In-House Vs Outsource

Salaam,


When one read the above title, one sees the concept as something that originated from the Managerial World; an investment decision, whether one would like to take the process onboard, or outsource it to external parties.

The final decision, of course, will based on rigorous and methodical analysis (e.g. Cost-Benefits, SWOT, Porter's Five Forces, Six Sigma Framework, etc) of the situation at hand, also the nature of the investment itself (e.g. If the process is imperative to gain Competitive Advantage in the market, and want to protect the Capability, then, in-house is on top of the list; If the technology is already widespread, and one would like to reduce the overhead and re-focus its energy on what it does best, then Outsource is definitely need to be considered).


This methodical approach can also be applied in our everyday dealings. We certainly can use the various framework in our dealings. The width and depth of the analysis, of course, will be different compare when it is use by company.

Let me give few examples from my personal experience.


1. Day Care Centres / Baby Sitter vs Stay Home.
Ever since Ranie and myself are in the ta'aruf process, this topic always comes on our conversation table ... until now.

Pros: Additional $$$ bring in onto our table + Ranie be able to apply her formal knowledge on the work field + time for herself outside the house
Cons:
Less quality time spend w/ Shaafazka.
Due to the extensive dealings with baby sitter since I was born, closeness w/ parents get affected in some way. We are working our way to improve the family relationship.

Concerns: The quality of 3rd party (Day Care Centres around our area or, if we're in Indonesia/Jakarta, the quality of Baby Sitters is more of a concern too).

(Current) Solution:
1.1 Ranie work only 3 days a week (starting on January 2009, when she returns from her 12 month maternity leave).
1.2 Thorough review of the Day Care Centres, checking the quality of the staff involved in teaching and caring the children, checking food products (halal food availability), opening and closing times, scheduling our timetable for drop-off and pick-up at the Day Care Centre.


Previous experience suggested that:
1.1.1 3rd party quality assessment is proven to be (quite) difficult. A baby sitter has been appointed to take care of me since I was born in 1981. To this date, she's still staying with my family back home, taking a role as a head-chef.
A number of experiences amongst friends and families, locating a trusted babysitter who have integrity, remain an extremely difficult tasks. Hopefully, sourcing a good quality Day Care Centre around my area, would not be so difficult.


Currently, we're currently "outsourcing" our food prepn, i.e: catering. In Indonesia, you may have a "contract" with 3rd party to prepare your food, i.e. house-maid. For simple reason, we simply have little time to prepare for the food, and Shaafazka requires a high level of attention these days. As time changes, hopefully, this condition will follow suit.


Gotta go back to work again.


Wassalaam
Sidqie