Jester said outsourcing is a viable option; however, it shouldn't be considered a cheap alternative as management overheads are far higher and relationships are more difficult to maintain. He said the ability to manage multiple outsourcers will be a massively sought-after skill as businesses increase blending local resources with offshore services.

According to Jester, business should establish predefined goals and perform vendor reference checks before emotional attachments can be established.

Gartner research indicates 84 percent of local businesses are undertaking a BI project without a sourcing strategy and are "heading for trouble."