PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the characteristics of flexible, agile and lean supply chains and establish, by factor analysis, that outsourcing can be a key intervention achieving the triple objective of flexibility, agility and leanness.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a blend of theoretical framework and practical application and employs structural analysis to draw an interventional roadmap to facilitate value chain outsourcing.FindingsThe paper finds that by outsourcing activities processes, organizations can deliver better value to the customer.Originality/valueThe paper is of value in identifying the variables for effective value chain outsourcing.