meaningful dialogues. Maintain an edge over the ever-changing tech landscape by always improving your abilities. Celebrate your accomplishments, but never forget that genuine wisdom is characterized by humility. Let authenticity serve as your compass as you travel. This combination of focus, insightful writing, involvement in the community, lifelong learning, and sincere humility is your road map to becoming a respected authority in IT outsourcing.