A recent article in Global Services had an interesting take on The Rise of the Global Sourcing Professional. According to the article, experienced IT professionals have a unique opportunity to transition into global sourcing professionals due to their role in the evolution of outsourcing in its infancy to a mature industry.

The article, which starts by noting that companies need to move beyond the traditional outsourcing model if they want to continue to reduce costs, indicates that the next round of cost savings will only be realized if a high level of productivity between vendors and employees is reached. Furthermore, this will only happen if global sourcing professionals are able to help management understand their unique issues around outsourcing and build a new organization that focuses on communication and collaboration.

In this brave new world, experienced IT professionals have a unique opportunity to transition into the role of Global Sourcing Professional as they have the technical knowledge, a keen awareness of business processes, and an understanding of system and automation infrastructures. A GSP needs to have a full understanding of the company’s culture, how they align with the vendor of choice, and recognize opportunities … and IT professionals face these issues every day. Furthermore, the best GSPs seek out new ideas and processes, and this is what drives IT professionals. It’s something to think about.