Outsourcing&More #50 January-February 2020

Created by Pro Progressio

www.outsourcingportal.eu

No. 1 (50) | January–February 2020 ISSN 2083-8867 PRICE EUR 6 (INCL. 8% VAT)

POZNAN – CITY OF OPEN-MINDED PEOPLE Interview with Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of the City of Poznan | page 30 BUSINESS:

SSC LIONS:

BUSINESS:

Rules for employing foreigners in Poland |page 16

The GBS heart of DFDS beats in Poznan |page 26

How to recruit and keep an employee? |page 40

IPOSTA riposta.pl

INTRODUCTION

Created by Pro Progressio

Editor-in-chief Dymitr Doktór dymitr.doktor@proprogressio.pl Managing editor Katarzyna Czylok-Dąbrowska katarzyna.czylok@proprogressio.pl DTP Iwona Nowakowska Advertising reklama@proprogressio.pl Published by PRO PROGRESSIO Editorial address ul. Sobieskiego 104/29 00-764 Warszawa www.proprogressio.pl

P: +48 22 213 02 45 F: +48 22 213 02 49 editor@proprogressio.pl Print Drukarnia Jantar Legal support Chudzik i Wspólnicy An electronic version of the Magazine see the website www.proprogressio.pl Selected photos come from shutterstock.com website.

Circulation 3,000 copies All rights reserved.

No copying, reproduction or photocopying allowed without written consent of the publisher.

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Partners

Dear Readers of Outsourcing&More Magazine, Hereby we are presenting you the 50th, jubilee, edition of our bimonthly magazine, which is currently the only outsourcing and modern business services sector regularly published magazine in Europe (since 2011). It is thanks to you, that we have achieved the position of a leader and we are pleased that we can regularly provide you with valuable content from Poland, Europe and the World.

Over the past eight years Outsourcing&More has changed a lot and those changes resulted in adapting the presented content, its form and shape to your expectations and sugges­ tions. The magazine you have in your hands is a compendium of knowledge in the field of the world of modern business services and the environment of the industry which is the BSS sector (Business Support Services).

I would like to thank our over 1,000 business subscribers who regularly receive Outsourcing&More on their desks.

In the issue, which we present to you today, as usual, we focused on the most important and interesting topics that have recently went through the business services market.

We are convinced that both our main interview with the Presi­ dent of the City of Poznań – Jacek Jaśkowiak, as well as a series of interviews, articles and other publications will again provide you with interesting and valuable information.

Enjoy reading Outsourcing&More!

Dymitr Doktór Editor in Chief

Authors: Magdalena Chochowska • Klaudia Majkutewicz • Michał Kiersnowski • Mateusz Chudzik • Anna Godlewska • Radek Mierzejewski • Jacek Jaśkowiak • Adam Stelmach • Michał Skierski • Aneta Płusa • Piotr Gula • Błażej Kucharski • Marcin Włodarczyk • Jędrzej Kruszyński • Laisvis Makulis • Ilia Krustev • Craig Turp • Loredana Niculae • Anna Mielczarek • Mateusz Bazydło • Monika Smulewicz • Konrad Krusiewicz

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

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INDEX

6 10 14 16 18 22 26 30 36 38 40 44 46 48 4

BUSINESS NEWS 3rd Polish-Ukrainian Outsourcing Forum in Rzeszów On November 19th, 2019, Rzeszów was in the center of attention of Polish and Ukrainian modern business services industry.

15th anniversary of Savills presence in Poland To mark this anniversary the company created a “True people of real estate” campaign that has been running through the whole 2019 and included the recent unique clients event held in Warsaw.

(Increasingly easier) rules for employing foreigners in Poland Employment of foreigners in Poland still requires fulfilment of certain formal obligations provided for in various regulations.

In Reesco we do... offices!

Interview with Michał Kiersnowski, Head of Office Development in REESCO.

New obligations of entrepreneurs: Central Register of Beneficial Owners On 13 October 2019, significant amendments to the Act of 1 March 2018 on counteracting money laundering and financing of terrorism came into force.

The GBS heart of DFDS beats in Poznan Interview with Radek Mierzejewski, Head of GBS DFSD in Poznan.

MAIN INTERVIEW

Poznan – city of open-minded people Interview with Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of the City of Poznan.

As heard by an acoustic engineer: standards in an open-space office An open-space office stimulates creativity, promotes communication and teamwork.

Customer experience has a strong impact on loyalty. How to build the right omnichannel strategy Mobile devices and social media help us stay in touch whenever and wherever we want.

How to recruit and keep an employee? There is a simple solution to do it Central Statistical Office expects that companies will run short of employees and their number can reach 10 million people.

Outsourcing opportunities in compliance Compliance has been rapidly growing as a part of the global legal and financial system, bringing new opportunities in the job market.

INVESTMENTS NEWS Tri-City and Łódź. New promised land for investors Interview with Colliers International experts – Błażej Kucharski, regional director in Tri-City and Marcin Włodarczyk, regional director in Łódź.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

52 56 60 64 66 70 72 74 76 80 82 84 86 88 92 Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Emotionally intelligent office designs The office design is nowadays an element of the corporate image.

Brama Miasta – a project in Łódź that has never been seen before It is a complex consisting of two 13-storey buildings that will form a symbolic gate.

Potential of human resources in Łódź How to recognise a city that is a good place to invest?

Future in IT. We build potential for the development of human resources in Kielce IT companies are eager to join projects that help them shape the future labour market.

2019: The year Lithuanian GBS came of age When does a location cease to be emerging, and instead can stand as a strong and mature hub in its own right?

The outsourcing industry contributes 5.2% to Bulgaria’s GDP. Over 73,000 people work in the sector The size of the outsourcing sector in Bulgaria amounts to EUR 2.4 billion for 2018.

Let’s find new ways to define emerging Europe There is a large number of panel discussions covering a wide range of subjects, from investment and education to the future of the European Union and Brexit.

What are the best business models when internationalizing your business abroad?

Going international is what most business owners want.

Częstochowa – the future is here Częstochowa has clearly changed in a past few years, its landscape is changing, new large-surface production halls are being built, road infrastructure is still developing, new solutions in our communication system are emerging – it is visible.

In harmony with the river flow Magic flows from the waterways of Bydgoszcz.

Salesforce. Lublin’s new driving force?

The beginning of October was marked by a decision of a new investor to start its business operations in Lublin.

HR NEWS What (apart from money) do the SSC and BPO sectors offer to young people?

Over 70% of people employed in the SSC and BPO sectors are under 34 years of age.

The future of the labour market Alan Kay, the American IT specialist and winner of the Turing award, said: the best way to predict the future is to create it.

Experience and intuition count Konrad Krusiewicz, architect and founder of The Design Group, talks about the objectives set for a project manager in the architectonic sector and his role in the process of implementing an architectonic project.

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BUSINESS

BUSINESS NEWS Gekko advisoryNOW (GAN) TO SUPPORT COSMOS FOR GIRLS FOUNDATION WITH THE BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE Every and each day, from dawn to dusk, in life and in business the new genera­ tions are being built. The biggest chal­ lenge though, is to navigate them into the adult world, where fully aware of their strengths and weaknesses use their full potential to successfully reach the most important goals in life.

competences, help them develop skills from a variety of areas of life and shape around them an environment free from stereotypes. These objectives are achieved by publishing and educational activities.

The team of Gekko advisoryNOW is part of this great mission! It shares experience and knowledge of running the company, Such an impor tant mission for building strategies, developing an opera­ young generations has been under­ tional model, controlling the finances taken by the COSMOS for Girls Foun­ and resources of the foundation, as well dation, which wants to strengthen as acting as an ambassador in the busi­ the young women confidence in their own ness world!

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD HAS BEEN AWARDED A SPECIAL PRIZE IN THIS YEAR’S FRIENDLY WORKPLACE Global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield has been awarded a special prize in this year’s Friendly Workplace competition in recognition of its HR policy and respect for work-life balance.

Friendly Workplace is an Employer Branding competition whose concept was formed by the editorial board of Marka Pracodawcy. Prizes are awarded to firms for their modern solutions in HR and employee development policies.

Selected organisations receive a special prize comprising an emblem, a statuette or a diploma. Marka Pracodawcy awards points in five categories: employee rela­ tions, employee development, work-life balance, healthy workplace and bene­ fits. Marka Pracodawcy seeks to recog­ nise particularly winners’ commitment to creating a friendly work environment.

supporting employees in maintaining a work-life balance. Cushman & Wakefield promotes work-life balance through its flexible work model. Employees enjoy the flexibility of working hours tailored to their individual productivity peaks and an opportunity to work remotely,

which helps them balance work and life. In rolling out this model, global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield emphasized the importance of partner­ ship and trust in employee relations and enabling its staff to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Cushman & Wakefield won 23 points out of a possible 25 for its solutions

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Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

THE UNITED STATES MANAGES MORE THAN HALF OF THE GLOBAL BITCOIN ATM DISTRIBUTION

Data gathered by LearnBonds.com highlights that the US had installed 4,274 ATMs which represent 66.2% of all cryptocurrency ATMs globally.

In North America, Canada comes second with 678 (10.5%) ATMs while the United Kingdom is third with 283 (4%) machines.

Austria has 184 units installed while Swit­ zerland closes the top five categories with 84 installations (1.3%).

Other top countries with most Bitcoin ATMs include the Czech Republic (71), Spain (71), Greece (66), Germany (59), and Poland (55).

In terms of continental Bitcoin ATM distri­ bution, North America takes the major share at 77% while Europe comes second with 19.1% of the total global ATM tally.

Asia comes a distant third with 2.1% of ATMs installed across the continent with Hong Kong having 54 Bitcoin ATMs to represent 0.8% of the global tally.

In total, Asia has 133 Bitcoin ATMs. South America follows with 62 to repre­ sent 1%, then Oceania at 22 (0.3%), while Africa closes with the lowest number of Bitcoin ATMs at 11 (0.2%).

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

As of January 2020, the number of Bitcoin ATMs installed worldwide was 6454.

Compared to January 2019, it indicates that new 2351 Bitcoin ATMs have been installed globally. The latest data shows that we have a total of eight Bitcoin ATM installed daily.

Bitcoin community activity is influenced by various factors at both the country and individual level. Such factors include trust, perceived risk, security threat, perceived benefit, perceived ease of use, legislations and macro-technological and socioeco­ nomic factors.

In the US, ATMs are installed by firms like Bitstop with machines across Cali­ fornia, Florida, and Georgia. Other leading Bitcoin ATM providers include General Bytes, Genesis Coin, Lamassu, and BitAccess.

Bitcoin ATMs are connected to cryptocurrency exchanges selected by the merchant and the exchange rate applied is based on the reference market at that time. This ability offers people the price of bitcoins in real-time.

In regards to Bitcoin ATMs, there are two main types including the basic ones which enable users only to purchase Bitcoins. On the other hand, we have the complex ATMs that allow users both to buy and sell Bitcoin.

In most cases, Bitcoin ATMs come with variable fees depending on the manager and the exchange market.

Bitcoin ATMs are usually anonymous and hence come with strict buying limits, with some even requiring a KYC process.

An overview of the Bitcoin community engagement indicates that millennials (25-34) are taking the lead at 46.32%.

From this perspective, it shows that the millennials are the driving force for the adoption of decentralized solutions.

The global distribution of Bitcoin ATM might appear insignificant but since the cryptocurrency sector is evolving, we might see the number increase in the coming years. With the growth of the sector, new cryptocurrency-­related Individuals aged between 35–44 years technology is emerging with a focus come second at 26.76%, followed on user-friendliness. It is believed that by the age group between 45–54 the spread of cryptocurrency ATMs will at 10.28%. Individuals aged between play a vital role in increasing the popu­ 55-64 come fourth at 4.1% while 65% larity of digital assets globally. comes fifth at 10.29%.

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marzec / kwiecień 2015 (dwumiesięcznik) / March / April 2015 (bi-monthly magazine)

50 ISSUES

nr 2 (21)

nr 6 (31)

ISSN 2083-8867 Bezpłatny magazyn Free of charge magazine

listopad – grudzień 2016 November – December 2016

lat /years

50 COVERS

www.outsourcingportal.eu

BUSINESS

3RD POLISH-UKRAINIAN OUTSOURCING FORUM IN RZESZÓW On November 19th, 2019, Rzeszów was in the center of attention of Polish and Ukrainian modern business services industry. All thanks to the third edition of the Polish-Ukrainian Outsourcing Forum in Rzeszów.

The conference was preceded by a networking evening meeting that aimed to build business relationships in a highly international environment. Forum’s guests were representing many compa­ nies, non-governmental organizations, but also local governments. Among foreign guests there were delegates from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Denmark and Great Britain.

