Co-sourcing: an opportunity for Algeria

Humour n° -
Published : Sunday 01 January 2012 - Sammy Oussedik
Constantine University. Algeria offers courses in fields concerned by co-sourcing.
Thinking, promoting and sharing the concept of co-sourcing requires support and commitment from everyone. This means that, from the start, this new approach should be based on joint foundations, a “perspective of meaning” shared by all those involved.
To achieve this, co-sourcing must be seen as a strategic tool for building up shared prosperity. Instead of interdependence experienced as a constraint, co-sourcing could establish virtuous interdependence that works to everyone’s advantage. An approach of this kind avoids the trap of perceiving co-sourcing, during this time of crisis, as just another reorganization attempt on the fringes of economic relationships in the zone – a strategy that would clearly work to the North’s advantage. For a country like Algeria, which is today marginally integrated in the international division of labour, co-sourcing could be an opportunity.
The challenge is to accompany and facilitate the transformation of the Algerian economy from its current status as a traditional supplier of energy and raw materials to an economic and industrial player that is part of the regionalization-globalization process. Having missed the relocation boat, it needs to jump on the co-sourcing train.
Given the strategic depth of its market, energy resources and potential, Algeria has useful assets. It should also promote its new strengths: like trained, qualified personnel in sought-after domains (engineering, computing), some of the most plentiful financial resources in the region, and the capacity and willingness of its public companies (Sonatrach) and private businesses to invest or have access to economies and markets to the North.
From the moment that a vision of shared meanings and common, socially responsible perspectives exists, co-sourcing, on a macro level, could constitute a strong lever for reforming the local regulatory framework. On a micro level, it could give impetus to local companies and help organize them into channels and clusters, thus improving the efficiency of the Algerian business fabric.
Along with involvement from institutional stakeholders, this requires education aimed at the business world. It requires raising awareness and mobilizing the future artisans of co-sourcing, i.e. companies and entrepreneurs. It means explaining why fitting into this strategy is an opportunity for them.
As a reminder, 94% of the Algerian economy is made up of SMEs in the private sector. For these reasons, co-sourcing can help Algeria to renegotiate the forms and characteristics of its position and its role in the regionalization-globalization process.




Sammy Oussedik, Chairman of Arouj conseil
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