Working it out
13 September 2012
Entrusting a function to a third party can bring many benefits - not just savings. But it must be carried out gradually and handled with care to ensure that the process does not go to pieces. Liam O’Brien reports
When Bob Ayling, British Airways’ former chief executive, suggested outsourcing all but the airline’s core functions four years ago, the unions, media and competitors criticised him for being off-the-wall and unrealistic. It was argued that the public would not want to buy tickets from a “virtual” company, BA would suffer from service-delivery problems and managing...