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Outsourcing

Find out more about outsourcing business processes to improve your company's performance. Our selection of books, articles, links and guides can help you identify strategies, techniques and best practice to apply to your business.
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Latest on outsourcing

Our latest articles and reports on outsourcing.
Exclusive Trends in outsourcing and offshoring
  • Article
  • 14 Nov 2024
Outsourcing and offshoring has grown. ICAEW research offers insights into common drivers and key considerations among larger and mid-tier firms.
Outsourcing, offshoring, Podsourcing®… what’s the best fit for your accountancy practice?
  • Article
  • 31 Oct 2024
It’s not just ‘outsourcing’… there are various options that accountancy practices have to help them support their resource.
Why change management and communication are key to successful accountancy outsourcing
  • Article
  • 14 Oct 2024
Outsourcing and offshoring are much more than ‘easy to access resource’. Implementation requires great planning and consistent communication.
Audit partners needed to complete FRC survey
  • Article
  • 28 Apr 2023
On behalf of FRC, consultancy firm Touchstone Renard is seeking views of audit partners as part of research into the non-PIE audit market.
Exclusive Shared service centres and group audits
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 03 Dec 2018
Many companies now use shared service centres. Such centres provide information processing services and other services related to the finance function to multiple components in a group.
Exclusive Managing the retained finance function
  • Article
  • 01 Dec 2011
Alistair Marsden offers some advice on how to face the unique challenges of managing a retained finance function.
Finance Function: a framework for analysis
  • Thought leadership report
  • 01 Oct 2011
  • PDF (694kb)
Building effective finance functions is a key concern of organisations and finance professionals. This report provides a foundation for considering the key challenges and a reference source for those analysing or researching the role of the finance function.
Exclusive Special Report 31: Finance transformation - the outsourcing perspective
  • Report
  • 12 Dec 2010
  • PDF (306kb)
The authors of this outsourcing special report share their expertise on topics including service level agreements, people management, and innovation and technology.

eBooks

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides full text access to a selection of key business and reference eBooks from leading publishers. eBooks are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users. If you are unable to access an eBook, please see our Help and support advice or contact library@icaew.com.

Exclusive CFO insights: achieving high performance through finance business process outsourcing
  • eBook
  • 2004
  • Stewart Clements, Michael Donnellan
  • John Wiley and Son
This title gives practical advice and strategies for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and answers questions that CFOs may have.
Exclusive CFO insights: enabling high performance through leading practices for finance ERP
  • eBook
  • 2006
  • Cristian C. Wulf
  • Wiley
Examines the end-to-end business processes that enable leading practices in finance.
Exclusive Outsourcing
  • eBook
  • 2014
  • Andrew W. Smith, Karen Meenderink, Mark Sykes, Dennis Horner
  • ICSA Publishing
Looks at the fundamentals for outsourcing success and offers examples of good practice throughout the outsourcing lifecycle.
Exclusive Outsourcing
  • eBook
  • 2014
  • Andrew W. Smith | Karen Meenderink | Mark Sykes | Dennis Horner
  • ICSA Publishing
Outsourcing has become a common occurrence over the last ten years with increasing numbers of both public and private sectors organisations in the UK adopting an outsourcing approach. This eBook covers the fundamentals for success and offers examples of good practice throughout all stages of the outsourcing lifecycle.
Exclusive Outsourcing handbook: to implement a successful outsourcing process, The
  • eBook
  • 2006
  • Mark J. Power, Kevin C. Desouza, Carlo Bonifazi
  • Kogan Page
Outsourcing best practice guide for managers.
Terms of use

You are permitted to access, download, copy, or print out content from eBooks for your own research or study only, subject to the terms of use set by our suppliers and any restrictions imposed by individual publishers. Please see individual supplier pages for full terms of use.

