Forging an outsourcing partnership that works

Today, many firms are looking for ways to reduce overheads and operate more efficiently. One alternative is outsourcing. Large software companies like IBM and Microsoft have begun setting up partnerships with consulting firms to perform work that´s not directly related to their core business activities. Documentation is often one of the functions firms identify as a potential candidate for outsourcing. Turning over the responsibility for documenting entire product lines to an outside group is a relatively new concept. This paper discusses how one documentation manager from a major software firm and one partner in a consulting firm are struggling to define outsourcing partnerships that benefit everyone