The Concept of Modularity in the Context of IS/IT Project Outsourcing: An Empirical Case Study of a Belgian Technology Services Company

摘要

Information systems and information technology (IS/IT) services are often outsourced to external partners for multiple reasons. The outsourcing literature is persistently reporting high failure rates in IS/IT project outsourcing. Literature suggests that the IS/IT project outsourcing is a complex maneuver, but unfortunately, none of the proposed remedies (mitigating actions) have considered addressing the complexity related issue in IS/IT project outsourcing. This paper explores the concept of modularity, as it has been applied in many other fields in order to manage complexity and enhance agility/flexibility. This paper presents a case study conducted at a Belgian organization involved in technology services and is part of a research project consisting of four cases. This study illustrates a systematic approach, how the concept of modularity can be applied in identifying 'couplings' which may be responsible for increasing complexity to IS/IT project outsourcing. This study is a first attempt to gain insight into this phenomenon.