Many businesses today are cutting back on operations to focus on the core business, reorganizing their business practices by downsizing, restructuring or re-engineering, and contracting out various functions and tasks. Outsourcing (or contracting out work) started in the manufacturing business in the early 1980s, primarily as a means of cutting back staff and saving on wages. Often a task is considered for outsourcing if the work performed by a consultant would require hiring additional staff if it were done in-house.