On the main day of the Forum, the event was divided into two parts. Already in the morning delegates could take part in a working visit to the SkyRes office building and thus get acquainted with the offer of office real estate, which is In the first speech, representatives available in Rzeszów. of KPMG Polska (Paweł Rychlik) and KPMG Ukraine (Maksym Voytsekhovsky The conference was opened by Henryk and Roman Koutsak) presented the image Wolicki – Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Poland and Ukraine on the global map of Rzeszów, Mr Tadeusz Ferenc, who, of business services sector. The conclu­ on behalf of the city of Rzesz ów, welcomed sions drawn in the presentations can be guests and presented the main areas summarized in three points: of investment attractiveness of the capital • Poland and Ukraine are attractive Coun­ of Podkarpacie Region. Event participants tries on the global map of outsourcing could watch a movie presenting the area locations, characterized by a diverse of b ​​​​ usiness support, educational environ­ stage of t. ment and a large scope of valuable infor­ • Poland is a mature market with a recog­ mation relevant to starting and running nized global position, providing highly a business in Rzeszów. qualified specialists and multicultural customer service, in which the quality The Forum’s agenda included a number of services exceeds the cost factors. of speeches, presentations and discus­ • Ukraine has made significant progress sion panels that presented the current in improving the investment policy state of development in a coherent framework, which, combined with competitive labour costs and a large way, as well as challenges and trends in the outsourcing and modern business talent pool, has created attractive conditions for business services. services sectors in Poland and Ukraine.

10

Discussing the position of Poland and Ukraine on the global map of services was continued in later speeches by Adam Pustelnik from Savills and Karel Franchois from HFS Research. Both supplemented the statements of their previous speakers and added information related to the ana­­ lysis of outsourcing trends in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. Franchois emphasized that focusing on cost reduc­ tion is not and should not be a strategy in business development. He also added that it is inevitable to go in the direction of process automation and the increa­ singly common implementation of arti­ ficial intelligence in so-called front desk and back-office processes.

Adam Pustelnik pointed out the signi­­­ficant historical dependence of the develop­ ment of the Polish economy on the German economy and translated these relations into the dependence of the development

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

of the Ukrainian economy dependent on the Polish economy. According to data presented by Savills, Poland is the second country to which Ukraine currently exports to, after the Russian Federation.

The speech of Adam Pustelnik was a good opening to the panel discussion in which Jerzy Bieniek (Director of the Investor Service Office in Rzeszów), Artem Chaus (Head of Recruitment of Foreigners, Progres Group) and Radosław Walas (Member of the Board, Developres) took part. The panel, which discussed the opportunities and challenges of international corporations creating BSS centers in regional cities, was led by the CEO of the Pro Progressio Foun­ dation – Wiktor Doktór. The interlocutors agreed that regional cities are a very good alternative to large agglomerations when medium sized business is being consi­ dered. During the panel, information about the greater loyalty of employees towards their employers and lower market saturation with competing organi­ zations appeared many times.

The panel discussion was summarized with two case studies of Ukrainian companies that are successfully developing in Poland, including their presence in regional cities. A good example is SoftServe, an IT company that already has five locations in Poland, and after a visit to Rzeszów, it has not ruled out further expansion in the capital of Podkarpacie Region.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

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BUSINESS

supported by many important institu­ tions; has been covered by the Honorary Patronage of the Ministry of Entrepre­ neurship and Technology, Podkarpackie Voivode, Marshal of the Podkarpackie Voivodship, Consulate General of Ukraine in Lublin, Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Rzeszów, Tadeusz Ferenc – Mayor of the City of Rzeszów, Polish Invest­ ment and Trade Agency, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and the Association of Polish Cities. The group of Partners supporting this year’s edition of the Forum included the PolishUkrainian Chamber of Commerce, KPMG, Savills, IAOP, Deutscher Outsourcing Verband, Emerging Europe Alliance for Business Services, Innovation and Tech­ Two strong accents gave the dot above nology, IT Ukraine Association, PMI the “i” in the Forum. The first was the anal­ Poland Podkarpacie, IT Cluster, Giga TV ysis of the labour market – Polish and and Riposta. Ukrainian – presented by experts from the Progres Group – Cezary Maciołek, Vice President and Artem Chaus, who was involved in the recruitment of foreigners.

Both experts emphasized the challenges of the labour market, which are rising labour costs and business stability. Soft skills have also been defined, crucial in relation to candidates supplying the ranks of the outsourcing industry.

The group of these skills included – proac­ tivity, punctuality, creativity, openness to changes, decision making, interper­ sonal communication, motivation and teamwork skills.

The second half of the day was full of pre-­ sentations, but also a space of discus­ sions on the differences in Polish and Ukrainian IT organizations. The Polish side was represented by Wojciech Materna, President of the IT Cluster from Rzeszów, and the Ukrainian side was repre­ sented by Konstantin Vasyuk, Managing Director of the IT Ukraine Association.

The conclusions drawn from the pres­ entations of both sides have shown that education plays an important role in the development of the IT sector, not only at the university level, but also in secondary and even primary schools.

Both in Poland and Ukraine such activi­ ties take place.

The second accent, and also the closing of the official part of the 3 rd PolishUkrainian Outsourcing Forum in Rzeszów, was the interview of Wiktor Doktór with Andrzej Czarnecki – Communica­ tion Director at Pratt & Whitney Poland.

The interview was aimed at showing the ecosystem built for the needs of the industry, and the answers provided showed how Rzeszów built the environ­ ment for the aviation sector. Analyzing the development of the IT sector and the broadly understood market of modern shared services, it can be stated that, similarly to the aviation industry, the BSS sector is currently under the care of the city of Rzeszów.

The City of Rzeszów was a strategic partner of the 3rd Polish-Ukrainian Outsourcing Forum in Rzeszów. The event was also

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Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

BUSINESS

15 ANNIVERSARY OF SAVILLS PRESENCE IN POLAND TH

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Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Savills Poland was established exactly 15 years ago, in 2004. To mark this anniversary the company created a “True people of real estate” campaign that has been running through the whole 2019 and included the recent unique clients event held in Warsaw.

The main idea behind the “True people of real estate” campaign is people: Savills employees and their creativity, dedication and persistence – the characteristics that translate into the ability to build longterm relations with clients. The motto was based on the similarity of words “real” and “true”. As part of the campaign Savills shot a series of short videos presenting the staff and focusing on their authenticity, both in private and in professional life. All six episodes are available on the official Savills Poland YouTube channel.

On 7 th November, Savills organised an event for approx. 250 guests.

In a unique location of a photography studio in Warsaw, Savills employees and clients were celebrating until the late hours. After tasting a special welcome drink called “truth serum” and screening of “True people of real estate” videos Tomasz Buras, CEO of Savills Poland and Craig Watson, CFO Europe & Middle East at Savills took the floor and shared a few inspiring words with all attendees.

Before everyone hit the dance floor one of the very first employees of Savills Poland cut the first slice of a birthday cake.

The event, hosted by a television persona­ lity Marcin Prokop, included one more surprise – a presentation by a special guest, world-class photographer Jacek Poremba. The artists whose portfolio includes photos of Dalai Lama, John Malko­v ich or Robert Lewandowski, took also 10 pictures of Savills Poland employees, which were presented during the event.

With this event Savills wanted to thank all colleagues, friends and business partners that supported the rapid development of the company in Poland over those 15 years. We too have no doubt that all attendees are #TruePeopleOfRealEstate!

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

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BUSINESS

(INCREASINGLY EASIER)

RULES FOR EMPLOYING FOREIGNERS IN POLAND

Employment of foreigners in Poland still requires fulfilment of certain formal obligations provided for in various regulations. Although the obligations imposed on employers and third-country nationals may appear to be difficult to overcome at first glance, the list of conditions to be fulfilled is constantly reduced and the procedures related to the legalization of employment are simplified.

According to the Business Centre Club forecast, the country’s largest organiza­ tion of individual employers, by 2025, in Poland there will be a shortage of 2.5 million employees. The introduction of simpler rules regarding the settlement and obtaining a work permit by foreigners is intended to encourage Polish entre­ preneurs to employ foreigners, develop the Polish economy and fill the growing staffing gaps.

The introduction of facilities for nationals of some countries outside the European Union makes the procedure for obtaining a residence permit and work permit much less complicated. The conditions that a third-country national is obliged to meet when applying for a work permit are speci­ fied in the Foreigners Act of 12 December 2013. A foreigner applying for a tempo­ rary residence permit and work permit in a profession desired for the Polish economy should, in particular, have GENERAL REQUIREMENTS the required professional qualifica­ As a rule, to be able to work in Poland tions, valid health insurance, a source foreigners must reside legally in Poland of stable and regular income sufficient and possess: to cover the costs of living for himself • work permit, or and his dependent family members, • temporary residence permit and work as well as have a place of residence in Poland. Basically, the grant of a permit permit, or • temporary residence permit for depends on the decision of the province the purpose of highly qualified governor who, as the body authorized employment. to examine the application, specifies

16

the details of the work and term of validity of the permit.

CAN IT BE EASIER? Despite strictly defined rules, the legis­ lator provided for a number of exceptions in specific situations when a work permit is not required. This applies in particular to people who have a valid Pole’s Card, a student status or are temporarily staying in the territory of the Republic of Poland in order to reunite with their family.

An important group of exempted indi­ viduals also includes nationals of six countries who benefit from facilitated access to the labour market, i.e. nationals of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, as well as Moldova and Armenia who will not perform seasonal work. The legislator allows that for 6 months in the next 12 months they can

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

When considering the employment of a foreigner, the question which arises almost automatically is whether it is possible to enter into an employment relationship with employed employees who are third-country nationals for a term longer than the statutory half-year limit in the next 12 months.

perform work without having to obtain a work permit. The only condition that must be met is to have a written employ­ ment contract or mandate contract and a statement from the employer entrusting the work. These documents should be registered at the appropriate district labour office. The procedure is very simple, and if the statement does not contain formal deficiencies, registration takes place within 7 days.

LABOUR MARKET TEST There are situations in which, before an employer decides to employ a thirdcountry national in a given position, he is obliged to perform the so-called labour market test. This is a procedure for obtaining information on the situation on the local labour market, confirming the inability to employ a Polish or Euro­ pean Union national. In order to obtain such information, the employer should submit a vacancy notification to the District Labour Office and wait for a decision of the relevant district governor. However, the obligation to carry out the labour market test applies only to specific professional groups.

The Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of 28 June 2018 amending the Regulation speci­ fying cases when a work permit is issued regardless of the detailed conditions for issuing work permits for foreigners, includes a list of nearly 300 professions that they do not require presentation of information from the district governor.

The mandatory labour-market test are not required, among others, in case of work performed by nurses and caregivers, computer system administrators, insu­ lation fitters, bus drivers, welders, road construction workers, construction elec­ tricians, software application developers or by individuals who work as domestic help in people’s households, performed by nationals of other countries, which

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

economy still covers a significant portion of the market. Entrepreneurs claim that legalization procedures, although simpli­ fied, still take too long. This is due to, among others, staff shortages in public administration offices – and that’s how When considering the employment the viscous circle continues. Solutions of a foreigner, the question which arises for this situation have been adopted almost automatically is whether it is in the “Polish Migration Policy” – a docu­ possible to enter into an employment ment prepared by the Ministry of Inte­ relationship with employed employees rior and Administration and supported who are third-country nationals for a term by the Ministry of Labour. It remains longer than the statutory half-year limit to look forward to its implementation.  in the next 12 months. Of course, there is such an option. To be able to benefit from it, however, you must apply for Authors: the appropriate permit from the province governor. However, if the work were to be performed at a given employer in connec­ tion with a previously registered state­ ment, such an employer may apply for Magdalena a work permit for the same position using Chochowska, Senior associate, the simplified procedure. This means that Baker McKenzie there is no need to carry out so-called labour market test.

are so popular in Poland. In addition, the province governor may specify his own exceptions from the need to carry out the so-called labour market test for selected professions in the given province.

ILLEGAL – UNPROFITABLE Performing work in accordance with the law is important both from the point of view of the foreigner and his employer.

Failure to comply with statutory obli­ gations may result in the imposition of a fine on a third-country national (not less than PLN 1,000 and not more than PLN 5,000) and issuing a decision obliging the foreigner to return to his home country, as well as exposing the entity entrusting the illegal performance of work to offense or criminal liability. Penalties for employers illegally employing foreigners can reach up to 30,000 zlotys. Legaliza­ tion procedures, which are becoming ever simpler and faster, combined with the rather severe system of penalties should effectively deter illegal employ­ ment of foreigners. However, the shadow

Klaudia Majkutewicz, Lawyer, Baker McKenzie

17

BUSINESS

IN REESCO WE DO... OFFICES! Interview with Michał Kiersnowski, Head of Office Development in REESCO. Outsourcing&More: You were “on the other side of the fence” – on the side of your todays customers, so you know their needs and the whole process perfectly well – does it help in business?

Are there any situations when it bothers you?

Michał Kiersnowski, Head of Office Development in REESCO: In fact, our company run on the basis of various market experiences. Knowledge and experience through the representation of both tenant and landlord allows you to understand the problem at any time in the process. At that time we were re­ sponsible only for the area of technical consulting. We translated this valuable experience into fit-out services. Today, we are responsible for the entire pro­ cess – from design to implementation.

It’s much more complex and demand­ ing, but we’re successfully increasing our potential.

All the companies in your market offer a high quality services – that’s obvious – but how does it work for you in practice? What is the reason to use your offer, not your competitor?

Competition is something very good for the market. It allows you to develop bussines to a different level of quality.

We are supporters of John Nash, saying that the best result on the market will be achieved when we try to act with the best result for ourselves, as well as respecting our competition. At REESCO, we focus on the strength of our team and people, from the always smiling person greet­ ing clients in the office, to the emplo­ yee on the construction site performing

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Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

We are proud of our original solution Reesco Management Solutions (RMS) – a project management system created by us.

