IT integral to business outsourcing

14:32 23rd July 2008

IT needs to be an integral part of a businesses strategy for outsourcing finance, the analyst firm Gartner has claimed in a new report.

The independent technology research company highlighted that as finance and accounting business outsourcing is becoming increasingly commonplace, chief information officers (CIO) should draw on the expertise of their IT teams - who have probably outsourced before.

The report said that often in this situation finance teams will either pass on the entire initiative to the IT department, or do not bother to inform them at all.

Cathy Tornbohm, Gartner research vice president, believes that a partnership during outsourcing will benefit both sides.

She said: "IT should approach the business and lay out the mistakes it will see if previous expertise is ignored."

Last week, businesses were warned of an impending shake-up in IT outsourcing relationships triggered by the current economic climate.