Notable Trends in the TPI Momentum Market Trends & Insights 2011 Verticals Report

Look for interesting news in the TPI Momentum 2011 review of outsourcing spending. We looked at outsourcing trends in 27 vertical and 68 sub-vertical industries throughout 2010 and found that, while overall outsourcing spending increased by five percent, conditions were highly variable across industries – with spending up or down by more than five percent in over half of the verticals.

Here are the Top 5 highlights from this year’s report:

1. G2000 companies increase outsourcing spend. In 2010, G2000 companies spent over $72.1 billion on outsourcing services, a five percent increase when compared to the previous year. While Manufacturing and Financial Services spent the most, the Retail sector grew the fastest (with 37 percent growth) among the industries studied. New business models in Retail are driving IT investments, which is a boon to outsourcing.
2. First-timers join the outsourcing surge. A steady flow of G2000 companies signed their first outsourcing contracts in 2010 while, like the previous two years, overall outsourcing penetration increased by three percent. Twelve of the 27 vertical industries experienced at least 20 percent penetration growth.
3. Sub-verticals spearhead outsourcing momentum. While some industries showed declining or flat outsourcing activity, specific sub-verticals saw growth. For example, overall outsourcing spending plateaued in the Chemicals industry, but its Life Sciences sub-vertical grew by more than 30 percent. Similarly, the Finance Services sub-vertical grew almost 15 percent while the larger Business Service & Supplies industry remained flat.
4. Hunting-Farming dynamics shift as specific verticals boost outsourcing. The TPI Hunting-Farming Index measures opportunity across the 27 industries we track. In 2010, the Farming Index showed that both the Utilities and Retailing sectors bumped their ratings from medium to high due to recent increases in outsourcing spending among companies that already outsource.
5. Fastest growing portion of the market impacts vertical trends. In most industries, outsourcing penetration is significantly higher among larger companies than smaller ones. Much of the new outsourcing growth stems from companies ranked 501-1000 in the Forbes Global 2000.

By and large, 2010 was a year of recovery. The strength and shape of the recovery and its impact on outsourcing spending was far from consistent across industries. More importantly, the measurable activity tells us a great deal about which vertical markets offer the strongest new opportunities and which strategies will be most effective for winning in these markets.

About the author

Paul Reynolds leads Momentum, a division of ISG that provides research services to help service providers better target, win and retain business. Paul has 25 years of market research experience with specific expertise in methodology development, data analytics and research process design. Having found many service providers’ Advisor Relations functions to lack appropriate analytics, Paul is working to develop innovative new approaches that allow for data-driven programs based on the unique needs of each client. His approach benefits Advisor Relations, go-to-market functions, sales, strategy, marketing, and market/competitive intelligence teams.