Risks inherent in outsourcing strategies

Outsourcing a function or department is no simple matter. The risks associated with strategic outsourcing are numerous. They are frequently underestimated by managers, who are blinded by the size of the potential profits associated with the transfer of the activity, and by the immediate benefits in terms of profitability thanks to the transformation of fixed costs into variable costs. In recent years, the courts have paid increasing attention to the conditions under which these operations are carried out, in order to protect the interests of employees. They are not hesitating to question outsourcing strategies and to reclassify contracts.

Nevertheless, these outsourcing strategies have suffered setbacks in recent years. Firstly, because behind the hype of new-generation marriages and partnerships, many companies have experienced unpleasant surprises with the service...