Outsourcing, the relationship between the actors in the subcontracting sector in the era of online technologies

Outsourcing is a complex and multiform phenomenon which the literature is not yet able to provide an unambiguous definition of. However, it is a strategy that a lot of companies have considered to apply or have already applied in order to increase their ability to create value and find new competencies. In particular this paper is aimed at describing, inside the outsourcing phenomenon borders, the Italian subcontracting phenomenon in terms of the current economic context, characteristics of the client-supplier relationship, characteristics of the subcontractors, their main operating sectors and mode of operation. Eventually, after having also underlined which are the challenges that the subcontractors are facing it will described how new technologies, with a specific reference to an online platform, can provide important advantages and opportunities to subcontractors, either they are small companies, bigger companies or structured business networks.