Implementing business strategy with virtual R&D teams

Outsourcing has been on the increase over the last 30 years, driven by the difficulty of maintaining world-class standards across all aspects of business activity and a desire to reduce costs. It started with the outsourcing of support activities such as facility management and IT, and then moved on to mainstream activities such as manufacturing, distribution, sales and customer service. Non-technology companies have often outsourced product development, but for technology companies this activity has remained largely in-house. This paper is aimed at R&D decision makers, who maybe considering or actively planning the outsourcing of more of their development activities. The paper discusses some of the issues surrounding the outsourcing of R&D activities and presents some strategies and practical tips for successful implementation.