Transformation from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age: Impact on Outsourcing

Abstract

The previous decades have seen the emergence of the Information Age, where the key focus was on knowledge acquisition and application. With the emergence of cross-domain disciplines like outsourcing, we are witnessing a trend towards creative knowledge, rational application, and innovation. We are now progressing from an era that was information-dependent towards the era that revolves around concept development. This age, referred to as the Conceptual Age, will be dominated by six new senses--design, story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning--creating a need to diverge from the current reliance on linear and sequential algorithmic practices in outsourcing and to adopt cognition based engineering and management approaches. This article lays the foundation for offshore engineering and management (OEM) and discusses estimation issues in OEM that have their roots in software engineering. Also, this article identifies the limitations of the current methodologies from an outsourcing point of view, and delineates how they can be deployed effectively for an outsourced environment.