We have noticed that in various projects that we implement, many processes have a repetitive cycle.

the most important scope, which is paint­ ing – because tenants pay special atten­ tion to well painted walls. Trust is the most important element. With a healthy com­ pany, development is a pleasure. In ad­ dition, specialized companies from our group support us in the implementation of general construction or installation works, in the field of sanitary and elec­ trical. What is important, we build longterm awareness in them, which allows us to standardize processes and maintain the level of services provided. We support them, train them, teach them standards and suggest how to work with the mar­ ket. We simply focus on people, hoping that our customers will appreciate it.

We leran them know-how, valuable exe­ cutive expertise, while retaining influ­ ence on the course of the entire process of implementation.

We are also proud of our original solu­ tion – REESCO Management Solutions (RMS) – a project management system created by us. We have noticed that in various projects that we implement, many processes have a repetitive cycle.

We have therefore put individual tasks into one “bag” and try to manage them, opti­mizing actions and making better use of resources. Unification, efficient data ex­ change, payment acceptance, the ability to quickly solve problems, as well as edu­ cation of employees – all this has an im­ pact on the quality of service, so we try to make the most of it.

You have a young dynamic team – what do you attract people with to yourself and how do you create a good atmosphere inside your organization?

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

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BUSINESS

A friendly working atmosphere based on justice and integrity, courtesy, empa­ thy and self-improvement is REESCO’s strongest asset. None of the tools is as ef­ fective in attracting candidates as what every employee experiences every day and what they willingly share with col­ leagues from outside the organization, going directly to our customers, business partners and even competitors – we are fully aware of this.

development, diversification and modifi­ cation of the supply chain. Here, automa­ tion of processes and skillful use of tech­ nology, which is already happening in our company, will be very important. We are currently facing great changes, the posi­ tive effects of which should appear al­ ready in 2020.

Estate market, an expert hub of know­ ledge, which will impact with our mar­ ket potential. We focus on an innovative development program dedicated to our employees. Its aim is to teach, strengthen and develop hard and soft competences, as well as motivate and support employees in striving to improve their qualifications.

We have already finished shaping the fi­ nal organizational structure, now we are working on the competence matrix for spe­ cific positions. We want the REESCO em­ ployee at the position of Project Manager to be equal in competences to the Project Manager in the UK, the USA or Asia. We are wholeheartedly committed to this.

Where do you want to be as a company in five and ten years?

Undoubtedly, we want to grow, de­ What will determine REESCO’s develop­ velop, build lasting relationships and be ment in the near future? a stable, reliable partner for our clients. We The vision of our boss and co-found­ want to be recognized as one of the mar­ er REESCO, which he skillfully “infects” ket leaders. We also have an ambitious the whole team. He is a source of know­ goal related to education – we want to be ledge and new ideas. We focus on organic a leading training place for staff in Real Thank you for the interview.

20

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

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BUSINESS

NEW OBLIGATIONS OFÂ ENTREPRENEURS:

CENTRAL REGISTER OF BENEFICIAL OWNERS

On 13 October 2019, significant amendments to the Act of 1 March 2018 on counteracting money laundering and financing of terrorism came into force. The introduced changes result from the obligation to implement Directive 2015/849 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2015 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for money laundering or terrorist financing.

Their aim is to prevent the misuse of legal entities in trading and to ensure greater market transparency.

FULL VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN PAPER EDITION OF OUTSOURCING&MORE MAGAZINE OR ON THE PRO PROGRESSIO WEBSITE.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

23

BUSINESS

Authors:

Mateusz Chudzik, Attorney-at-law, Partner in the Law Firm “Chudzik i Wspólnicy Radcowie Prawni” sp.p. www.chudzik.pl

Anna Godlewska, Trainee attorney-at-law in the Law Firm “Chudzik i Wspólnicy Radcowie Prawni” sp.p., www.chudzik.pl

24

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

WWW.RHENUS.COM

OUR WORLD OF LOGISTICS CUSTOMER IS A PRIORITY FOR US

Rhenus is a family owned company that has been focusing on close cooperation with clients for over 100 years. Every customer and product are different, that is why we not only offer standard solutions, but also integrated logistics services tailored to the individual requirements of our partners. Every day we work for our customers, responding to their needs and expectations.

Warehouse logistics for e-commerce projects fashion, lifestyle, home & living, sport & accessories

Warehouse logistics for industries

International groupage transport

well-developed international groupage network in Europe

Domestic groupage distribution

automotive, chemicals, construction industry

domestic distribution network

Value Added Services (VAS)

Dedicated solutions for LTL / FTL transport

Return logistics

Air & Ocean Freight

Rhenus Logistics S.A. · Radonice 46 B · PL 05-870 Błonie Tel.: +48 22 463 95 00 · Fax: +48 22 463 95 09 E-mail: rhenus.logistics@pl.rhenus.com · www.rhenus.com

SSC

THE GBS HEART OF DFDS BEATS IN POZNAN

Word of admission: SSC Lions is a project run by Pro Progressio and focused on the communication support provided to Shared Service Centres. On Outsourcing&More Magazines’ pages we will present business cases and interviews with leaders of Shared Services Centres, industry experts and consultants.

Our interlocutors will provide the answers to the questions related to best business practises, project manage­ ment and employer branding.

In this edition of SSC Lions we are presenting you the interview with Radek Mierzejewski, Head of GBS DFSD in Poznan.

SSC LIONS

FULL VERSION OF THIS INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN PAPER EDITION OF OUTSOURCING&MORE MAGAZINE OR ON THE PRO PROGRESSIO WEBSITE.

28

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Outsourcing&More | Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;February 2020

29

MAIN INTERVIEW

Interview with Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of the city of Poznan.

30

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

POZNAN

CITY OF OPEN-MINDED PEOPLE Interview with Jacek JaÅ&#x203A;kowiak, Mayor of the City of Poznan.

MAIN INTERVIEW

Wiktor Doktór, Pro Progressio: For nearly two decades Poznan has been proving that it plays a significant role in the modern servi­ces sector. What are the main advantages of your city?

Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of the City of Poznan: In Poznan, we offer a very good climate for investments in the modern services sector. It is a truly European city, a city of open and development-oriented people. The strength of Poznan lies in its inhabitants, thanks to whom investments committed by the world’s largest brands are gaining momentum and the city itself is moving in the right direction.

In 2019 alone, we had several such success stories. I am delighted that the renown pharmaceutical company GSK will expand its operations in Poznan with the GSK Finance Hub financial centre and openly speaks about the major impor­ tance of this location. GSK also has facto­ ries and an IT centre in Poznan. Another great development for the BSS sector in Poznan was the relocation of Franklin Templeton to a new office in Nowy Rynek

by Skanska. This is the result of a deci­ sion taken by the board of this Ameri­ ­can company to place even further trust in Poznan. Around 1,000 people already work for this company in Poznan. The new office building was built with the expec­ tation that it will attract several hundred more specialists.

Large corporations and smaller innovative companies side by side. The computer games and broadly understood technologies industries in Poznan are on the rise. Does this mean that the city has great hopes associated with, as well as development plans for, digital industries?

The IT industry in Poznan has a very high priority. We support both large IT centres, like GSK Services, Sii or Allegro mentioned earlier, as well as smaller en­ tities. We have been observing the de­ velopment of the computer game sec­ tor for several years now, and are now happy to announce that we have ob­ tained EU funds to support this impor­ tant industry. As part of the “Let’s play in Wielkopolska” project, 10 Poznan’s computer game studios will present their achievements at international fairs, including in the United States.

32

Advanced digital solutions for industry, software for autonomous cars and many other projects are also being developed in Poznan, which we aim to promote, among others, at the pozitive technologies conference, the second edition of which will take place in 2020. The purpose of this event is to attract more IT professionals to Poznan, to show them the prospects that await them at the enterprises oper­ ating in our city.

The BSS sector is based on people and their skills. A record low level of unemployment may raise some concerns about finding the right number of employees. Do investors have something to worry about? On the other hand, the number of students and graduates from Poznan universities has been growing for years so does this mean that the city, despite the low unemployment rate, is able to provide appropriately qualified work force every year?

The unemployment rate in Poznan has been the lowest in Poland for many years, reflecting our entrepreneurial spi­rit and strong work ethic. This, together with the high quality of education, represents the key component of the success en­ joyed by companies operating in Poznan.

If we only look at the numbers they may cause some anxiety, but when we talk to industry representatives, including new companies on our market, we find that recruitments are running smoothly.

It is worth emphasizing that Poznan’s higher education institutions and we, as a local government, are working hard to ensure that people with the right quali­fications reach the labour market. This approach has yielded success, as more and more people in Poznan are gradu­ ating in IT and economics. They often start their career while still studying, by working as interns. We are very proud of our low unemployment rate.

Could you define three business sectors that you would like to develop in Poznan in the next decade?

In the coming years, we will be devel­ oping the technology industry. Specialists from Poznan cope well with the demands of high-level projects and this potential needs to be further utilized, whereas

I am delighted that the renown pharmaceutical company GSK will expand its operations in Poznan with the GSK Finance Hub financial centre and openly speaks about the major importance of this location. GSK also has factories and an IT centre in Poznan. Another great development for the BSS sector in Poznan was the relocation of Franklin Templeton to a new office in Nowy Rynek by Skanska.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

I would like our guests to remember Poznan as an open and friendly city for everyone.

Diversity is of great value to us. I really hope that after the BSS Forum and the Outsourcing Stars Gala the participants will remember that in Poznan we share knowledge and experience and we are open to innovation or a new creative approach to business.

the specialists themselves need to be offered further development opportu­ nities. The high quality and work culture in Poland means that we have a chance to become a new IT powerhouse.

Every summer, the courtyard of the Poznan City Hall becomes the stage of the #NaWolny festival, where we hosted, among others Andrzej Seweryn, Jan Peszek and Krystyna Janda (in the picture).

Meeting with Vitaly Klitschko, Mayor of Kiev, during MIPIM fairs, 2018.

R&D represents another wide-ranging sector that stands behind innovative projects for various industries from the aforementioned IT, industry and automotive sector, all the way to medi­ cine and pharmacy. We can achieve this by strengthening the cooperation between research universities and compa­ nies ready to implement their solutions.

Another sector we have high hopes for is the computer gaming industry for which we created the “Let’s play in Wielkopolska” project. I believe that, with the right support, our computer game developers can achieve worldwide success even surpassing The Witcher.

During business events in Poznań, I have the opportunity to meet inspirational people – in the picture a short conversation with Simon Sinek in June 2018.

33

MAIN INTERVIEW

In 2015, as the first of the mayors of Polish cities, I took part in the Pride parade in Poznan.

34

Advanced digital solutions for industry, software for autonomous cars and many other projects are also being developed in Poznan, which we aim to promote, among others, at the pozitive technologies conference, the second edition of which will take place in 2020.

We live in times of widespread digi­ tization. How is Poznan perceived as a Smart City?

Modern technologies increasingly in­ fluence the development of cities in terms of ​​​​solving urban problems, thereby con­ tributing to an improvement in the quali­ ty of life for residents. In Poznan, we know that a smart city must be agile and adapt to changing needs, as well as serve all so­ cial groups.

Poznan undertakes a number of inter­ esting initiatives that include improving the current parking policy, including the continuation of the development of “Park and Ride” car parking facili­ ties, the introduction of electric buses, the implementation of the Poznan 3D Model project which supports spatial planning and development. An important element are activities proposed within the civic budget as well as competitions such as the “Centrum Worth Poznan” in which individual residents – and not only associations or foundations – can submit project ideas and obtain funding.

In this way, micro-inter ventions in the urban space are created.

I would like them to remember Poznan as an open and friendly city for everyone. Diversity is of great value to us.

I really hope that after the BSS Forum and the Outsourcing Stars Gala the partici­ pants will remember that in Poznan we share knowledge and experience and we are open to innovation or a new creative approach to business.

On the other hand, I would like our guests to momentarily forget the business image of Poznan and discover its attractions and rich gastronomic variety, range of cultural events, including musicals presented on the stage of the Musical Theatre, and to enjoy some activity on the ice rinks. I also cordially invite you to try out Poznan in the spring and summer. There are a growing number of attractions by the Warta River and Poznan lakes.

You are known for your passion for boxing. Is it possible to transfer stra­tegies used in the ring to those required for investor acquisition?

In boxing, you have to use your head to win. The same rule applies to investor acquisition. They are not just attracted by financial incentives so it makes no The smart city idea requires the coop­ sense to bid with other cities on promises, eration and commitment of all sides, e.g. in the area of ​​​​tax breaks. A thoughtful i.e. local government, inhabitants and strategy is needed. business. I am convinced that Poznan is on the right track to reach the objectives In Poznnń, this includes various types of a smart city. of activities – not only good coopera­ tion between entrepreneurs and the city In January 2020, the BSS Forum and but also building the image of an open the Outsourcing Stars Gala will take and friendly city. This also involves wellplace – events organized by the mo­ thought-out urban investments. We dern business services sector to sum- focus on projects that, on the one hand, marize the latest trends and challen­ are aimed at improving the quality of life ges in BPO and SSC centres. Experts in the city, and constitute an incentive from several European countries are to invest in the private sector, on the other. coming to Poznan on this day – what would you like them to remember after Thank you for the interview. these events?

