Title :
Knowledge Transfer in IT Offshore Outsourcing Projects: An Analysis of the Current State and Best Practices
Author :
Betz, Stefanie ; Oberweis, Andreas ; Stephan, Rolf
Author_Institution :
Inst. of Appl. Inf. & Formal Description Methods, Karlsruhe Inst. of Technol., Karlsruhe, Germany
Abstract :
Knowledge transfer is one of the most critical success factors in IT offshore outsourcing projects and in many cases extremely underestimated. Compared to in-house or onsite projects, a much higher complexity appears in globally distributed projects. Not only language barriers but also other challenges such as cultural differences, diverse time-zones, distinct methods and approaches, as well as varied infrastructural equipment, may cause problems which negatively impact knowledge transfer, and in consequence, the overall success of a project. In order to minimize risks during knowledge transfer, we conducted a research study based on a literature review and expert interviews. The result of our study was a collection and description of best practices and the development of recommendations by linking proven solutions to identified problem areas.
Keywords :
DP industry; DP management; knowledge management; outsourcing; IT offshore outsourcing projects; cultural differences; diverse time-zones; globally distributed projects; infrastructural equipment; knowledge transfer; Best practices; Face; Interviews; Knowledge engineering; Knowledge transfer; Outsourcing; IT offshore outsourcing; knowledge transfer; risk mitigation;
Conference_Titel :
Global Software Engineering (ICGSE), 2010 5th IEEE International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Princeton, NJ
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-7619-0
Electronic_ISBN :
978-1-4244-7620-6
DOI :
10.1109/ICGSE.2010.45