German Outsourcing Association

What is the German Outsourcing Association?

The German Outsourcing Association, known more locally as Deutscher Outsourcing Verband, is an independent member platform for professionals and groups involved or interested in IT and business sourcing. 

It has been providing independent support for markets requiring ICT services and global business services. The group caters not only to the local German market but also to the international community. 

The association prides itself on being independent, non-commercial, and international.  

The German Outsourcing Association’s activities are primarily comprised of the following: 

• Improving transparency of the service provider landscape
• Building independent information and contact opportunities
• Providing active support when evaluating and communicating with service providers, consultants, and public administrations

Its CEO is Stephan Fricke, who has been with the organization since 2010. The association is led by a collection of experts in research, marketing, and communication.

German Outsourcing Association’s interest representation

The German Outsourcing Association represents the interests of all market participants, including the public sector, consultants, educators, and service purchasers.

However, its initiatives are focused on those who require German ICT and business services. It aims to primarily serve the consumers in its endeavors, utilizing its member organizations as a means to do so. 

The organization maintains relationships with major ICT associations and government organizations in order to have a thorough grasp of the demands of the German market. 

Its most important tools are information and networking. The group manages its own media and publications as part of this mission. 

German Outsourcing Association’s services

The German Outsourcing Association provides the following services: 

ICT sectors development and promotion

The German Outsourcing Association observes and aids in the rise of ICT service industries in countries like Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania.  

ICT sourcing and ICT markets advisory

The German Outsourcing Association offers advisory services for those seeking ICT sourcing. 

These services include: 

• Free advisory/orientation call – The association discusses the interested party’s needs and suggests strategies. 
• Requirements analysis – The organization specifies ICT resources and knowledge demand. 
• Markets and expansion advisory – It provides market information for those entering the industry. 
• Public sector advisory – It advises public administrations in their ICT market support programs. 
• Procurement process – The association manages procurement, onboarding, and process optimization for vendor management.  

Startup initiative IT sourcing

The organization’s special program for startups enables German founders to access talent and work with other IT partners. Young entrepreneurs are a special audience of this initiative. 

Startup services include: 

• Presentations – The association holds webinars and presentations to support knowledge sharing within different networks.
• Advisory – The association advises early on regarding accessing and engaging external IT resources. 
• Workshops and events – Special learning and networking workshops are held during company events. 
• Match-making – Startups are matched with experienced ICT service firms from within the association’s pool of partners. 
• Business trips – The association, together with its partners, arranges group visits to service delivery locations. 

Communication 

The German Outsourcing Association is committed to increasing the flow of information regarding ICT services and business processing within different sectors. 

It uses the following opportunities: 

• Expert articles – The organization assists its partners in sharing knowledge using its platform and publications. 
• Events – Events are held to present solutions when communicating with the general market. 
• Publications – The organization produces and distributes different papers regarding sector analysis, best practices, and market information. 
• Information campaigns – The group offers insights intended to reach the greater European region and even internationally. 

The association has its hand in multiple publications, including the following: 

• The Outsourcing Journal
• The Outsourcing Destination Guide Series
• The Vendor Management Journal
• The ICT Africa Journal

Market observation and intelligence

The organization believes that they can only be functional by accessing market data, insights, and industry expert recommendations. 

Following this, it has kept busy, both observing and involving itself in the advancements of German ICT sectors and developing markets. 

The group makes use of its wide international network to analyze conditions and identify opportunities for clients and investors. It also offers market research services to help companies better understand new audience segments.

Events

The organization holds events with the intention of building connections and sharing knowledge. In accordance with its mission, all events held are organized independently and for non-commercial purposes. 

Participants of these events usually include German buyer-side representatives, international ICT service delivery organizations, and representatives of the public sector.