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

35

BUSINESS

AS HEARD BY AN ACOUSTIC ENGINEER: STANDARDS IN AN OPEN-SPACE OFFICE

An open-space office stimulates creativity, promotes communication and teamwork. But to work efficiently, you need something more than highend equipment, a comfortable chair or a delicious coffee. An open-space office is a battlefield against unwanted sources of noise. It is always bustling with conversations, the hum of office equipment and the sounds of ventilation fans. It is therefore crucial to ensure that such spaces are provided with a level of acoustic comfort that guarantees the comfort of everyday work. But, as you can guess, it is not so easy to do.

NEW STANDARDS, NEW RESPONSIBILITIES

leeway to protect against excessive sound absorption. That is right: too many The PN-B-02151-4 standard which sound-absorbing elements in a room can regulates reverberation conditions be as bad as too few. in open-space offices has been effective in Poland since January 2018. Reverbe­ WHY BOTH TOO SHORT ration time is one of the several param­ AND TOO LONG REVERBERATION eters of interior acoustics. As such, it TIME IS BAD obviously has a huge impact on acoustic Longer reverberation time will bring comfort, but it does not in itself solve about higher noise levels in the room. the problem of poor acoustics in a space.

What is more, by meeting the require­ ments of the new standard we actually risk aggravating the situation, instead of improving it.

The shorter reverberation time the better, because we are cutting down reverbera­ tion noise, a component of general noise.

We must not forget, however, that noise is not our only enemy. Too short rever­ beration time, combined with low-level acoustic background, will produce a space that sounds unnatural to the ear, one in which a person feels as if the room was bugged.

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE? For open space offices, total sound absorp­ tion (or simply the sum of the absorption rates of all materials in the room plus the floor, ceiling, walls, furniture etc.) must be greater than or equal to 1.1/S, where S is the plan surface area of the room.

At this point, it is not important what order of magnitude we are talking about. What is important is the fact that the standard does not provide for any

36

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

KEEPING THINGS TIDY: THE ISO Besides the PN-B-02151-4 regulation, there is also the ISO 3382:3, a standard that brings together guidelines for carr ying out measurements and parameters used to describe acoustic comfort, which I use in my daily work as an acoustic engineer for the Nowy Styl Group. In addition to the parame­ ters mentioned above, it also includes another parameter called Speech Trans­ mission Index (STI), which is highly corre­ lated with speech intelligibility. In openplan offices, we want our speech to be well intelligible within one team (over short distances), and then to quickly become less intelligible as the distance grows. Good reverberation time and the level of acoustic background are also important here. The latter is sometimes deliberately artificially raised by means of a sound masking system, which is a system of speakers evenly distri­ buted under the ceiling of the office, which emits wideband noise (often similar to the sound of heavy rain or sea

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

waves). This is done to reduce the “range” of our conversations.

It is not easy to achieve the right para­ meters and meet the standards, but it can be done. By doing so, you will not elimi­ nate unwanted sounds completely from the environment, but you can reduce the distracting factors to an acceptable level. And this will raise the produc­ tivity of your employees and reduce the number of mistakes at work. Because the acoustic design process is complex and time-consuming, it is a good idea to think about it at an early stage of your office design.

There are a number of myths which, although untrue, have become widespread due to the lack of in-depth knowledge about the acoustics of space.

Those myths are debunked in a brochure called 8 Myths About Acoustics.

The brochure is available here: www.nowystylgroup.com/knowledge/ reports.

Author:

Adam Stelmach, Acoustics Specialist, Nowy Styl Group

37

BUSINESS

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE HAS A STRONG IMPACT ON LOYALTY.

HOW TO BUILD THE RIGHT OMNICHANNEL STRATEGY

Technology has changed the way we communicate. Mobile devices and social media help us stay in touch whenever and wherever we want.

For businesses, this revolution has presented a particular challenge.

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Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Now, customers choose how they want to interact with brands and compa­ nies. They can select not only the form of communication, but the time and place. This reality has altered the tradi­ tional customer experience, making it nonlinear. More companies are looking toward an omnichannel solution to meet this challenge.

Thinking about embracing the idea of going all-digital for your retail brand or business? We think it’s time to pause for a while to gather second thoughts.

While digital channels have changed the way retailers do business in an age where the Internet reigns supreme, no one can simply ignore this important statistic taken from a recent First Insight Report: 71% of surveyed shoppers spent 50 dollars or more when shopping in a traditional physical store.

are able to use and interact with several multiple channels at the same time, with their information and shared data being “remembered” by retailers. It links the customer journey altogether: tech­ nology to incorporate all data and sales functions presented with convenience in multiple digital channels, in-store services that provide the still-appre­ ciated human touch, an integrated order management system that offers customers increased flexibility, and the opportunity to translate data to know what the customer wants, which can lead to an even greater sale.

THE RIGHT OMNICHANNEL STRATEGY

Some companies assume that an omnichannel capability only involves technology. However, by not considering the entire customer journey, firms may run the risk of delivering non-integrated services. Companies can end up deli­ Physical stores can accommodate shop­ vering multiple channels in silos. Their pers who prefer an “experience,” meaning customers may have different experi­ satisfying customers who require seeing, ences on each channel, which is detri­ fitting or testing, and touching the pro- mental to the overall brand. ducts first before making a major purchase.

A customer’s senses and emotions play Though technology is a crucial element an important role in the retail industry of omnichannel implementation, people – most customers crave the satisfaction remain an invaluable resource. Therefore, of being personally helped by retailers having exceptional people to address in shops as opposed to online shop­ the concerns of clients is not discre­ ping. On the other hand, no one can tionary. It is a requirement. deny the power of being online: just one click and an item can be bought without To take this further, companies must be having to leave the house. The conven­ prepared to incorporate digital chan­ ience, privacy, and availability that nels into an omnichannel strategy that online shopping will never be unattrac­ emphasizes quality, skilled people tive – eCommerce retail sales continue to lower barriers for customers. Putting to grow every year, forecasted to hit 4.9 customer experience at the center trillion USD by 2021. of an omnichannel strategy is essential for success. And to comprehend this, compa­ The true challenge now lies in a compa­ nies must remove internal barriers, and ny’s ability to strike a balance between grasp how their customers think about online and in-store shopping, which channel options. Mapping customer jour­ can be accomplished using a seamless neys uncovers how channels must operate omnichannel strategy across multiple in sync, in order to satisfy their customers. channels. The ability for your customers to browse online using a smartphone, The Following Steps Can Help You laptop, computer, or a mobile app, as You Determine the Right Path for and then finally visit a physical store Your Company: to complete the purchase without any inconvenience plus added rewards Create a strategy based on customer makes an intelligent system that bene­ channel preferences through surveys, fits both customers and businesses. Using employee input, and data collected from an omnichannel retail setup, customers all available channels.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

71% of surveyed shoppers spent 50 dollars more when shopping in a traditional physical store.

Select an omnichannel technology that has the capability to support the company on all channels and preserve interactions content along the way. The solution must be able to continue an interaction from the point that the last interaction ceased, regardless of the channel.

Consider well-defined staffing profiles and tailored training per channel as well as a high quality, empathetic, well-trained, motivated, and collaborative workforce.

Agents should be selected based on skills and capabilities that are different for each channel.

Identify the metrics for each channel that impact business results. Each channel requires a specific group of performance metrics, which of course vary by channel.

Keep in mind that the perceptions and tolerance of customers change according to the channel selected.

Map out the organization’s, current work­­ flow in order to rebuild or create new processes and methodologies to guarantee that customers will be served the same way on all channels. It is very important to continuously review contact strategies in order to guarantee that the customer service process will always be agile and efficient, following the changes of customer needs and preferences.

Having an outstanding customer expe­ rience is key to improving your business results. When customers have access to your company through different channels, it is critical not only to deliver the best customer experience possible, but also to provide the same excellence across all channels in a seamless way. Author:

Michał Skierski, Marketing & Sales Support Manager, Teleperformance Polska

39

BUSINESS

KIDS&Co. kindergarten and nursery for FORTE Furniture in Suwałki.

HOW TO RECRUIT AND KEEP AN EMPLOYEE?

THERE IS A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO DO IT Low unemployment rate 5.1% is a real challenge for employers.

According to the research “Job Barometer” conducted by employment agencies, the problem with recruiting will be growing. Central Statistical Office expects that companies will run short of employees and their number can reach 10 million people.

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Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

The biggest problem in running and developing the company is lack of workers, especially those well qualified.

Since last year the average gross salary has risen up to 7% which is the record number and is caused by the competition for an employee.

YES TO HIGH SALARY, BUT… The Millennials will have provided 75% of all the employees by 2025 and for them a good salary is not satisfying. even 85% of them pay a lot of attention to work-life balance. They are also a kind of people who change the workplace most often. Researches show that during their lifetime even 30 times – which equals every 9 months. More and more companies are looking for unusual solu­ tions that are hard to copy to recruit and keep a new person at work. One of those is to create facilities in their workplace to combine their private life and career. Nowadays, the access to sport

centers and healthcare is nothing special.

In the near future kindergartens near the workplace will be more popular and available.

the request of a company or an enter­ prise. This type of a kindergarten is just for employees’ children. Such facilities are created in a close collaboration between the kindergarten operator for instance – There are two types of kindergartens: KIDS&Co. and the owner of the company. in the office building – the company can In Poland companies like Infosys in Łódź buy a certain number of seats, which and FORTE Furniture use that solution. means co-financing the fee and the second one – kindergartens created for big compa- The main advantage of opening the com-­­­ nies and enterprises. Having the kinder- pany kindergarten is to encourage garten near your workplace allows not the employee to benefit from the modern only to recruit the worker, but also keep educational facility located near the work­ him in the company providing work-life place on the preferential treatment. balance and helps parents to come back to work – says Karina Trafna – cofounder Kindergartens located in office centers give the opportunity to use such of KIDS&Co. facility for more than one company. Co-­ FACTS AND MYTHS ABOUT -­financing the seats by a fund of social OFFICE AND COMPANY benefits is becoming more and more KINDERGARTENS popular. Managers usually buy a bit The difference between the office and higher number of seats just to be sure the company kindergarten. Company that there will be enough for their kindergartens are run and open at employees’ children.

KIDS&Co. kindergarten and nursery for FORTE Furniture in Suwałki.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

41

BUSINESS

KIDS&Co. kindergarten and nursery in the PIXEL office complex in Poznań.

Kindergartens – a solution only for big companies? Office kindergartens in Poland are being built for tenants no matter how big they are where the operator usually guarantees up to 100 seats and the organi­ zation can buy and co-finance a certain number of them for parents.

Then every single worker can take the advantage of a facility and the salary is not a case. This is something for smaller companies or for those that are not able to open and run their own one.

How the employer can co-finance the seats in the kindergarten? Usually the employer uses the money form the Company Social Benefit Fund. Every company with at least 50 employees can form a such fund. There is also a possibility to increase it by 7.5% for nursery need.

something or someone is completely surrounded by something else. So, to learn the English language by immer­ sion, you must surround yourself with the language all the time. This learning method has been scientifically proven to change the way your brain works, and helps you think like a native.

Co-financing the kindergarten is a strong bargaining card in the recruitment process. According to Pracuj. pl researches 71% of working parents say that the kindergarten that is co-fi­ nanced and located near the workplace There are the facilities in Poland that are is the most attractive benefit. Compa­ bilingual and as the corporations hire nies that run kindergartens claim that people from Spain, Portugal or India it it speeds up the recruitment process is a great opportunity for their children to 160%. to learn two languages – Polish and English – at the same time and then attend the primary school In Poland. Author: Parents that are not Polish speakers can easily talk about their children development and success with English speaking teachers.

There are seats only for older children Does the kindergarten have the offer in office kindergartens. Facilities in office for foreign people? “Immersion” is when buildings usually have also some nursery

42

groups. Parents can sign up a child that is at least one year old.

Aneta Płusa, Sales and Marketing Director, KIDS&Co.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

BUSINESS

OUTSOURCING OPPORTUNITIES IN COMPLIANCE

Compliance has been rapidly growing as a part of the global legal and financial system, bringing new opportunities in the job market. Most of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading financial institutions, which operate under the watchful eye of the regulators, transfer their services to outsourcing centres. But what brings compliance and outsourcing together? Why it is beneficial to build a compliance department in an outsourcing centre? And in which countries can the best compliance specialists be found and why?

44

COMPLIANCE AND FINANCIAL CRIME – WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT? Throughout the years, the role of finan­ cial institutions, particularly banks, has changed massively. Many of them managed to transform from small, local companies operating on deposits and basic financial instruments, into big conglomerates offering a variety of pro­ ducts all over the world. Today banks are able to serve millions of individual customers, corporates and partnerships, fulfilling their needs worldwide. Such activity means great power but also great responsibility. As a result of global transfor­ mation, banks face the risk of money laun­ dering, international sanctions violations or terrorist financing, which could damage their reputation and lead to financial loss.

Most countries have established national agencies to maintain stability, trans­ parency and safety within the finan­ cial market. Such agencies, also known as regulators, have been showing their growing power, especially after the global financial crisis in 2008. Since then, lots of companies, including international banks, have had to pay enormous fines due to a lack of internal controls, which made them noncompliant with legal provisions and even internal rules.

Between January and November 2019 the British Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) imposed fines in totalling in excess of £390 million.

