ABSTRACT
Serco is an international task management contractor providing technical and support services to leading public and private sector organizations. The Serco Institute undertakes applied research in the field of outsourcing and service delivery and facilitates the exchange of best practice in this field for the benefit of Serco businesses and customer organizations. Much has been learned about the use of competition and outsourcing as a means of introducing change and promoting innovation and continuous improvement. Outsourcing deals involving entire service operations with annual turnovers of £30-50m and employing up to 1000 staff are no longer uncommon, and projects of this magnitude are being implemented in similar timescales to smaller projects involving more conventional packages of support services. Traditionally distinctions between 'core' and 'non-core' services are being challenged as many organizations pass to suppliers the responsibility for performing tasks that form an essential part of their business processes.
