By Deb Mielke
Network World, 5/18/98

Before you sign the outsourcing contract with your chosen vendor or vendors, address all the p's and q's.

• Review the processes - Take a final look at your vendor's implementation, escalation, management, ticketing and billing processes. Make sure these meet your needs.

• Meet the people - Visit the outsourcer's management center and meet the people who will manage your network. Do they seem overworked? Are they trained to sup-port your specific network configuration?

• Get it on paper - Review the contract, paying special attention SLAs and how the vendor's reporting will indicate compliance or noncompliance.

• Ask questions - Keep asking questions until you're satisfied.

• Look for quality - Look for quality in the outsourcer's systems, tools and personnel. If the vendor hasn't made the required investment, your service will suffer.

By now, you and your chosen outsourcing vendor should have an understanding of each other's needs and capabilities, systems and personnel. There will be bumps along the way, but, with commitment and perseverance, the relationship should prove to be beneficial for both parties.

Hey - why are you still carrying that beeper? Isn't that someone else's problem now?