Stop Offshoring
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009
 
The focus of this post isn't about offshoring. It's about telecommuting. Namely, the new policy from my employers that telecommuting is outlawed. Yes, in 2009, while more and more companies are embracing telecommuting, my employer is taking a big step backwards and banning the practice. I've been working from home once a week, except for weeks when my presence is required in the office. Management doesn't care that those of us who telecommute get as much or more done at home than we do in the office. Or that I can save 1 1/2 to 2 hours each day on commuting -- additional time that I can spend getting real work done, not to mention the savings in commute costs and aggravation.

Throw in the fact that this is the same management team that has recently started outsourcing jobs to the Philippines, and the decision just reeks of stupidity. Let me get this straight -- it's OK for people to work 8,000 miles away but not 25 miles away. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

Monday, September 07, 2009
 
I've been working with our offshore team in the Philippines for over a month now. Well, not really a team yet, just a couple of people helping out. So far, this has been one of my best experiences with offshoring. This is the first time I've worked with the Philippines, and they are far better than working with Indians. For one thing, they have been more competent than any Indian offshore team I've worked with. When we give them something to work on, they actually do it. Novel idea, I know, but I've been burned so many times with Indians not doing what was requested or doing such a poor job that we had to completely redo it it anyway.

It hasn't been completely smooth though. The learning curve is obviously steeper when training someone halfway around the world. The time difference has also been a drag as we try to schedule meetings at times that accommodate both local and offshore employees. However, working with the Philippines has been better than any Indian offshoring experience I've had. Let's hope it stays that way.


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