'No Problems, None Whatsoever'

Why did you choose to outsource this project to India?



We didn’t outsource directly. We had gone to the London Book Fair three years ago where we met several companies and discussed our business plan with them. DPS was the only company with the technology as well as the flexibility to agree with our business plan. We asked them to digitize all our titles, approximately 20,000, and create and maintain an online warehouse, and it was decided that 90% of the business revenue would stay with Taylor & Francis and 10% would go to

DPS.

Their business initiative and attitude was non-Indian. It was only later we realized that their business was based out of

Pune. They have an excellent attitude, flexibility, provide a fast response and deliver good quality.

Cristoph Chesher

Director, sales and marketing services, T&F

Did outsourcing to India help you in cutting down on costs?



A rough and ready estimate would be about 75% cost saving, as we would have got the same work done at nearly four times the cost in the UK.

What was your comfort level in interacting with an Indian company?



We were ready to put up with teething problems due to business reasons. However, we came across none whatsoever. Their fluency in English, flexibility to working in the UK time zone and responsiveness were all very comforting.

What were the key SLA parameters you were looking for?



The primary one was expertise, which implies knowledge of cutting edge technologies. The second was price.

What problems did you face in doing business with India?



One, I hope India would have better telephone lines in future. Two, there are bandwidth problems, especially if a site is hosted on Indian servers.

Given the current backlash against outsourcing, how do you think it would affect your future decisions to outsource work?



None. Every country has a right to compete for business in a global scenario.