Media: Computer Weekly looks at the Impact of Outsourcing on Customer Relations

"Customer satisfaction key to successful outsourcing deals" plays on the financial aspects of outsourcing customer relations, but within the story are some facts of interest to the user experience practitioner.

According to Gartner, reported in Computer Weekly:
* 60% of organisations that outsource parts of the customer-facing process over the next three years will see customers switch to rivals.
* Companies lack information to make meaningful cost/benefit analysis and often focus on inappropriate or unmeasureable service levels and cost metrics.

'A poorly managed outsourcing deal can reduce the quality of the customer experience, dilute the brand values of the company and fail to deliver cost savings,' notes the article.

Gartner recommends that companies create customer-facing processes. It recommends that businesses judge suppliers on customer satisfaction or other quality metrics to measure and motivate outsourcers rather than "operational metrics" such as the number of calls handled by the supplier.

Associated Link: CW: Customer satisfaction key to successful outsourcing deals

All change at the top for System Concepts
Source: System Concepts Ltd, 3 July 2009
 
Leslie Fountain has been promoted to joint Managing Director of leading usability consultancy System Concepts.

Life in UCD immortalised in fiction: you couldn't make it up
Source: UN, 2 July 2009
 
Sarah Herman's fictitious book on life in a user-centred design company has hit the shelves and The Guardian's book pages...

Interfaces Magazine - Issue 79: The Education Issue
Source: Interaction Group, 1 July 2009
 
The latest issue of Interfaces is now available as a free download from the Interaction Website.

Two new Behavioural research Tools from Noldus
Source: UN, 30 June 2009
 
Tool updates make on-site behavioural data collection easier.

Cell Phones that Listen and Learn
Source: MIT Technology Review, 29 June 2009
 
New software tracks a user's behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.

Top Six Don’ts for Usability Testing
Source: FutureNow Inc., 27 June 2009
 
Six tips for creating quality usability tests to ensure useful feedback from testers.

Usability: ‘Lovely software. But I can’t work it’
Source: FT.com, 26 June 2009
 
In a recent survey by Global Graphics, 77 per cent of office workers estimate they lose up to one hour a week because business software is difficult to use.

And what do you do?
Source: Dexo Design, 25 June 2009
 
How do you describe your job role? Here are the results of a recent 'Preferred UX/UI Title' Poll.

Most Doctors cite Usability as critical to Electronic Health Record Adoption
Source: TMCNet, 24 June 2009
 
It's all about 'meaningful use'.

Glossy monitors look good but can hurt
Source: QUT, 23 June 2009
 
A new advisory cites research which suggests high gloss monitors make users sit awkwardly.