Title: Optimising IT outsourcing services by managing the balance between standardisation and customisation - a providers' perspective

Authors: João Correia Dos Santos; Miguel Mira Da Silva

Addresses: Department of Management Science, Instituto Superior Técnico, AV. Rovisco Pais, No. 1, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal ' Department of Management Science, Instituto Superior Técnico, AV. Rovisco Pais, No. 1, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal

Abstract: During the last decades, information technology (IT) outsourcing gained considerable management attention being considered a strategic decision to promote success. IT outsourcing providers deliver services using complex service systems composed by people, technology, and information, resulting in operational contexts displaying multi-input and output variables that many times originate high degree of variance between contracts and clients. Consequently, service providers have an operational context to be improved. The focus of this research is to study the balance between standardisation (mainly for productivity increase) and customisation (primarily for client satisfaction) that is a major issue for providers serving multiple clients. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a linear programming technique used to manipulate multiple inputs and outputs. Design science research allowed was to develop and test an artefact based on seven service dimensions, with 24 service items applicable to a single service or a multi-service configuration. The results obtained allow identifying the best operational strategy to follow. Future research is possible as adapting the artefact to other service sectors.

Keywords: IT outsourcing; optimisation; service science; DEA; data envelopment analysis; standardisation; customisation; client satisfaction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2021.115070

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2021 Vol.37 No.1, pp.78 - 105

Received: 11 Feb 2018
Accepted: 25 Nov 2018
Published online: 18 May 2021 *

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