Leverage Risk to Inform IT Outsourcing Requirements

Many organizations choose to outsource IT infrastructure, but the results often disappoint – and outsourcing only amplifies internal gaps and inefficiencies. Assessing outsourcing risks upfront can help IT leaders reduce vendor misalignment, unmet expectations, and costly cycles of rework and insourcing. This research provides a structured framework to help take control of outsourcing risks before you sign a contract so your RFP sets up the vendor relationship for measurable outcomes.

By identifying IT services or processes most suitable for outsourcing, evaluating risks systematically, and identifying what must be fixed internally vs. what can be transferred to the vendor, IT leaders can develop both internal action items and clear, outcome-based vendor requirements. These measures can help identify and control the risks of outsourcing and become a catalyst for internal transformation and modernization.

1. Don’t outsource your flaws.

If your IT processes are poorly defined or misaligned, outsourcing won’t fix them – it will just transfer the dysfunction. Far from being a silver bullet for operational efficiency, outsourcing often highlights internal immaturity and can even exacerbate service issues if integration points with the provider are unclear or unmanaged. Get your house in order before looking for external solutions.

2. Outsource the right things.

The best outsourcing candidates are routine IT services where vendors bring a clear performance advantage – whether through specialized skills, economies of scale, or superior technology. Services that are critical to your strategy or rely on specialized in-house knowledge are better kept internal. This ensures that outsourcing drives efficiency while you focus on the capabilities that define your organization’s unique value.

3. Focus on the result, not the process.

Instead of focusing on your third-party provider’s processes, clearly identify the outcomes the vendor needs to deliver, frame them as objectives and key results, and measure success against them. This shifts the focus from technical checklists to measurable results that show whether the provider is truly delivering the value you need.

Use this step-by-step guide to control infrastructure outsourcing risk and match with the right provider

This research offers a workbook and assessment tools to help you prioritize outsourcing candidates, assess risk scenarios, and build a list of internal issues and vendor-facing outcomes. Use this step-by-step guidance to mitigate avoidable risks, strengthen internal readiness, and gather everything you need to write an RFP that maximizes your chosen vendor’s chances of meeting your needs.

• Determine the scope of your infrastructure outsourcing initiative by defining your objectives and identifying outsourcing candidates.
• Assess the risk by developing general risk categories and specific risk scenarios and conducting an initial risk evaluation.
• Develop your action plan to generate outcome-based requirements for vendors, along with a burndown list of internal action items.