No wonder, international banks put a great amount of effort into strength­ ening their procedures to comply with regulations and avoid reputational damage – mitigating different types of risk is what compliance is all about.

COMPLIANCE IN OUTSOURCING CENTRES – WHY AND HOW? Compliance involves a variety of resources and people. Specialists from many professions, such as accounting, IT, law, procurement, economics and many more are needed to meet the company’s and regulator’s needs. These needs can be then transformed into compliance cost, which includes necessary expenses

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Most countries have established national agencies to maintain stability, transparency and safety within the financial market.

Such agencies, also known as regulators, have been showing their growing power, especially after the global financial crisis in 2008.

Given the breadth of HSBC’s reach – it has presence in 65 countries and terri­ tories – all its Global Service Centres are internationally focused, demonstrating a hugely flexible, connected and complex employment and organizational struc­ ture. For example, GSC Krakow HSBC hires more than 3,000 professionals and the team still continues to grow.

Employees in Krakow provide services to HSBC entities across 27 countries and such as human resources, implementing in 11 languages: Czech, English, French, policies, providing accurate and timely German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, training and maintain systems. The bigger Russian, Spanish and Turkish. the organization, the bigger the due to different legal systems, regulator’s JUSTIFICATION FOR requirements or even different languages. OUTSOURCING COMPLIANCE Outsourcing centres help to reduce total Among the various parts of a compliance compliance cost. By using these centres, department, some are specific to banking international banks are able to imple­ institutions and may not need to be trans­ ment the same standards in different ferred to an outsourcing centre because locations, consolidate the work and they can be covered by the institutions improve customer service by processing headquarters of smaller company unit. the requests in a proper manner and An international bank will also hire on timely basis. a significant number of analysts or skilled specialists in-house to fight financial Countries such as India and Poland seem crime, such as KYC (Know Your Customer), particularly attractive for outsourcing AML (Anti Money Laundering), Regulatory compliance. Certainly the reasons for Compliance, Quality Assurance, Product transferring the services are varied and Control and Policy specialists. although the cost of compliance is an argument for some locations, it should Because of the significant cost of compli­ be noted that compliance requires ance, many banks have moved compli­ a large number of qualified specialists ance departments, or parts of it, to to be an effective tool. Each organiza­ outsourcing centres. However, this is not tion faces a challenge where to establish always possible in some countries, due a shared services centre due to available to regulators requirements, such as data human resources and business condi­ restriction. Organisations find their tions. Interestingly, Poland – with a rela­ own different solutions to these issues, tively young democracy and a constantly such as establishing service centres growing financial market – is a country in a number of locations. that attracts a huge number of financial institutions, becoming the European HSBC is a bank that runs its outsourcing heart of compliance. services through Global Operations units.

They operate through over 20 Global Author: Service Centres (GSCs), which are located in India, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Poland. Employees based in the service centres manage day-to-day customer transactions and Piotr Gula, processes for the global businesses. Most KYC Analyst, HSBC of these locations include a compliance Service Delivery (Polska) Sp. z o.o. function, especially in India and Poland.

45

INVESTMENTS

INVESTMENTS NEWS VASTINT WILL BUILD A NEW OFFICE BUILDING IN GDYNIA terminus, and the Riviera shopping centre are all within walking distance.

The six-storey building’s form, archi­ tectural expression, and details refer to the architectural tradition of modernism.

The modular, repetitive facade consists of white, curved profiles which make refer­ ence to the sails and ship architecture popular in Gdynia in the 1930s, otherwise known as the “Streamline Style.”

PANATTONI VENTURES INTO SILESIA WITH A PROJECT DEDICATED TO CITY LOGISTICS

Vastint Poland has signed a contract with CFE Polska to execute and coordinate the construction of an office building with the leasable area of 11,400 m2 at 2 Kielecka Street in Gdynia. Ground breaking will begin at the start of this year. The project is planned to be completed by mid-2022.

The most advantageous aspect of the project is its location. With conve­ nient access to public transport services and to a number of important ameni-­­­ ties, future employees will be able to effec­ tively plan their days. The office building, which will bear the name “K2”, will be erected at the intersection of Kielecka Street and one of the main communi­ cation arteries in Gdynia – Śląska Street.

Located nearby, the Fast Urban Railway station, St. Maximilian’s Hill, the bus

City Logistics Katowice will comprise 4 buildings totalling 70,000 sqm, of which approx. 5,000 sqm will be dedicated to office space. Phase one provides for the construction of two halls, featuring respectively 6,785 sqm and 21,359 sqm.

The park will be built on a 14.4-hectare site in the north-eastern part of Katowice.

It is as little as 3.5 km from the city centre, which will significantly facilitate the tenants’ city logistics operations, 3 international airports within a short as well as make it easier for the employees reach of the park – Pyrzowice (29 km to commute.

– 27 min), Krakow (50 min) and Ostrava (60 min).

Location – City Logistics Katowice will be right next to the national road no Saving the environment. The site at Mie­­ 86, just 5 km (10 min) from the Murc­ dziana St. lies in a historic mining and kowska junction on the A4 motorway metalworking area. Some of the land (running through southern Poland, from has been contaminated by oil derivatives. the border with Germany to Ukraine), The developer will have to remediate and approx. 15 minutes’ drive from some 2,000 cubic metres of soil. The cost the A1 motorway, connecting the north of the procedure is estimated to reach and south of the country. There are also approx. € 330,000 (about PLN 1.4 million).

46

The lowest floor of the building will house a modern designed rece ption. Undoubt­ edly, the stylish lobby, with its informal and comfortable areas intended for coop­ eration and meetings, will be the project’s crowning feature. The two-story under­ ground parking has been designed for 136 cars, while cyclists will have bicycle racks outside the building and changing rooms with showers in the garage.

The materials and technical solutions used ensure an above-average standard of office space. In addition, they will allow to achieve increased efficiency in terms of reduction of energy and water consumption as well as air quality control.

The project will meet the LEED environ­ mental certification requirements.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

INVESTMENTS

TRI-CITY AND ŁÓDŹ.

NEW PROMISED LAND FOR INVESTORS Interview with Colliers International experts – Błażej Kucharski, regional director in Tri-City and Marcin Włodarczyk, regional director in Łódź.

Regional office markets are developing rapidly. This year, the eight major regional markets almost equalled Warsaw for the first time in terms of office space supply. What is the source of this rapid growth in recent years?

Błażej Kucharski, regional direc­ tor of Colliers International in Tri-City: People are the key. Today, companies fighting to attract talented staff are finding employees outside Warsaw.

In the eyes of employers, regional ci­ ties have gained in importance in this respect. Large Polish and international companies have begun to locate their offices and business service centers in them. This has propelled the devel­ opment market, with new office space being built at a rapid rate. Poland is still number one in Europe in the business services sector, and regional cities are where they are based.

Kraków and Wrocław have already broken the barrier of one million square metres of office space. Now, the closest to this number is Tri-City. What is behind its popularity among tenants and developers?

BK: There are already around 800,000 square metres of office space in Tri-City.

Over 160,000 square metres are under construction, with a similar amount planned, so we will reach a million me­ tres very quickly. What makes Tri-City stand out is its location by the sea, with fresh air, lots of greenery and beautiful architecture. Life here is very comforta­ ble. People come to Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia to work and live from the far cor­ ners of Poland. Importantly, Tri-City offers a lot of attractive jobs, with unemploy­ ment at only about 2%. Salaries in sec­ tors such as IT, which is highly developed here, are equal to those found in Warsaw.

Human capital is at a very high level. This Marcin Włodarczyk, regional director has been noticed by both local and in­ of Colliers International in Łódź: The se­ ternational companies, which willingly cond aspect is investment transactions. locate their offices and business centers Foreign investors have noticed the po­ here. This obviously drives demand for tential of regions and have started buy­ new offices. Developers will have a lot ing buildings outside Warsaw on a larger of work to do in Tri-City for a long time. scale. This has allowed them to become more competitive. Successful sales trans­ To see the largest office buildings comactions are encouraging developers pleted this year in Poland, you have to carry out further projects. to go to Łódź. But it hasn’t always been

48

so good here. Let’s take a look at what has changed.

MW: Łódź was underestimated for many years. Developers bypassed it for a long time, perceiving it as a high-risk city because of its image associated with the industrial past and the poor condi­ tion of its urban fabric. Paradoxically, the proximity of Warsaw did not help ei­ ther. However, it is the third largest city in Poland, sixth in terms of office space and has a very large labour market. As for Łódź’s potential for the modern business services, which drives the development of the office market in the city, it is larg­ er than the supply of office space would suggest. For example, while the supply of offices in Poznan and Katowice is high­ er than in Łódź, there are more employees in the BPO and SSC sector in Łódź. And this is an interesting paradox that devel­ opers have finally noticed.

2016 was a breakthrough year for Łódź.

It was then that record transactions were recorded and several new international names entered the city. It turned out that the Łódź real estate market has huge potential, which many large developers had not noticed before. Now the biggest of them are investing here, including Skanska, Echo Investment, Ghelamco and HB Reavis.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Poland is still number one in Europe in the business services sector, and regional cities are where they are based.

BĹ&#x201A;aĹźej Kucharski, regional director of Colliers International in Tri-City.

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INVESTMENTS

The increase in vacancy rates over the past year is due to the fact that Łódź is on a roll.

A lot of new office space is under construction, currently around 80,000 square metres, some of which is yet to be leased, which shows that investors and developers have regained confidence in this market.

Marcin Włodarczyk, regional director of Colliers International in Łódź.

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Although both centres are developing rapidly, they are coping with the absorption of such a large amount of office space differently. In the third quarter of 2019, Tri-City saw the lowest vacancy rate among regional cities (4.8%), while Łódź recorded the highest (12.1%). Does this mean that Łódź has overestimated the market’s absorption ability?

MW: Just seven years ago, the office vacancy rate in Łódź was about 20%.

The 12% figure comes from the high sup­ ply of new offices in recent years in re­ sponse to demand, but it is still a safe le­ vel. Meanwhile, this is beneficial for ten­ ants because they have a lot of projects to choose from. When the rate is too low, market balance is upset.

The increase in vacancy rates over the past year is due to the fact that Łódź is on a roll. A lot of new office space is under construction, currently around 80,000 square metres, some of which is yet to be leased, which shows that investors and developers have regained confidence in this market. Some are implementing speculative projects, i.e. ones that do not always have pre-let agreements.

The results for 2019 indicate that it will be an even better year than the previous one and a new record for demand will be posted.

Such a low vacancy rate in Tri-City is pleasing for developers and office building owners. And how are tenants dealing with this? Is there a prospect in the near future hat the supply of new, large projects will increase?

BK: Tri-City is constantly showing strong demand. By the end of the third quarter just over 23,000 square metres were completed there, while demand amounted to almost 75,000 square metres. In fact, from the tenants’ point of view, we have a favourable market situation with vacancies at over 10%.

Our clients expect flexibility, and today the challenge for the real estate market is to ensure more space, as well as making it possible to exit easily from long-term contracts. One answer is shared space, which can complement classic offices.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Large organisations looking for flexibi­ newsworthy than the entry of new brands. lity will increasingly use coworking offices. Examples of companies expanding in Łódź are: Fujitsu, Nordea, BSH and Philips, which In Tri-City, we are constantly observing plan to develop and employ additional high activity among companies that are staff. Unfortunately, this is often not talked expanding, choosing additional space about, and yet it shows the city’s invest­ and renegotiating current contracts. ment potential.

This represents around 50% of all trans­ actions to date this year. It is fair to say Colliers International data paints a very that interest is so high that supply cannot positive picture of regional markets keep up with demand. However, this in the past year. Will the forecast for should soon be balanced as more than next year be equally positive?

160,000 square metres of office space are MW: There is currently no data indicat­ under construction, which will definitely ing that a radical slowdown will take place in office markets in regional cities, although improve the situation for tenants. the inflow of new investors to Poland has What kind of tenants are attracted generally slowed down slightly in recent to Tri-City? years compared to 2010-2016. However, BK: Undoubtedly, Tri-City has seve­ activity among tenants is visible and it is ral unique specialties, such as ship de­ they who determine development. Even if sign and advanced engineering for there were some turbulence on a macroe­ the Oil&Gas sector. The location is highly conomic scale, previous years have shown valued especially by Scandinavian ship­ that the Polish market is relatively resist­ yards, which outsource technologically ant as often a downturn in Western Europe advanced projects to Polish engineers. prompts the transfer of business processes However, the IT sector has a leading to the CEE region. share in office rentals. Tri-City is becom­ ing Poland’s ‘Silicon Valley’, where compa­ At Colliers, we anticipate good economic nies such as Intel, Amazon, Dynatrace and conditions for Łódź in the coming Nordea Bank, which has its IT back office years. This will be related to demand, there, are developing successfully. The re­ which is a key factor for the develop­ gion is almost always on the short list ment of the market there. The current of locations for SSC projects. On the list demand for office space is a derivative of countries from which investors come of the city’s overall economic and social from, the leaders are the USA, Germany development. Over 80,000 square metres and Scandinavia. are under construction. The same amount has building permits and implementation can begin at any time.

What is it like in Łódź?

