Corporate outsourcing

[flatbutt]

I thought it would get to a point where it would no longer be necessary. Well looks like it won't ever do that. The recession is providing excellent cover for continued firings. I work for a large pharma company. We have outsourced and just plain eliminated over 20,000 jobs globally. And they're not done yet. Product development, testing, research and production have all gone overseas. Now they're talking about deeper cuts involving quality and regulatory. The short term consequences of this will involve increased risk in using medications. Mark my words. FDA will not be able to control or protect the drug supply unless it expands hugely.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

FDA will not be able to control or protect the drug supply unless it expands hugely.

That's the goal and natural tendency of all bureaucracies anyway. I'm sure they couldn't be happier. Wait and see what happens when the gov't. starts capping profits of pharma cos.

[widebody911]

I also work for a company that's heavy into layoffs and outsourcing; we even had the dubious honor of an TheOnion piece stating that our CEO needed to hire more people because we were running out of people to lay off. They use to announce layoffs in press releases, but now they're very quiet.

Once US companies move all (or most of) the jobs offshore, who will be the customer base?

Is the end game scenario one where the executives live in a gated compound here in the US while everything else is in a 3rd world *****hole?

[john70t]

Interesting senerio.

Our northern neighbors can supply inexpensive nameless brands which would cover 80-90% of the common usage needed here, and be affordable for the common joe.
It wouldn't be a domestic product though.

Meanwhile, the U.S. pharmas are intent on spending gobs on advertising(up to five times R&D I think), and/or repackaging/repatenting the same drugs to sell them at outrageous cost to people who simply can't afford it.
Big pharma-1, citizen-0.

There is a parallel to the domestic auto industry as well. They may have had a captive audience historically, but it is now broke.
Either they'll be part of the solution, or part of the problem.

[Palum6o]

The good ole days are definitely over... Not sure where I'll be in 5 years..

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by john70t

Meanwhile, the U.S. pharmas are intent on spending gobs on advertising(up to five times R&D I think), and/or repackaging/repatenting the same drugs to sell them at outrageous cost to people who simply can't afford it.
Big pharma-1, citizen-0.

Historians will look back on this era a low point in human existence. Especially for the so called "baby boomer" circa 2010 AD. And the males in particular.

How about it "men of a certain age"? How is that "Low T" going?

Lifestyles and quick fixes and phobias driven by inescapable and ubiquitous advertising - those who are supposed to providing cures and more concerned with generating demand.

Coca-cola marketing techniques turned to selling little blue pills..

[flatbutt]

well this "man of a certain age" is now within the demographic being targeted for layoff. I'm close to retirement and my bene's will be expensive sooooooooooooo

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

well this "man of a certain age" is now within the demographic being targeted for layoff. I'm close to retirement and my bene's will be expensive sooooooooooooo

My dad was just shy of 63 when it happened to him. He was able to negotiate a pretty good package and still collect unemployment long enough to cover his COBRA benefits until he's eligible for Medicare later this year.

[mikester]

I've got my own thread on outsourcing but I just noticed yours. Out sourcing is alive and 'well' I guess.

I'm noticing a marked change in the way companies do IT - a lot of contract work out there now. They don't want to commit to employees, engineering teams, etc. I see a lot of potential to be a 'hired gun' but I have never wanted to travel a lot for work, I have never wanted to be a 'hired gun'.

I'm not pleased with the turn of these tides and I think the only way out is to change the focus of my career path. I'm not even sure what that means.

I have found that I am shunning outsourced services myself even so far as to go to the actual ticket booth at the theaters instead of the kiosk. I would rather give the teenager a job than use that kiosk.

[slakjaw]

Ericsson

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Mark my words. FDA will not be able to control or protect the drug supply unless it expands hugely.

The FDA is just another attempt by an abusive government to control our lives. Ask the guys on PARF. We don't need no gov'ment regulations.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by mikester

I'm not pleased with the turn of these tides and I think the only way out is to change the focus of my career path. I'm not even sure what that means.

The only way out may well be to change the focus of your career. Thomas Friedman did a great job of explaining what happened with respect to outsourcing and why and what we can expect for the future in The World is Flat. It's a worthwhile read.