Outsourcing has become one of the key drivers to improved competitiveness for organisations, especially in regions where labour costs are high. This book provides a framework for an up-to-date understanding of the outsourcing process and the key issues associated with it. It integrates a number of contemporary topics surrounding outsourcing, including benchmarking, buyer-supplier relationships, organisational behaviour, competitor analysis and technology influences. The analysis draws upon both empirical research and real case studies. The author starts by providing guidelines as to when outsourcing is appropriate and what its implications will be before moving on to explain how outsourcing is implemented. Both the benefits of successful oursourcing, and the risks and consequences of outsourcing failure are outlined. The book is ideal for use by postgraduate students on MBA business courses or by research students. It would also benefit industry managers who are considering outsourcing or already have outsourcing programmes in place.