MW: The business services sector is responsible for around 70% of transac­ BK: Next year, over 71,000 square metres tions. Of this, around 30% are IT, another of modern office space will be commis­ 30% are BPO/SSC, and the remaining 10% sioned in Tri-City. The local office market are R&D companies, design centers and is heavily propelled by the expansion other types of services. of tenants who are constantly increasing employment. In my opinion, this trend As many as 70% of lease agreements is stable and will result in vacancy rates in Łódź in the last year were new contracts. remaining at a relatively low level below However, this does not automatically 10%. On the other hand, a visible problem mean that they are new companies that is the extension of the time need for were not in Łódź before. An important construction and the rising costs of labour trend in the development of the city and materials, which may be reflected are new investments by companies that in an increase in rental rates and higher have already been operating there. This is maintenance costs. a very inte­resting phenomenon, though sometimes underestimated as it is less Thank you for the interview.

51

INVESTMENTS

A man is an emotional being.

Our motivation often depends on the mood we are presently in.

Admittedly, a sense of responsibility and professionalism help us fulfill our duties, but sometimes something begins to bother us and often we do not know ourselves why on certain days we do not have the energy to do things. The problem may lie in environmental stimuli which are processed in subcortical brain structures and affect our mood without conscious and analytical thinking process. They make us experience micro-stresses, and since our brain does not defend itself because it is not aware that something is bothering it, a feeling of stress is triggered.

52

EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT OFFICE DESIGNS The office design is nowadays an element of the corporate image.

It reflects the company’s nature, and gives advantage in the war for talent. However, things that look great are often not good for us. In fact, it turns out that the office appearance and organization is primarily essential for our health, and surprisingly, also for our emotions.

According to the authors of the report commissioned by Mindespace, a global coworking space operator, as much as a quarter of workers have once rejected an offer of work “because of the office appearance which they considered inappropriate or the lack of amenities”. Further, the Association of Business Service Leaders (ABSL), a leading organization representing the modern business service sector in Poland, argues that according to their research carried out in 2018 – 76 per cent of young people (aged 18–34) declare that the office appearance affects the attractiveness of a company. In this situation it is hard to deny that the office design is an important issue.

Presently, an office of an appropriate quality is the result of combining factors such as a modern design, highclass office equipment, well equipped kitchens, place for rest (or even a nap) and spaces serving social integra­ tion purposes. Meanwhile, it must not be overlooked that the workplace is primarily the space where we work.

It does not always mean performing

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

creative tasks; in reality, we most often handle tasks which require us to stare at computer screens for hours, participate in endless meetings or make repeated attempts to find a quiet place to be able to have a long and important telephone conversation. Work exhausts us, physi­ cally and mentally. Therefore, the office fit-out cannot be just an improvement.

It also has to help us concentrate on our work and prevent us from becoming discouraged or irritated. It should posi­ tively stimulate our emotions.

A man is an emotional being. Our moti­ vation often depends on the mood we are presently in. Admittedly, a sense of responsibility and professionalism help us fulfill our duties, but sometimes something begins to bother us and often we do not know ourselves why on certain days we do not have the energy to do things. The problem may lie in envi­ ronmental stimuli which are processed in subcortical brain structures and affect our mood without conscious and analy­ tical thinking process. They make us experience micro-stresses, and since our brain does not defend itself because it is

not aware that something is bothering it, a feeling of stress is triggered.

For example, room temperature that is too low or too high contributes to a decrease in our work efficiency by 10 percent.

Excessive noise level is able to reduce it by as much as 66 percent. The quality of air impacts the ability to process infor­ mation properly; such ability grows in well ventilated rooms. A photograph of smiling children taken during last vacation sitting on a desk or as desktop wallpaper is a nice touch, but at 7 p.m., when we are spending another hour at work, has a destructive effect on our subconsciousness.

In addition to the working environment parameters, the office design itself also determines our well-being, i.e. it may improve it or intensify negative emotional states. Private office layout does not offer an excellent working environment. But at least employees have a greater chance for more person­ alization in the workplace. Large amount of space for family photos, plants, nice coffee mugs make people feel more relaxed and happy at work.

53

INVESTMENTS

Such conveniences are completely eliminated when companies switch to the so-called “hot-desking” system.

According to CBRE, the percentage of international companies which are planning to introduce this solution in their offices is going to increase from 30% to 45% until the end of 2020. From a financial perspective, such an arrange­ ment is beneficial for the tenant since it can reduce the amount of leased space. However, it looks differently from the perspective of its employees.

Workers experience fear and anxiety due to the fact that they do not know where their place of work is going to be and next to whom they are going to sit every day. The fear or insecurity they feel tricks their brain into thinking: “survive”, “defend yourself” and “stay alive”. There is no space for stimulating creative thinking.

A characteristic feature of such space is also the lack of personalization, i.e. workers have to limit objects in their surroundings to things which may be easily removed and put in a cabinet.

In many companies there is also a “clean desk” policy. The policy limits the quan­ tity of the so-called “lucky charms” that surround employees and prevents employees from collecting them.

However, lucky charms personalize the space, allow one to identify with it and put one in a good mood.

Contact with nature is another thing that affects emotions. Our biophilic instinct has strong biological grounds, even if we live in a concrete jungle since we were born, and manifests itself in our desire to be surrounded by nature. Being aware of that, architects increasingly often try to recreate impressions of a garden, green meadow or forest by designing interiors such that plants play a great role there. The spaces so designed have a soothing effect on body and mind, and

54

people staying there are more efficient and creative, stress out less and get sick less frequently. Similar conclusions can be derived from the results of the studies published in “HortScience”. Researchers Thus far lighting systems were at the University of Texas who examined designed to ensure safe and a group of office workers from the State appropriate working conditions for our eyes. However, light of Texas and North Central United States impacts on the human body other using an internet survey, demonstrated than the eyes were overlooked. that people working in offices in which In the natural environment light there are plants and windows were more is refracted, reflected, scattered happy and satisfied with life and career and changes during the day. than people working in places without In closed office spaces monotonous plants and windows. The latter group was atmosphere is created. The lack not satisfied with life and assessed job of light movement and constantly satisfaction as low. Further, employees changing shadows impacts our working in “green” offices more posi­ feeling of such space. tively assessed their bosses, co-workers and nature of work in general. However, academics emphasize that differences in job satisfaction were only noted by the academics of the Cornell Univer­ in respect of men. sity, people working in naturally illu­ minated offices suffer from headaches However, natural light is most important. less frequently (by 63 percent), and A C&W report informs about the benefi­ their levels of eye strain are reduced cial impact of natural light on the level by 51 percent. Also, the level of drows­ of cortisol, i.e. the primary stress hormone. iness experienced by them is reduced It does not seem curious at all. A long by as much as 56 percent. Further, time ago, when we used to spend most the “Impact of windows and daylight of our time outside, our body clock was exposure on overall health and sleep controlled naturally i.a. synched to sunrise quality of office workers: a case-con­ and sunset. Once we started spending trol pilot study” of 2013 demonstrates a lot of time indoors with little natural the impact of appropriate quantity and light we have to use artificial light. Over­ quality of light on sleep, physical activity whelming closed spaces trigger body and quality of life. One of the authors defense mechanisms intended to survive of the report, Professor Ivy Cheung, in a “dinky, cold and damp cave”.

Northwestern University of Chicago, summed up the results of the study Current technology makes everything by stating that the “the extent to which much easier. Artificial lighting that daylight exposure impacts office workers replicates the morning light signifi­ is remarkable”. It appeared that workers cantly accelerates circadian rhythm and whose desks were placed in naturally increases resistance to stress. Bright light illuminated spaces slept an average lets us start the day well and improves of 46 minutes more per night. Obviously, the quality of our work during the day. we are speaking of effective and healthy sleep. This translated into better quality According to the authors of “The Daylight of life during the day. Workers deprived and Workplace Study” carried out in 2017 of access to natural light during work

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

achieved worse results in tests meas­ uring their vitality, quality and effective­ ness of their sleep and the level of activity during the day. Thus, this obviously impacted their well-being, e.g. stress resistance or general irritability.

for the employer. Since because noise reduces workers’ effectiveness, compa­ nies lose real money on that. In connec­ tion with the lease of a new “workplace” for 1100 people, Heerema, a Dutch ship owner, simply ordered a finan­ cial appraisal intended to demonstrate the reasonableness of the investment in employees’ well-being. KMPG, a global network of audit and advisory firms, computed that a healthy office trans­ lates into EUR 42 million savings gene­ rated during the period of twenty years.

The economic impact of natural light was computed as EUR 650 thousand annually (i.e. EUR 13 million in the period of twenty years). It means that owing to the opti­ mization of natural light, Heerema may deduct EUR 2.3 from the rental price of each square meter monthly.

Thus far lighting systems were designed to ensure safe and appropriate working conditions for our eyes. However, light impacts on the human body other than the eyes were overlooked. In the natural environment light is refracted, reflected, scattered and changes during the day.

In closed office spaces monotonous atmosphere is created. The lack of light movement and constantly changing shadows impacts our feeling of such space. Spaces without light contrasts (e.g. in the case of lateral illumination) lose their depth and perspective and seem smaller than they really are, more As you can see, emotions can have a great overwhelming and even unidimensional. value. Very few people realize that this affects our productivity and effectiveness.

Author: The essence of a healthy office, also in the context of our mental state which is reflected by our emotions, is to skill­ fully combine several elements. Natural light is one of them. The World Green Building Council formulated seven other elements which should be consid­ ered when designing every office. They include among other things the quality of ventilation, thermal comfort, acous­ tics, employee engagement methods, choice of materials and their appearance, room layout or view from the window.

All of such elements are not only signi­ ficant but can also have a concrete value

Marketing Department, Vastint Poland

55

INVESTMENTS

BRAMA MIASTA

– A PROJECT IN ŁÓDŹ THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE

Brama Miasta is a complex consisting of two 13-storey buildings that will form a symbolic gate. Together, they will deliver almost 44,000 sq m. GLA of modern office space, and provide space for work for up to 5,000 people. The first building of the complex was commissioned in 2019 and is currently the only A-class office project in the New Centre of Łódź available to new tenants. The second building will be ready in 2020.

Brama Miasta connects the lively Piotrkowska Street with the New Centre of Łódź and the Łódź Fabryczna station.

The investment is also close to the woonerf on Traugutta street – a street transformed in such a way to still allow car traffic, but with priority given to pedestrians and cyclists. The street retains its commu­ nication function, but it also becomes a promenade, parking lot and meeting place for residents. Thanks to direct access to the new railway station, buses and trams, employees will easily reach the office building. The investment itself also has space for amenities for users of other means of transport. In total, throughout the complex there will be 205 spaces for cyclists, including comfort­ able changing rooms and electric car charging stations.

56

Brama Miasta is an attempt to meet the needs of Łódź, a city that is being rediscovered today, and despite its continuous development, a city that still maintains its identity and character.

The original architecture, rust-coloured façade material and a brick patio have been designed to aesthetically blend in with the post-factory feel and tradi­ tions of the city. Corten, which will cover the façades, is a material that changes its colour and structure over time. In addition to aesthetic functions, its advantage is also resistance. The walls of both build­ ings from the side of the shared court­ yard will be glazed. From the very begin­ ning the architecture of the investment was to be simple and timeless. Brama Miasta is an example of broad thinking about the city and its future users

and new employees. Medusa Group, the renowned Silesian studio is respon­ sible for the project.

AN OPEN GATE INVITING YOU INTO THE CITY The Skanska project is developing a new meeting place in the New Centre of Łódź.

An atmospheric patio with small architec­ ture and city cafes have been designed for the employees and residents of Łódź, as well as tourists. The space between and around the buildings was designed so that cultural events and initiatives, such as outdoor exhibitions or a summer cinema, could take place there, which worked great at the previous Skanska investment in Łódź – Nowa Fabryczna.

All this makes Brama Miasta an ideal place for business and social meetings.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Outsourcing&More | Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;February 2020

57

INVESTMENTS

The space between and around the buildings was designed so that cultural events and initiatives, such as outdoor exhibitions or a summer cinema, could take place there, which worked great at the previous Skanska investment in Łódź – Nowa Fabryczna.

– At Skanska, we want to ensure a friendly interior design. Good ideas don’t only happen when sitting at a desk. They might also emerge over coffee or during a meeting in a co-working zone. The public lobby also gives you the opportunity to focus on work and encourages short meetings with guests.

In designing the lift halls we used the comic motifs of Tomasz Kaczkowski from the Kolektyf design group, which show Łódź from the most interesting side. In addition, on the ground floor of the building there is a comic exhibition, which contains works of well-known artists such as Truściński, Ostrowski or Piorunowski – says Marta Krymarys, Project Manager.

Brama Miasta is the first office building in Łódź with the innovative operating system Connected by Skanska, inte­ grating the management of various building functions in a mobile applica­ tion and via an online platform. It will be easy to move around the facility using a smartphone, without the need to use traditional access cards, create a virtual invitation to the building for a guest, and reserve a parking space for him. Innova­ tive solutions used within the complex, such as activity based parking which recognises license plates and allocates available parking spaces, create a friendly – Skanska was the first office developer everyday work environment. to believe in the potential of Łódź. In 2013, we commissioned our first office building – Green Horizon, followed by Nowa Fabryczna in the New Centre of Łódź (NCŁ). Currently, as the latest reports indicate, Łódź is one of the four most interesting business centres in the country. The city itself is also constantly changing. Revitalization of space, completed and currently being built office, residential and logistics projects in and around Łódź, testify to its continuous development, within which NCŁ is becoming a business and cultural centre of the city. Brama Miasta investment, partially due to its location, has already become a new hallmark of Łódź, which welcomes travellers arriving at the modern Łódź Fabryczna station. The two buildings opening the NCŁ are naturally becoming a characteristic point on the city map, which everyone will be able to find without having to provide an exact address – says Krzysztof Wilczek, Regional Director at Skanska office unit in Poland.

