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272 Chapter 10 • Global, Ethics, and Security Management

Call/Contact
Center
• Customer
service/support
• Help Desk
• Collections
Does offshoring
achieve significant
cost savings?

Web chats Customer Facing E-mail management
• Person to person Processes & • Auto responses
• Person to Machine Functions
• Both • Researched responses
What is the impact on
service quality and
satisfaction, customer
loyalty, and retention?
Telemarketing
• Product/service sales
• Prospecting
FIGURE 10-2 Offshore Outsourcing.

any in the business, intelligently absorbing consumer trends and technologies. “Their key advantages
are access to some of the world’s most dynamic growth markets and immense pools of low-cost
resources, be they production workers, engineers, land, petroleum, or iron ore.” 8
With global ERP implementation teams, however, it is usually not cost-effective to
colocate all team members. A successful ERP implementation team will recognize the potential
risks associated with global offshoring due to differences in language and culture. The team will
also recognize the importance of adhering to the highest of ethical standards (i.e., delivering a
final product that secures and protects the organization, promotes financial growth, and provides
significant return on investment to executives, board members, and public shareholders).
For a significant systems implementation like ERP, organizational change management
plays a very important role. Offshore implementers can face barriers of language, culture, and
values, making the ERP implementation more challenging. One example of language barrier is
accent difference: Getting key messages to team members and frontline end users can be a
delicate and complex issue. Savvy project managers will acknowledge the communication
challenges and take the time to translate and distribute key messages through multiple channels
to reach its intended audience effectively. Furthermore, not all people around the world are moti-
vated by the same things that motivate Western society. Many Western countries value history,
tradition, and work–life balance, whereas many countries in Eastern Europe and Asia value hard
work, entrepreneurship, and teamwork. 9
Offshoring requires consideration of the organization’s local requirements, understanding
of best practices, and an overall willingness to change. Each country is going to have its own set

8 www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_31/b3995001.htm (accessed February 2001).
9 http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/erp/roi/archives/its-not-a-small-world-after-all-managing-change-on-international-erp-
projects-8437 (accessed February 2001).