because each subcontractor needs to be managed. They need individual priorities, contracts, and performance expectations set. The sheer complexity in subbing 100M of work to 50 competitors can require so much staffing in contract management that it would create more chaos and spending than it was worth for the change in capability. Scale matters because it simplifies management.
Source: my employer (not me) specializes in advising on the contracting for outsourced services.
Source: my employer (not me) specializes in advising on the contracting for outsourced services.