DaimlerChrysler short-listed three companies, of which Infosys, of course, was one. It used the following criteria to evaluate the three finalists: partner clarification presentations, customer references, partner site visits, and interviews and assessments with the prospective partners' key executives. "All the three finalists had impressive credentials," says Felser. But what won the day for Infosys was its attitude. "We were impressed by the educational standards and experience of the Infosys people we spoke with," says Felser. "I'd like to add that the Indians [I have dealt with in the IT sector], especially the Infosys people, are very highly motivated and dedicated...they have a vision and mission; it's not just about clinching a contract and making money. They have a different set of values, which is something we haven't seen elsewhere."

Can't run away from risk

DaimlerChrysler's meticulous evaluation process reads like a roadmap for any Asian corporation looking to work with an offshore IT outsourcing partner. "We spoke with Infosys's customers--global companies that had complex IT infrastructures. We had an in-depth look at how Infosys conducted itself with these companies. We also checked on costs [these companies had incurred in working with Infosys] and asked them a lot of questions about Infosys's ability to adapt to sudden changes in the business environment." The ability to respond quickly to changes was an especially important character that DaimlerChrysler was looking for in its prospective partner. Cost, though important, was not the highest priority. "But, it was nevertheless an important factor in our decision-making process."

One of the key factors that impressed DaimlerChrysler was the processes that Infosys had in place: say, several Infosys employees working on a project were to leave; its processes, however, are so well defined, the disruption to ongoing work, if any, would be minimal. "I think Infosys's approach during the transition phase [of any project] is not to move too fast, so as to not destabilise the running of the operation, yet, [at the same time], not to be too slow in implementing [its plans]." The first step Infosys took on entering into the project was to work out a transition plan with DaimlerChrysler, bringing with itself the processes and methodologies it had acquired through its own experiences with clients all over the world. "Infosys undertook an audit and due diligence of our existing processes and working model and came up with recommendations and suggestions on the way forward. They were able to do all this despite the challenges of tight deadlines, very limited knowledge [at that time] of DaimlerChrysler's processes, the difficulties of working with diverse cultures across Asia-Pacific as well as with having to coordinate with geographically dispersed teams."

Adds Felser: "They had implemented checkpoints and milestones set for all the important steps, giving us always the confidence that a comfortable level had been achieved before continuing with the next step. The communication between Infosys's onsite team (in Singapore, where DaimlerChrysler's server covering 15 countries in Asia-Pacific and Africa, is located) and offshore team (in India) has been structured to ensure that the knowledge is shared and exchanged efficiently." Application development is carried out in Bangalore, India's IT capital.

The DaimlerChrysler-Infosys partnership has been moving to newer heights, says Felser. "The Infosys team members are like my extended IT organisation. They have been a value add [to us] by continuously suggesting improvements in the area of IT management and bringing in best practices in software development. Being a total end-to-end service provider, they have also been able to extend other services to us, such as middleware expertise and other non-SAP technical skills. This has provided us with flexibility and access to capabilities without having to worry about fixed overhead cost [heating up] and [loss in] time-to-market." He adds: "We have enjoyed cost reductions as a result of partnering with Infosys. In the areas of development, second-level support and local rollout support, we have reduced costs by 30 to 40 percent."