OREANDA-NEWS. A new hard-hitting case study, The Risks and Challenges of Working with Overseas Service Providers ... A Case Study -- With Practical Lessons, issued by frequently-published marketing expert and adjunct University Marketing Professor Ned Barnett, highlights critical business problems stemming from working with off-shore service providers. Such problems arise when companies are separated by a dozen time zones, use different versions of the English language, and where local laws favor vendors at the expense of off-shore clients.

Based on his experience with businesses in 15 countries on five continents, Professor Barnett examined one particular case, a "perfect storm" of off-shore business problems.

The client is based in the US, while the vendor -- video production firm Screaming Eagle Productions -- is located in the UK. However, the problems -- and their solutions -- apply just as well to UK companies using off-shore service providers.

"Very nearly everything that could go wrong, did go wrong," Professor Barnett explained. "This left the client with a never-to-be-finished, unusable project, as well as costing them half the agreed-upon fee.

"After reviewing the case, I provide a series of practical business lessons for working with off-shore service providers, and with domestic service providers as well," Professor Barnett said.

This deal fell apart when -- nine months after the agreed-upon completion date -- the service provider refused further communications with their client.

The US-based firm declined to be named in the case study, explaining: "This isn't about us -- or even about the other firm. Rather, this it is about a business deal gone sour because of avoidable problems," that start-up firm's CEO noted.

However, this firm did open its files to Professor Barnett during the research phase of this case study. They also made their key executives available for interviews about the problems arising from this failed business deal.

Screaming Eagle Productions chose to not participate in the study despite several efforts made to include them.

Problems highlighted in this case study include:

·      Vetting Service Providers

·      Cultural Maps

·      Communications Breakdowns

·      Time Zone Differences

·      Enforcing Agreements