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A MODERN OFFICE BUILDING WITHOUT BARRIERS

Brama Miasta also offers a number of amenities for residents. It will be a complex fully adapted to the needs of people with limitations, including people with disabilities, parents with children or seniors. The building has been awarded the “Building without Barriers” certificate and is also applying for the Gold LEED certificate.

Author:

Jędrzej Kruszyński, Communication Manager, Skanska office unit in Poland

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

GLOBAL BUSINESS COMPLEXITY INDEX 2019 Overcome the challenges of doing business abroad.

Our index focuses on rules, regulations and penalties, accounting and tax, and hiring, ďŹ ring and paying employees.

Get in touch with us today:

tmf-group.com/enquiry

INVESTMENTS

POTENTIAL OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN ŁÓDŹ How to recognise a city that is a good place to invest?

New investment in the city

Taken into account the presence of 17 higher education facilities in the city – including six public ones – Łódź offers a significant human resources potential for companies already operating in the city. According to the last report by Deloitte, the human resources potential formed by the students of these facilities amounts to 76,000 people and the Łódź University of Technology – the second-largest public higher education institution in the city – is ranked among the best in Poland.

The city of Łódź has been supporting investors in their growth by providing them with the information required and building bridges of cooperation within the golden triangle formed by the local government, the world of science and the world of business. It is thanks to the close cooperation of these three environments and the tremendous human resource potential of Łódź that a growing group of investors not only expands their main operations but also supplements them with research and development units. The presence of R&D in Łódź has been growing and, judging from recent years, it comes not only from When considering whether to set up IT or modern business service companies business in a given city, each investors but also manufacturing ones. has various needs and requirements and, therefore, take different factors into Taken into account the presence account. Some of them will consider of 17 higher education facilities in support in the form of grants and tax the city – including six public ones – Łódź exemptions important, while for others offers a significant human resources the logistic advantages and office infra­ potential for companies already oper­ structure will play the main role. However, ating in the city. According to the last what may be a decisive factor for both report by Deloitte, the human resources current and future employers operating potential formed by the students in a given city is the availability of human of these facilities amounts to 76,000 resources or academic courses conduted people and the Łódź University of Tech­ at local univesrities. nology – the second largest public higher education institution in the city – ranked And how to recognise the satisfaction among the best in Poland. In Deloitte’s of an investor who is already present report it has been emphasised that: in a city? The best evidence is the expan­ Both University of Łódź and the Universion of current business, which might sity of Technology offer courses of studies go in two directions: one is the natural tailored to the needs of the current labour growth of an investment in the scale market – as a consequence their graduof activity, while the other is diversi­ ates easily find employment in such sectors fying the services and developing them as SSC, BPO, IT, finance, manufacturing in completely new directions in compar­ or industry. * ison to those that the investment was *Ukryty Potencjał Łodzi (The Hidden Potential previously led towards. of Łódź) report by Deloitte, November 2019.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Name of the investor: BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego Sp. z o. o.

Country of origin: Germany Number of workplaces: circa 6,200, majority in Lodz Sector: manufacturing of household appliances Company's residence in the city: Lodowa 103 St., Fabryka Suszarek (Dryer Factory), Shared Serivces and Research and Development Center, Papiernicza St. Fabryka Pralek (Washing Machine Factory), Jędrzejowska St. Fabryka Zmywarek (Dishwashing Factory) Occupied place in sq m: 52,000 BSH has been present in Łódź for over 25 years now. You can say that this is where the central part of our production and logistics is located as we have three factories in the city, an impressive logistics centre and a research and development centre. Over the last quarter of a century, we have made huge investments in Łódź and our activity has developed from an initially simplified production into a dynamically operating modern production machine which supplies global markets with household appliances.

Our strong links to the region stem from both our operational needs and the friendly approach of the local institutions and authorities towards investors. Łódź has always been the manufacturing capital of Poland and that part of its specificity allows us to grow dynamically, especially since we are a manufacturing company. What is also important is the geographical location of the city at the intersection of trade routes going through our country. It is very important from the point of view of logistics as, thanks to such a location, we can manage the supply chain more efficiently.

Recently, we have accomplished two large investments that have been very important to BSH. One of them, the Dishwasher Factory on Jędrzejowska street in Łódź, is the largest manufacturing facility of this kind in Europe.

This factory is one of the most important centres on the BSH’s global map and we have major plans for it. The Research and Development Centre located near the clothes dryer factory on Lodowa Street is the second investment that is worth mentioning in the context of the progressing growth of BSH in Łódź. It is the first investment of this kind that BSH has carried out in Poland and it indicates clearly the direction for our development. R&D centres are of key importance to business, irrespective of the sector, which is why we are happy to have a cutting-edge one located in Łódź.

Konrad Pokutycki, President of the Management Board of BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego Sp. z o. o.

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INVESTMENTS

The availability of human resources with research and development comptetences has already been noticed by large enter­ prises located in Łódź. A good example of a company that decided to focus more on its research and development activity (after the succes of its manufacturing line in Łódź) is the company BSH Sprzęt Gospo­darstwa Domowego Sp. z o.o.

Konrad Pokutycki, CEO, says: Our strong links to the region stem from both our operational needs and the friendly approach

of the local institutions and authorities towards investors. Łódź has always been the manufacturing capital of Poland and that part of its specificity allows us to grow dynamically, especially since we are a manufacturing company. What is also important is the geographical location of the city at the intersection of trade routes going through our country. It is very important from the point of view of logistics as, thanks to such a location, we can manage the supply chain more efficiently.

The availability of human resources with research and development abilities has already been noticed by large enterprises located in Łódź. A good example of a company that decided to focus more on its research and development activity (after its manufacturing line achieved a lot of success in Łódź) is the company BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego Sp. z o.o.

New investment in the city

and the largest household appliance manufacturer in our country. We have a Shared Services Centre for Finances for EMEA in Łódź (opened in 2017) and a Shared Services Centre for Supply Chain – also in Łódź (opened in May 2019). It is worth noting here that Łódź has been a crucial investment location for us and the history of our manufacturing plants began 20 years ago. A lot of things have changed during that time but the positive atmosphere for investments in this city remains the same. It is one of the key factors contributing to our constant growth. In September 2019, we announced another industrial investment in a new free-standing cooker manufacturing platform. However, Łódź means more to us than just manufacturing. It is here that Recently, we have accomplished two we dynamically develop other branches large investments that have been very of our activity which makes our business important to BSH. One of them, the Dish- in Łódź mature, comprehensive and diverse. washer Factory on Jędrzejowska street in Łódź, is the largest manufacturing facility The dynamic and diverse growth of busi­ of this kind in Europe. This factory is one ness activity in enterprises across the city of the most important centres on the BSH’s depends on the competences of human global map and we have major plans for resources that an agglomeration offer. it. The Research and Development Centre The educational profile of academic insti­ located near the clothes dryer factory tutions in Łódź, the large number of those on Lodowa Street is the second investment institutions and the number of their that is worth mentioning in the context graduates – are the factors encouraging of the progressing growth of BSH in Łódź. the companies that are aready present It is the first investment of this kind that BSH in the city and areactive for example has carried out in Poland and it indicates in logistics or manufacturing, to develop clearly the direction for our development. their business in other fields that their R&D centres are of key importance to busi- main activity, such as R&D or finance. ness, irrespective of the sector, which is why Over the years, Łódź has proved to be we are happy to have a cutting-edge one a good location for R&D and GBS oper­ located in Łódź. ation centres and, taken into acount the dynamic development of the office The competences of the human resources market in the city. in Łódź have also been noticed by Whirl­ pool, which situated its headquarters there. This company has not one, but More information: two shared services centres in Łódź. It is worth adding that Whirlpool has three Business Development manufacturing centres in Poland – one and International in Łódź and the two other in Wrocław Relations Bureau Piotrkowska 104a Street, and Radomsko. According to Zygmunt 90-926 Lodz Łopalewski, Corporate Communications Phone: +48 42 638 59 39 Director of the Whirlpool Poland: WhirlFax: +48 42 638 59 40 pool is the third-largest investor in Poland e-mail: boi@uml.lodz.pl

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Name of the investor: Whirlpool Corporation (in Poland the company operates under the name Whirlpool Company Polska Sp. z o.o.)

Country of origin: United States Number of workplaces: Łódź circa 2,000, Poland circa 6,000 Sector: household appliances Company's residence in the city: Widzew Przemysłowy district in Łódź, Shared Services Centres in the New Centre of Łódź Occupied place: 16,5 ha Duration of acquiring the investment by the city: approximately 9 months – from the beginning of 1999 to September 1999

Whirlpool is the third-largest investor in Poland and the largest household appliance manufacturer in our country.

We have a Shared Services Centre for Finances for EMEA in Łódź (opened in 2017) and a Shared Services Centre for Supply Chain – also in Łódź (opened in May 2019).

It is worth noting here that Łódź has been a crucial investment location for us and the history of our manufacturing plants began 20 years ago. A lot of things have changed during that time but the positive atmosphere for investments in this city remains the same.

It is one of the key factors contributing to our constant growth. In September 2019, we announced another industrial investment in a new free-standing cooker manufacturing platform. However, Łódź means more to us than just manufacturing. It is here that we dynamically develop other branches of our activity which makes our business in Łódź mature, comprehensive and diverse.

Zygmunt Łopalewski, Corporate Communication Director, Whirlpool Corporation 63

INVESTMENTS

FUTURE IN IT.

WE BUILD POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN KIELCE Recognising the need to increase the city's competitiveness in the area of human ​​​​ resources development for the IT sector, Kielce is reaching for EU funding for the implementation of tasks enabling young people to develop competences in this area. Initiatives involving students, in support of Kielce’s companies and universities are very popular. IT companies are eager to join projects that help them shape the future labour market.

STAFF FOR BUSINESS, I.E. ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN KIELCE

Hackathon Idea Kielce 2019. Photo: Łukasz Zarzycki.

in the IT industry. “High-quality quali­ fications and professional internships as a key to success in the IT industry” At the end of last year, an agreement is a two-year project that will support for the implementation of another the students of IT and electrical schools project financed from European in which classes for IT and programming funds, supporting the development specialists are conducted. of students’ competences in the context of work on the IT market was signed Project activities include high-quality in Kielce. From the 1st of January, the City work practices in prestigious IT compa­ of Kielce is implementing a project nies in Kielce and specialised program­ aimed at increasing the attractiveness ming courses for students and teachers. and quality of vocational education These courses will end with obtaining in the context of future employment qualifications in programming languages.

The support program is completed with specialists programming English courses for students; courses will followed by the exam and certification confirming knowledge of programming English at various levels.

As part of the project, students can also develop key competences in the labour market, i.e. learning to learn, entrepre­ neurship and initiative taking as well as social competences. School Entrepre­ neurship Laboratories equipped with modern computers and didactic tools, such as strategic and decision board games, coaching textbooks, multimedia programs developing these neces­ sary skills.

Students and teachers will be using the simulation of running a business in the form of an online game that was invented and implemented as part of last year’s project “Program: Entrepre­ neurship Education”, also co-financed by the European Union from the Euro­ pean Social Fund.

During the career counselling, each student will receive individual help in planning further education and

a career in the IT industry. These sessions will also help prepare the student for the role of an employee in an IT company and support those who plan to start a business or open a start-up operating in the IT industry.

landscape, environment, including renewable energy sources, solar energy, air protection, or greenery, mobility and electromobility as well as social communi­ cation – cooperation with city’s residents.

Specific problems to solve were put We will also organise meetings with local before the participants. The work entrepreneurs of the IT market – short resulted in, i. a. mobile applications and motivating and activating sessions for websites and their prototypes, concepts students with different representatives presenting a comprehensive analysis of local IT companies and innovative of a selected problem’s area along with start-ups. an indication of further suggested actions and solutions.

As part of the project, there will also be 4 one-day study trips for students and We are particularly pleased that compa­ teachers to leading global IT companies nies from the IT sector located in Kielce joined the organisation of the event, operating in Poland. supporting it in the form of founding The project is co-financed by the Euro­ prizes for participants and offering pean Union from the Regional Opera­ substantive support. tional Program of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodship for the years 2014–2020 under Hackathon Idea Kielce attracted over the European Social Fund. one hundred and fifty participants, the event was also covered by the media URBAN TALKS patronage of local press and television.

