Distinctions

Outsourcing and Regie

A sourcing decision, or an operating model?

Outsourcing

A sourcing decision: who performs the work.

Regie

An operating-model archetype: how the demand side retains specification, governance and supplier integration while delegating execution.

The difference in one sentence

Outsourcing is what you delegate; regie is how you stay in control of what you delegated.

Why they get conflated

Every regieorganisatie involves outsourcing; not every outsourcing arrangement involves a regieorganisatie.

Why it matters

Outsourcing without setting up the regie function loses steering over what is actually delivered.

How to tell them apart

Ask whether specification and supplier integration remain in-house. If so, regie sits on top of the outsourcing.

Back to distinctionsLast reviewed: 2026-08-23