Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - (Page 17)
Ins & Outs
By Stacy Collett
Small and medium-size firms contract out for expertise and cost control. but experts say the practice isn’t right for everyone.
Takeaways
>> The practice of contracting out noncritical business
functions has grown in popularity among small and mid-size firms. According to the 2010 ACEC Industry Trends Survey of member Firms, 38 percent outsource payroll services, 32 percent outsource information technology and 16 percent outsource accounting services.
W
>> Proponents of contracting out say it incorporates
valuable third-party perspectives and enables existing staff to focus on projects that grow the business.
>> beginning in 2011, as part of reports on most
RANDY LYHUS
commonly outsourced business services, Engineering Inc. will include a special state-bystate compilation of vendors, which provide those services and have been endorsed by member Firms.
hen Karen Friese launched her engineering firm in 2003, she needed backoffice expertise—and fast. The decision then to contract out specialized functions fit her needs. “In the beginning, we outsourced just about everything that required administrative expertise,” including accounting, payroll processing and information technology, says Friese, president of K Friese and Associates, Inc., in Austin, Texas. Slowly over seven years, Friese brought in fulltime employees with back-office experience to fill the void, even though such tasks are not part of their official job description. “For example, if we hired a new technician and he had some IT experience, he or she would also take over
November / December 2010 eNGINeerING INc.
>>
17
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010
Contents
From ACEC to You
News and Notes
Market Watch
Legislative Action
Power Play
2010 Fall Conference Highlights
Ins and Outs
Re-energized
Business Insights
Young Professionals of the Year
Members in the News
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 (Page Cover1)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 (Page Cover2)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Contents (Page 1)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - From ACEC to You (Page 2)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - From ACEC to You (Page 3)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - News and Notes (Page 4)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Market Watch (Page 5)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Legislative Action (Page 6)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Legislative Action (Page 7)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Power Play (Page 8)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Power Play (Page 9)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Power Play (Page 10)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Power Play (Page 11)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - 2010 Fall Conference Highlights (Page 12)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - 2010 Fall Conference Highlights (Page 13)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - 2010 Fall Conference Highlights (Page 14)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - 2010 Fall Conference Highlights (Page 15)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Ins and Outs (Page 16)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Ins and Outs (Page 17)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Ins and Outs (Page 18)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Ins and Outs (Page 19)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Re-energized (Page 20)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Re-energized (Page 21)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Re-energized (Page 22)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Re-energized (Page 23)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Re-energized (Page 24)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Re-energized (Page 25)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Business Insights (Page 26)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Business Insights (Page 27)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Young Professionals of the Year (Page 28)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Members in the News (Page 29)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Members in the News (Page 30)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Members in the News (Page 31)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Members in the News (Page 32)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Members in the News (Page Cover3)
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2010 - Members in the News (Page Cover4)
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