The users will have to learn to do some stuff for themselves-not to run wire, but to adapt a toolset for what they want it to do. The scarcity of workers who can track the technology curve has made the job that much more challenging. Some companies are dealing with the shortage by using contract labor. That's true even for some, like Schwab, that have traditionally eschewed the solution. Schwab's North Carolina development project is heavily staffed with outside contractors, an approach Hier-King addresses delicately.
People gasp at the idea.
Indeed, others say outsourcing cannot be the big-picture solution to the crisis. Gartner's McNee predicts that growing dependence on outsourcing by labor-starved companies will overload external service providers over the next several ye ars. This, in turn, will reduce the effectiveness of the solution. There's also the concern that an outsourcer's staff brings less dedication than one's own staff. Our people make money when the company does well.