Simply put, being ‘penny wise and pound foolish’ can disrupt or destroy an outsource agreement before it even has a chance of getting off the ground.

There are many factors that go into the decision to outsource, from moving away from non-core functions to lowering costs through more efficient use of available resources. But there’s also plenty of room for a relationship to go off course.

Hopefully many of you will recognise the first three words as the Olympic motto: "Faster, Higher, Stronger". The fourth is what most procurement professionals, would add if they could have their way: "Cheaper".