IS IT WORTH IT?

According to a survey published in the “Indian Times,” Indian IT professionals are among the worst paid globally. The survey organized by Mercer Human resource consulting has put a mega watt spotlight on this not so proud fact. How can this be? Well, there are a number of factors that have brought about this unfortunate circumstance, most importantly, consumer (client) demand for CHEAP labor and good results. Why pay a freelancer in the United States $75.00 an hour for website design when an Indian IT designer will do it for $5.00 an hour? Why spend countless hours in meetings with a designer when you can send your specifications to an Indian IT designer and conduct all of your business via e-mails and IM (instant messaging)? It seems simple enough; by outsourcing the work you save time and money, right?

Let me ask you a few questions, why are you sitting there right now thinking about outsourcing your next project? Are you thinking about all of the money you are going to save? Are you thinking about all of the manpower you can now re-direct toward other outstanding projects? Are you assuming you will not have to sit through hours of conversation with a designer about color, images and layout? After all, he is the designer, not you right? If you have been entertaining any of these thoughts, STOP NOW! Fact, you will spend more time worrying about this project than anything else. Fact, you will lose more money on this project than you ever thought possible. Fact, by the end of this ordeal, you will have an entirely new appreciation for IT designers.

Are you listening? Let us talk about some of the components of outsourcing. Here you are in need of a small website design for your company. As you see it, you do not have a lot of money to spend and every company you have contacted is out of your price range. Does this sound right?

Well, being the resourceful person who you are, you go to the Internet and click on countless resumes that detail education, work experience and include links to works completed. What else can you ask for? Finally, you have the answer! After a few hours, you have contacted an IT designer, outsourced your project, agreed on a reasonable rate and guaranteed yourself a website. Wow, you are feeling good!

IS IT WORTH IT?

Do you remember telling the IT designer that this was a time sensitive project? It has been a month and you have received a barrage of case studies that do not reflect any of your ideas. Furthermore, you are not even sure the IT designer you hired can effectively communicate in English. On several occasions, you have given simple instructions for changes that have fallen on deaf ears.

The e-mail and IM exchanges between you and the IT designer have become an exercise in restraint. You are spending valuable time evaluating, editing, and directing the project. You now have a decision to make…