TimeManagement found the benefits of outsourcing in a strategic, long-term, local partner.
Opportunity
For years, Barrs Lewis was aware of the benefits large companies gained from outsourcing. And when two outsourcing firms contacted his small company two years ago, he realized that global sourcing might finally be an option for him.
Lewis is CEO of TimeManagement Corp., a 35-person, Minneapolis-based firm that provides integrated labor management software for the restaurant and hospitality industry. "The economics are compelling," he said. "The cost to hire internal development staff-or a local IT firm-is two to three times more than using offshore talent."
Lewis met with the two firms that contacted him-one from China and one from India-but he ended up choosing Coherent Solutions, Inc. (CSI), an outsourcing and consulting firm with offices in both Minneapolis and Minsk, Belarus.
"They all offered skilled, cost-effective resources, but nobody else offered the local project presence that CSI did," Lewis said. "We not only have regular conference calls with the team in Minsk, we meet face-to-face with our Minneapolis-based project manager weekly."
Solution
CSI initially began maintaining, enhancing, and testing existing labor management applications for TimeManagement. In time, they took on the strategic responsibility of developing a new human resources module for the company.
One challenge CSI had to overcome was learning TimeManagement's complex and proprietary application, built-in C++, COM, and .NET. "They did an extremely good job of getting up to speed quickly," Lewis said. The keys to success, he added, were CSI's combination of local project management and offshore development, the firm's structured approach to software development, and the frequent and easy communication that occurred among the extended team members.
ROI
All the enhancements and extensions CSI developed are now successfully in production. "They have definitely accelerated our time to market in a significant way," Lewis said.
He also appreciates the infectious enthusiasm of CSI's development team. "After a recent trip to Minsk, one of my staff commented that their energy and love of technology reminded him of U.S.-based developers in the early dot-com days. A lot of U.S. resources today are burned out. The CSI team is eager, energetic, and they love their work-and it energizes us as well!"
He views CSI as a strategic, long-term partner. "They provide additional capacity when I want it, the ability to scale when I need it, and the benefits of a blended local and offshore team."