Assignment #8 Posted by jealou* | at 9:02 PM

OUTSOURCING FOR THE UNIVERSITY

Actually, I’m a little torn between insourcing and outsourcing for the university.

It’s very difficult to take a stand on the issue since I have a very limited knowledge on what is the present and real situation of the university’s information system. Other than that there are many factors involved in the decision that I do not grasp.

In this case a thorough and extensive study must be done on which action the university must do in order to maximize benefits.

I mean, at a given time insourcing could be more advantageous and beneficial than outsourcing, at another situation it could be another way around.

With my position right now I think the university should outsource its Information System.
Why?

First, outsourcing is cheaper than insourcing.
While insourcing has the advantage of high degree control over system since the developer is insource. Aside from the fact that insource programmer knows the requirement and just what the university exactly needs, I don’t think that the administration is willing to spend more money in this particular matter. If we do the system insource it means that the university will provide all the necessary needs in completing the project.
If we outsource it will be less costly since we have different options in the market and system vendors nowadays competes. Commonly systems are now package complete with support.
In the light of the university’s recent event insourcing, (I think…) it causes resistance from some of the high ranking officials in the school.

Second, while insourcing boost the morale of the faculty the extra work distracts them from teaching.
The university is a learning institution therefore it must prioritize the students. If we insource and something went wrong with the system the faculty are pulled out from their classes to attend the problem leaving the student hanging. This practice is really not good in learning. Whereas if we outsource, all the troubleshooting, maintenance and check up of the hardware and software (the likes…) will be the problem of the provider this also means that with outsourcing we get support for the IS.

With outsourcing the professor can perform their primary role which is teaching in the university.

on the other hand…

About insourcing…
Insourcing is also a good option for the university, since we have competent faculty for the job why not use our resources. With insource the system is more secured and the university can have high degree of control over it.

In the end the final decision is still in the hands of the university administration. Presently, I think we are insourcing…but I don’t know what’s happening now with the system.

According to last update about the information sytem which was used last semesters enrollment, it is being modified for errors…(from what I’ve heard…)

We hope for a better enrollment next sem…^^