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Business press

The Library provides access to leading business, finance and management journals. These journals are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users subject to suppliers' terms of use.
Exclusive MNEs use shared service centres to bolster digitalisation projects
  • Article
  • 27 Sep 2021
  • Alice Jones
Multinational enterprises (MNEs) can move global tax and finance teams to a shared service centre (SSC) to aid tax digitalisation projects, according to panellists at ITR's Asia Tax Forum.
Exclusive Pricing your outsourcing contract in uncertainty
  • Article
  • 01 May 2020
  • Satish Joshi, Ranjani Krishnan, Deepa Mani
The authors report on their study into the impact that volatility and ambiguity can have on whether a fixed-price or cost-plus contract provides greater benefit in strategic outsourcing agreements.
Exclusive Internal audit: in-house versus outsourcing
  • Article
  • 01 Aug 2018
  • Sarah Perrin
The article looks at the impact of outsourcing of the internal audit function on the effectiveness of the process or the level of independence and objectivity of the audit. Topics covered include importance of effective internal audit as demonstrated by the failure of Carillion, advantages of outsourcing internal audit such as credibility and cost-effectiveness, potential disadvantages like lack of permanent on-site resource and the pros and cons of in-house internal audit. * For the full article please contact the Library *
Exclusive Outsourcing in HR
  • Article
  • 01 Jan 2017
  • Jane Simms
A discussion of the trend in outsourcing human resource (HR) management services by companies in Great Britain. Topics include the uptake in outsourcing, the drop in the value of new outsourcing contracts, and the factors that drive HR outsourcing decisions.
Exclusive The risks HMRC faces in ditching its outsourcing mega-deal with Aspire
  • Article
  • 25 Nov 2014
  • Caroline Baldwin
Caroline Baldwin investigates how HMRC intends to manage the risks of breaking up one of the largest IT outsourcing deals ever signed.
Exclusive Led by finance
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2014
  • Val Zha Yinqun
The author explains how his finance team at WuXi AppTec has transformed in order to support the firm's management and business units more effectively.
Exclusive Supply chain control towers help organizations respond to new pressures
  • Article
  • 01 Aug 2014
  • Brooks Bentz
Article on the developing trend for 'supply chain control towers'.
Exclusive Improving business results with shared service centres
  • Article
  • 01 Feb 2014
  • Simon Marshall
Simon Marshall explains how using highly effective credit management can drive improved business results.

Articles and books in the ICAEW Library collection

The collection of the ICAEW Library & Information Service includes a range of articles, books and reports on outsourcing. Use the links below to see what we have available to request in our Library catalogue (Libcat).
Outsourcing: a practical guide
  • Library book
  • 2015
  • K.Burden (ed.)
  • Globe Law and Business
This book looks at the complete lifecycle of an outsourcing contract and the variety of legal and contractual issues that can arise in connection with an outsourcing project. It also breaks down the core outsourcing contract into its constituent parts, explains the rationale for the relevant provisions (form both a customer and service provider perspective), and provides guidance as to current market practice, options and trends.
Successful outsourcing and multi-sourcing
  • Library book
  • 2014
  • D.Parlour
  • Gower
As well as focusing on multi-sourcing, this book addresses the question of why a business should outsource in the first place and how decisions to do this should be strategic. The chapters aim to illuminate the benefits of single-sourcing, the benefits of multi-sourcing, how best to decide what outsourcing model to choose; how to transition to outsourcing, and what steps to take to maximise benefit and minimise risk.

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to borrowing books.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.

External resources - Guidance and surveys

2022 Global Outsourcing Survey
  • Website
  • Deloitte
The latest of Deloitte's annual surveys of trends in global outsourcing.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

External resources - Organisations

Global Sourcing Association
  • Website
A not-for-profit organisation providing access to research, publications and information on business strategy and best practice relating to outsourcing and shared services.
Outsourcing Center
  • Website
US-based portal focused on best practices in outsourcing, offshoring and shared services. The website provides research and case studies covering recent trends and business practices.
Outsourcing Institute
  • Website
The OI is an international professional association which collects articles and news on outsourcing. Access to the database is free but requires registration.
Sourcing Interests Group (SIG)
  • Website
A professional network for sharing thought leadership, innovation and best practices in outsourcing.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

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