Dive Brief:

• Over the last several years, many businesses shifted their IT outsourcing model from a single provider to numerous best-of-breed vendors, according to CIO.com.

• Now, some businesses are shifting back, as multisourcing proves unwieldy.

• The shift is creating an evolving middle ground for multisourcing, the site noted.

Dive Insight:

For some companies, managing relationships with dozens of outsourcing vendors has proven difficult and expensive. At the same time, a centralized approach can restrict agility. As a result, some companies are beginning to move away from uncoordinated sourcing to a smaller number of strategic outsourcing relationships, creating a new “middle ground” for multisourcing.

Under the new multisourced model, a company may use a limited number of key providers as well as an integrator that allows the providers to interface. This model can enable CIOs to take back some control while also allowing them to take advantage of synergies between providers.