Sorry, but everywhere I've seen "outsourcing" it's been a slow moving train wreck that is so important to the big executives because it makes their numbers appear better that they'll never admit what a dismal failure it is in every way because they plan to jump ship before it crushes the organizations where it has been introduced.
I’ve been through two “successful” outsourcing projects myself. The problem is exit strategy. Oftentimes executives come to leadership, specifically IT in my case, and state, “We need to offshore tech support to save money.” Despite every best- and worst-case scenario presented, they continue with blinders thinking that the end results will be dollars saved. I agree with you, MOST outsourcing projects go terribly awry due to poor project management, mismanagement of budget, failure to temper expectations, and poor relationship management with the new offshore team.
In the cases of success I’ve experienced, we worked (both times) with an outfit called TCS (Tata Consulting Services). They were very professional and eager to assist, and their workers spoke impeccable English. Most of our customers thought they were calling the UK when they got through to support. Additionally, they focused on expectations and set very realistic goals to accomplish the resolution of project goals. In the end, they didn’t save a large sum of money over what they laid out for domestic workers. Additionally, the management group (they tend to travel in packs) wound up leaving the company and leadership decided to hire more domestic workers in one of the companies.
Thankfully, the management types who prided themselves and their teams on effective and efficient outsourcing are starting to fade away. Market changes often dictate a faster approach to shifting winds in IT. What was long-term and slow to form in the late 90s is now fast-moving and rapidly changing.