R"ossing Uranium contracts OD&MS to procure and implement a major outsourcing agreement

Namibia-based R"ossing Uranium Ltd, a member of the Rio Tinto group and a major player in the uranium market, has outsourced its Business Information and Technology Services (BITS) to ISCON Namibia. In April 1999 R"ossing launched a major project, "R"ossing Beyond 2000" or "RB2000" with the main purpose of introducing the following:

• Improved performance;

• Reduced costs;

• Culture change throughout the organisation; and

• Introducing performance management. The project process had a number of important aspects, namely:

• It involved a detailed understanding and strict analysis of all costs.

• All employees were involved in generating ideas for improving performance and reducing costs. Every idea was carefully reviewed and analysed, and if accepted, developed into a plan.

• his was followed by structured planning for the implementation of ideas, as well as the ongoing tracking of progress in meeting targets.

The outsourcing of the Business Information Technology Systems (BITS) section was one of the ideas that R"ossing pursued to ensure that R"ossing will remain a world class, safe and sustainable organisation for the years to come.

Hendrik Grobbelaar, IT Superintendent responsible for BITS, comments as follows:

"Outsourcing BITS would afford us the opportunity to fix a large percentage of our expenditure in BITS, allow us to refocus our energies on core business and to spend more time on strategic planning rather than operational management. In addition outsourcing to a reputable Service Provider also gave the Company access to skills and resources and global best practices".

"Having received the green light from management to proceed with the outsourcing process, and realising that we did not have the in-house expertise to implement this process, we approached outsource management consultants, Outsource Decisions and Management Services (OD&MS)," said Grobbelaar. "They had already assisted R"ossing in successfully outsourcing the medical services function supporting our occupational health and safety system".

"In a partnership with OD&MS we used their methodology called SourceIT to investigate, motivate, procure and implement a complete and comprehensive outsourcing agreement for BITS". "A task that would have taken us the better part of a year was completed within 4 calendar months resulting in additional savings to R"ossing - the OD&MS process is efficient, flexible and very easy to use and gave us exactly what we wanted in the most efficient time line" added Grobbelaar.

"The outsourcing process was primarily cost driven and by outsourcing BITS, R"ossing will realise substantial cost savings in the near future as well as added value through expanded skills," said Grobbelaar. "The need to go to the market with this project was vital and without the expertise and professionalism of OD&MS I believe we would not have progressed as efficiently and speedily as we did while still achieving all our goals and objectives" he concluded.