New Book From PA Consulting Group Highlights Benefits of ‘Sourcing in an Economic Downturn’

LONDON -

- PA Consulting Group Book Provides HR Sourcing Strategy and Finance Sourcing Strategy Advice and Guidance to Businesses on How to Survive and Thrive With Shared Services and Outsourcing

PA Consulting Group (PA) www.paconsulting.com an independent, employee-owned, global firm of management, IT and technology consultants, has launched a second new book in the series - Surviving and thriving in the economic crisis. The new book ‘The Sourcing Opportunity’, written by Tim Palmer, PA Consulting Group’s lead in HR Transformation and Simon Tennant, Head of PA’s Shared Services consulting. It provides clear insights on HR sourcing strategy and Finance sourcing strategy to those wishing to take advantage of the opportunities that sourcing provides in the current market environment tr.im/pasandt

Expanding on some of the key themes explored in the first book in the series by Head of PA’s Strategy and Marketing Practice, Mark Thomas, ‘A handbook for Corporate Leaders’ tr.im/pahcl and using insights from PA’s recent International IT Outsourcing Survey 2009, the new book offers key insights into the sourcing process through: securing liquidity, adjusting the business mix, improving performance and, finally, taking bold steps to secure the future. The authors believe that these four key steps should be built into any HR sourcing strategy and/or Finance sourcing strategy development, to drive the intent of the relationship and ensure that objectives are mutually agreed and achieved.

Palmer and Tennant argue that the key requirement for any HR sourcing strategy and/or Finance sourcing strategy is flexibility, and that any new sourcing activity should be constructed with this as a central objective. They go on to argue that the prevailing wisdom of the industry might be wrong when it comes to some key outsourcing questions, including: Which outsourcing services deliver the best return? What is the best shape for a commercial deal? And, is it better to work with a single service provider or multiple service providers?

Tim Palmer comments, “The current global economy presents the chance for sourcing techniques to prove their worth, by creating and realising value through a reduction in costs, increased performance and the provision of flexibility. Yet there remain formidable obstacles that need to be navigated if organisations and individuals are to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to them.”

Palmer continues, “Despite these obstacles, we believe that the current economic environment provides a significant opportunity for almost every organisation. Therefore it’s also a personal opportunity for every sourcing leader and professional - many people will define their careers helping their organisations respond innovatively to sourcing issues over the coming months.”

The book, ‘Surviving and thriving in the economic crisis: The sourcing opportunity’, is available free of charge. Business managers and directors simply need to request a copy of the book via www.paconsulting.com/sourcingopportunity where comments can also be offered and topics within the book can be discussed in greater depth. Alternatively, please call +44-207-333-5923 to speak directly with a member of the team.

PA is also holding a breakfast seminar to discuss this topic further on Thursday, 24 September in London. To reserve a place at the event please call Hannah Cash on +44-207-333-5923.

Operating worldwide in more than 35 countries, PA draws on the knowledge and experience of its 3,000 people, whose skills extend from the initial generation of ideas, insights, solutions and new technology, all the way through to detailed implementation.

About PA Consulting Group

At PA Consulting Group, we transform the performance of organisations. We put together teams from many disciplines and backgrounds to tackle the most complex problems facing our clients, working with leaders and their staff to turn around organisations in the private and public sectors. Clients call on us when they want:

- an innovative solution: counter-intuitive thinking and groundbreaking solutions - a highly responsive approach: we listen, and then we act decisively and quickly - delivery of hard results: we get the job done, often trouble-shooting where previous initiatives have failed.

PA is an independent, employee-owned, global firm of 2,500 talented individuals, operating from offices across the world, in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania. We have won numerous awards for delivering complex and highly innovative assignments, have technology development capability that few firms can match, deep expertise across key industries and government, and a unique breadth of skills from strategy to IT to HR to applied technology.

- defence - energy - financial services - government and public services - international development - life sciences and healthcare - manufacturing - postal services - retail – telecommunications - transportation - strategic management - innovation and technology – IT - operational improvement - human resources - complex programme delivery

For further information, please contact: Will Gardiner itpr +44-1932-578-800

Source: PA Consulting Group

For further information, please contact: Will Gardiner, itpr, +44-1932-578-800