The IAOP has announced it's 2013 "best outsourcing advisors", and kudos to my former employer, Deloitte, for coming top. Credit has to go out to Peter Lowes and his Outsourcing Advisory Services group for their achievement. In addition, KPMG's Shared Services and Advisory Group, led my Cliff Justice, finished in second place - a strong showing and justification of their 2011 acquisition of EquaTerra. The biggest surprises, however, are the absences of ISG, the largest transaction advisor of outsourcing contracts, and PwC...

Most of the big analyst personalities have seemingly fled the analyst industry... many for the riches on offer from their vendor clients, clearly seeing more ROI from employing them, as opposed to purchasing their firm's services. However, this hasn't prevented the remaining legacy purveyors of analyst services from making a living.

Step-up Madelein "Mads" Smit, head of both IT and F&A outsourcing for CEVA Logistics

I’m obsessed by careers. I spend time trying to make sense of the various and sundry twists and turns that the life’s work of those in our industry seem to take. And I look closely for patterns.

Isn't it amazing how someone can pull off a prank on 1st April every year and STILL many of you fall for it?

After more than three years at the helm of research organization HfS Research, Phil Fersht will be stepping down as CEO to "pursue other interests". The HfS advisory board is meeting later this week to discuss potential replacements.

Here's some free advice, folks, so do with it what you want...