When suppliers have articulated responsibility, neither side wastes time arguing over disputed areas of the contract. And these are the relationships that grow because they engender trust. Neither side feels the other partner is trying to take advantage of them. Prospects must understand the value of leverage and how it will help them in their outsourcing relationships. Avoiding Accountability Having a supplier responsible for a process is core to my definition of outsourcing.
Suppliers stress accountability during their initial negotiations.
Suppliers try to shirk responsibility because responsibility means risk. They will do whatever they can to legally remove that risk. Shirking responsibility typically happens when the customer refuses to ink a flexible contract. Examples include contracts with long terms, unclear boundaries or metrics that aren't objective. That is a short sided view.