IT outsourcing as a challenge for transport

Summary: To compete in the global market, transport companies should use the latest information technology (IT) systems and technologies, which accelerate document flow and the making of accurate decisions. Transport services are essential in supply chains and tourism. A new situation for the transport industry is the possibility of using various IT outsourcing models. If transport companies take up the challenge, they have a chance to survive the economic slowdown and find new opportunities for creating development. The article presents the application of IT outsourcing as a method for improving the management of a transport enterprise, using airlines as an example. Furthermore, the specifics and models of IT outsourcing as well as IT services useful in transport are described.
1. SPECIFICS AND MODELS OF IT OUTSOURCING
In literature, outsourcing is a combination of two words: out and sourcing [9, p. 19] or an abbreviation of three words: outside resource using, meaning “using external resources” [13, p. 11].
Sourcing means “assigning work, responsibility, and decision-making authority to someone” by someone [9, p. 19], e.g., assigning work to subordinates by managers. Outsourcing is the contracting of services to external parties. The subject of an outsourcing project is the assigned work (e.g., IT services, logistics services). Companies also use insourcing, which is the use of internal resources, when work previously outsourced begins to be performed within the company.
Outsourcing consists of transferring part of a company’s operations, under a contract, to an external service provider who “takes responsibility for specific functions or processes” [6, p. 85]. IT outsourcing means the total or partial transfer of responsibility for the IT support of an enterprise or selected IT services to an external company. An alternative to IT outsourcing is the separation of a specialized unit within the enterprise that provides IT services to all branches, i.e., internal outsourcing referred to as the shared services model. Thanks to this model, companies can achieve significant savings and retain knowledge and competencies [10, p. 20].
Enterprises often have to make buy-or-make decisions regarding a product or performing a service themselves. (…)

IT outsourcing as a challenge for transport – PDF file for download