When a consultant writes a book, we would expect some advise supported with some real-life examples of success, some actions and some questions for introspection. That is exactly how James A. Champy has framed his new book “Outsmart!” in order to make the readers learn from his experience and what he learned from others and their experiences. 

And, of course, Champy is not an ordinary consultant; he is an outsourcing advisor who works for one of the leading outsourcing services company. Therefore, he couldn’t resist himself from talking about outsourcing while writing on the successful business journey of Mike Cappello, Chief Executive of S.A. Robotics in chapter 6, titled Compete By Doing Everything Yourself. The chapter celebrates the “rare and stubborn breed of leaders such as Cappello who have bucked the outsourcing wave of the past two decades and outsmarted their rivals by doing everything themselves.”

But in this fast changing world, which strongly believes in outsourcing, the one-stop-shop model looks an old fashioned one. “If you manufacture a complex, customized product, the need for control is clear. If you are providing a more commoditized product or service, however, outsourcing part of your work might be a legitimate option or, in some cases, a competitive necessity. An outsourcing partner might be able to do some of your work better, faster, and cheaper — and might also bring industry know-how and capabilities that will improve your product or service. The key is to know, what you are really good at and what makes you distinctive, and therefore, what you need to keep in-house. …. Make sure that your partner shares your business values and priorities,” exhorts Champy. 

Apart from competing by doing everything yourself, many of the other strategies, mentioned in the book, will help companies reinvent the way in which they compete.

For example, by thinking beyond your own industry, you could get fresh insights into solving a problem. If you are an active company in the health-care industry, have you ever tried to view the industry in a retail context in order to deliver more value to your customer? Well, the founders of MinuteClinic were able to do so, and achieved tremendous business success. They were able to do so because they thought outside the bubble, i.e., thinking beyond your industry. The bubble thinking is common, and can give you business in any industry, but thinking outside the bubble allows you to compete with your counterparts successfully. And, if such thinking encourages you to do something for the entire industry, then you will not be hesitant to work with even your rivals who will start contributing in your own success.

Besides, there are many other things through which a company can compete with its competitors. It can compete by:

• Seeing what others don’t 
• Using all it knows
• Changing its frame of reference
• Doing everything in-house
• Tapping the success of others
• Simplifying complexities.

In all, without consuming much of your time, this book is a good and easy read for all those who are exploring new growth opportunities and new business models to compete with their rivals. And, once they are through, Champy expects them to go out and outsmart their competitors.