Benefits

• Maximum project control
• Unlimited direct contact with your staff and facilities
• Can generally respond quickly to an increase or decrease in project demands

Considerations

• Highest price
• Highest overhead
• Least cost effective solution for post production support, continuous enhancements or maintenance

Optimal When

• Projects or position requires close communication with your own team.
• Project positions are highly dependent on the physical environment.
• Project or positions are short term.
• Maximum project responsiveness or face-to-face contact with end user is required.

Benefits

• Cost - up to 50% lower thean comparable onsite resources
• Proximity to onsite team - just 1 or 2 time zones away; easy to inspect
• US based
• Team stability - best solution for long-term projects that require continuity, continuous support and enhancements
• Flexibility - offsite can go onsite or onsite can go offsite
• Knowledge transfer - easiest model to transfer customer knowledge, because of higher team stability due to lower cost pressures than onsite

Considerations

• Less conducive to short-term engagements (two months or less)
• Unlikely to duplicate complete onsite technical environment
• Lower project responsiveness than onsite - requires higher level of project planning

Optimal When

• Total cost of ownership need to be reduced or Return on Investment needs to be accelerated.
• Project or project support is planned to be longer term.
• Company is adopting or has in place a "non-onsite" program.
• Company needs to maintain control of project but realize cost savings
• Company is not going to internally staff bulk of CRM positions.
• Offshore isn't feasible because of security or foreign outsourcing considerations.
• Project has potential of unknowns and there is a requirement to "bank some hours".

Benefits

• Potentially lowest cost if managed correctly
• Most cost effective for mature application environment
• Pre-determined methodology

Considerations

• Fit – most Siebel environments and/or applications are not mature enough.
• Non US based
• Cultural differences
• Communication concerns
• Accessibility to offshore team
• High project team turnover
• Potential security issues
• Adaptation to offshore methodology

• Your organization has significant offshore experience and the management with that experience can assist with CRM applications.

• Organization can make a 2-3 year commitment on strategy, resource levels, etc