In November last year, we hosted Pro-ecological applications dominated the Urban Policy Congress in Kielce among the winners and ideas high­ – a meeting of local government repre­ lighted in the competition. The first place sentatives, NGOs as well as associations went to a team from one of Kielce high and foundations operating in Poland schools – VI LO im. Juliusza Słowackiego, in the field of urban development and who proposed an application for segre­ urban solutions. During the Congress, gating rubbish based on bar codes. over the discussion panels, workshops and presentations, many interesting Programming marathons are held proposals were made, we met numerous in a similar formula in many places solutions improving the implementation around the world. The initiative aims of tasks in the city, including in the area to promote the idea of ​​​​a smart city, i.e. of ​​​​smart city where the city of Kielce defi­ the use of public data through applica­ nitely stands out. Kielce’s Internet Spatial tions and websites in accordance with Information System, as well as a platform the ideas of open data and free software, for social consultations, or a modern and to encourage the creation of such Geoportal, offering a wide spectrum applications and services. of map services, put Kielce at the fore­ front when it comes to collecting and More about the smart city in Kielce at: using city data, as well as obtaining infor­ www.idea.kielce.eu. mation on the quality of life in the city.

It was in the area of ​​​​using the spatial data provided by the city that the Hackathon More information: Idea Kielce – a programming marathon for pupils and students was organised along the Congress.

PROGRAMME IN KIELCE! Coding enthusiasts using open data from the city of Kielce created mobile and web applications to improve the quality of life in the city.

The competition applications concerned such areas as public space – urban

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Investor Assistance Centre Kielce City Hall: Strycharska 6 Street, 25-659 Kielce Phone: +48 41 36 76 571, 41 36 76 557 e-mail: coi@um.kielce.pl www.invest.kielce.pl/en www.mapa.invest.kielce.pl/en

New investment in the city

Name of the investor: Britenet sp. z o.o.

Country of origin: Poland Number of workplaces: a total of 650, currently 60 in Kielce, ultimately 160 in Kielce in the next 3 years Sector: IT Company's residence in the city: Plaza Park Occupied place: 900 sq m Time needed for attracting the investor: March–September 2019

At Britenet, we base our development strategy on the potential of regional cities, which is why we are present there. We opened the first office in Kielce over 5 years ago.

Thanks to the access to the excellently educated graduates of the Kielce University of Technology we note a steady increase in employment and strengthening our position on the local IT market. In March 2019, we faced the challenge of finding new office space. Process was extremely difficult due to lack of available premises of a high standard. Thanks to the involvement of the Investor Assistance Centre of the City of Kielce and the Cushman & Wakefield company, we managed to convince the investor in Plaza Park, Grzyb Nieruchomości, to cooperate with us on a long-term rental basis. The new office, in which we are settled since September 2019 provides excellent conditions for our team and gives over one hundred new worksites, which we hope to fill soon.

Michał Borny, CEO, Britenet Sp. z o.o.

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INVESTMENTS

2019: THE YEAR LITHUANIAN GBS CAME OF AGE When does a location cease to be emerging, and instead can stand as a strong and mature hub in its own right?

When its business ranking threatens to break into the world’s top 10; when the GBS investments it attracts are all about quality, not quantity; when major existing players add further to their already substantial centres; and when GBS invest­ ments are now spread across a country, not solely concentrated in one city.

This year has also witnessed Lithuania’s emergence as the centre for intelligent automation in the CEE region. Almost half of Lithuania’s 85 GBS centres are imple­ menting RPA to increase their produc­ tivity, with a year-on-year increase of 80% in the number of robots deployed.

Invest Lithuania, the country’s invest­ ment development agency, is working For Lithuania, all of these dynamics closely with key players in the sector occurred in 2019, making it a pivotal year to forge closer collaboration and know­ in the country’s GBS development. No ledge-sharing. It has already organised longer an emerging location, Lithuania has RPA get togethers for the sector, with arrived as a complex and mature GBS hub. the next industry meet up scheduled for January 16th 2020. A new requalifica­ TH 11 IN THE WORLD FOR DOING tion programme to upskill talent so it is BUSINESS AND A HUB FOR RPA equipped for RPA is also in the pipeline.

2019 brought 8 new GBS investors to Lithu­ ania, including a number of Fortune 500 NEW INVESTORS BRING ADDED companies. This means there are now VALUE SERVICES 85 GBS centres in the country, employing One noticeable trend in 2019, and a key almost 19,000 specialists. There are many sign of the sector’s maturation, has been factors that have convinced investors the growth in high-end functions handled to choose Lithuania for their GBS ope­ra­ by Lithuanian GBS centres. tions. But in terms of overall perfor­ mance, nothing tells the story of Lithua­ McKesson corporation, a global leader nia’s rise to the top better than its ranking in healthcare supply chain management in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business that is ranked 7th in the Fortune 500 list, index. By the end of 2019 Lithuania was opened the McKesson Business Services rated the 11th best country in the world Centre in Vilnius this July. Initially focusing for ease of doing business – it has on financial services, McKesson Business been steadily climbing the rankings for Services Centre addresses the needs the last few years. of evolving healthcare by improving

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the speed, efficiency and quality of the company’s finance operations.

Another major arrival this year was Dana Incorporated. This world leader in engineering solutions for powered vehicles and machinery opened a new service centre in Vilnius that will soon employ 100 finance specialists operating in 6 different languages.

Meanwhile, AmerisourceBergen, a global healthcare solutions and com­­m er­­ cialization leader that is also top 10 in the Fortune 500 list, announced a major expansion of its operations in Lithu­ ania in 2019. This includes a new service centre to be opened in January 2020.

This multi-functional centre will handle Digital Business Solutions, Customer Care, Human Resources, and Finance, Treasury and Accounting. In total, the company plans to invest €30 million into the centre over the next 5 years, recruiting 200 specialists.

POSITIVE INITIAL EXPERIENCES DRIVE DEEPER INVESTMENT AmerisourceBergen’s development in Lithuania has followed an inte­ resting trajectory. It already had a team in Lithuania through its speciality logis­ tics arm, World Courier. And less than a year after World Courier opened

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

its transport facility in Vilnius, a service centre followed. – We’ve had the opportunity to witness the local talent, infrastructure and accessibility of Vilnius through World Courier – explains Doug Cook, President of Commercialization Services & Animal Health at AmerisourceBergen. – With Invest Lithuania, the Ministry of Economy and other local institutions ready to help us, building an office there felt like a logical next step.

It has been a similar situation for the German sugar giant Nordzucker. This year, the company opened Nordzucker Busi­ ness Services in Kaunas, Lithuania’s second largest city. Their positive experiences of working with Lithuanian talent played a key role in them choosing Lithuania for their GBS operations, as Nordzucker already operates a production facility

near Kaunas that employs 230 people.

This is how the company became aware of Kaunas’ strong potential as a location for GBS.

THE UNSATURATED KAUNAS-VILNIUS HUB OFFERS GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES Nordzucker needed service specialists proficient in German, Danish, Norwe­ gian, and Swedish. And thanks to Kaunas’ multilingual talent pool, it has found them. As a rapidly developing univer­ sity city, Kaunas is garnering a reputa­ tion as a rising star in business services.

This year, the German automation giant Festo expanded its Kaunas team to over 500 specialists. The Festo office in Kaunas now handles 150 different services for Festo’s international operations.

85% of 25–34 year olds in Lithuania speak English, and over half the population speak two or more foreign languages. Besides English, German is highly popular, as are the Nordic languages.

INVESTMENTS

Almost half of Lithuania’s 85 GBS centres are implementing RPA to increase their productivity, with a year-on-year increase of 80% in the number of robots deployed. Invest Lithuania, the country’s investment development agency, is working closely with key players in the sector to forge closer collaboration and know­ledge-sharing.

Despite being home to major universities, including the region’s largest technical university, Kaunas remains a very unsatu­ rated location. At present, just 9.5 people per 1,000 are employed in the GBS sector in Kaunas. This compares to 83.5 people per 1,000 in Krakow, 70.6 in Wroclaw and 47.3 in Budapest. Vilnius also remains unsaturated by comparison, with a rate of 25.6 people per 1,000 employed in the sector. And thanks to the close proxi­mity of Vilnius and Kaunas – the cities are just 100 km apart and well connected by road and rail – investors in either city effectively have access to a talent pool of 1.4 million people, including 93,000 students.

This access to talent is not just attracting new investors, but also enabling existing centres to grow dramatically. Danske Bank’s GBS centre has now reached almost 4,000 employees. Another major player, Western Union, announced plans this year to add a further 300 specia­ lists with skillsets in areas such as digital business and cross-border platform expansion, intelligent automation, com­­ pliance operations and business risk, to its already substantial Lithuanian operations.

Western Union’s Vilnius centre currently employs 2,000 staff and offers services in 35 different languages.

RETURNING TALENT BOOSTS CAPACITY AND MULTILINGUALISM The talent availability in Vilnius, Kaunas and the port city of Klaipeda is being strengthened by a trend that began in 2018 – the return of Lithuanian expats.

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This phenomenon, coupled with the continued ability of Lithuanian universities to attract more students from abroad, means a deeper talent pool than ever before.

This trend is also resulting in a highly multilingual and internationally-minded workforce. 85% of 25–34 year olds in Lithuania speak English, and over half the population speak two or more foreign languages. Besides English, German is highly popular, as are the Nordic languages. Unsurprisingly, almost 60% of GBS centres in Lithuania provide services in two or more languages, and the highest number of languages offered by a single centre is 35.

LITHUANIA TARGETING DOUBLING OF SECTOR IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS Having reached maturity, yet remaining far from saturated, the question of where GBS in Lithuania goes from here is an intriguing one. Invest Lithu­ ania has a vision to double the GBS sector in the next 5 years. The agency has iden­ tified some critical areas that could drive this growth, which include strengthening of RPA competencies, an increasing focus on tech, and continued collaboration between universities and business.

Lithuania plans to leverage its high-end digital infrastructure and traditional strengths in science and technology subjects – it is ranked 3rd in the EU for STEM graduates – to attract high-end tech service centres specialised in areas like machine learning, digitization and cyber security. Furthermore, Lithuanian government is investing in a substantial retraining program aimed at re-skilling talent for IT and RPA services over the next 3 years.

where students will be able to view and analyse data from the Moody’s data­ base. The company will also sponsor ISM scholarships, and provide oppor­ tunities for Moody’s employees to gain Masters, PhD or MBA qualifications at ISM. In another example of the deep links between business and academia, Eisfeld Ingenieure – another new investor from the engineering sector, whose GBS centre in Vilnius is mainly composed of struc­ tural engineers working on the develop­ ment of AI-based solutions – is actively collaborating with Vilnius University and Vilnius Gediminas Technical Univer­ sity. – Our goal is to develop R&D projects in Lithuania from undergraduate to PhD level that are targeted to create AI-based solutions to automate structural design processes using Machine Learning techniques – explains Professor Dr. Michael Eisfeld, CEO of Eisfeld Ingenieure.

Mature yet unsaturated, and with a clear vision for its further development, Lithu­ ania is a GBS sweet spot that gives value to investors right now, while also offering strong potential for growth in the future.

Author:

Laisvis Makulis, Head of Business Services Team, Invest Lithuania

Strong collaboration between univer­ sities and business will also be critical to the development of GBS in Lithuania.

And universities are more than ready to bring investors in to help them tailor their programmes to meet the needs of innovative GBS centres. For example, Moody’s, the international credit rating agency, has announced plans for exten­ sive cooperation with Lithuania’s leading management school, ISM. It will estab­ lish Moody’s Lab at the university,

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

INVESTMENTS

THE OUTSOURCING INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES 5.2% TO BULGARIA’S GDP.

OVER 73,000 PEOPLE WORK IN THE SECTOR 70

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

The size of the outsourcing sector in Bulgaria amounts to EUR 2.4 billion for 2018. This is identified by the data in the Annual Report of the Bulgarian Outsourcing Association (BOA) for the development of the outsourcing industry in the country.

Last year, outsourcing contributed 5.2% to Bulgaria’s GDP compared to 4.8% in 2017. The outsourcing indus­ try’s results for 2018 are better than expected – the operating revenue grew at 19.5% surpassing the 15.8%, predicted by last year’s report. If the positive trend persists, the industry’s revenue is expected to double to EUR 4.8 billion and contribute up to 9.2% of the coun­ try’s GDP by 2022.

– We have witnessed significant transformations in the sector since the establishment of the Bulgarian Outsourcing Association in 2012. We went from an industry, almost entirely cost-oriented to a sector that creates added value through innovation, technology product development, modern business services and solutions.

It is the important social and economic footprint we leave behind, that empowers the development of the new middle class in Bulgaria. Outsourcing is among the sectors that stimulates young people to stay in the country and gives them growth perspectives. Outsourcing as a term, used to describe our business, has begun to limit the meaning of what we do and what we target to do with our development strategy. In order to continue growing and attracting the right set of minds and partners in and out of Bulgaria, we ought to reposition the entire sector. A logical next step is our new name Association for innovation, business excellence, services and technology AIBEST, which was recently voted by the Association’s members – says Ilia Krastev, Chairman of the Managing board of the Association and CEO of A Data Pro.

FULL VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN PAPER EDITION OF OUTSOURCING&MORE MAGAZINE OR ON THE PRO PROGRESSIO WEBSITE. The annual analysis is created by SeeNews and includes data about 583 Bulgarian companies dealing with business processes outsourcing (BPO) and IT outsourcing (ITO) in 2018. The ratio between the two outsourcing subseg­ ments is almost offset, with a slight advan­ tage for ITO (only 3 companies more).

The outsourcing sector accounts for 2% of the Bulgarian labor market. More than 73,600 people were employed in the industry at the end of 2018 (over 9% growth in comparison to last year).

The number is estimated to exceed 80,000 people by 2022. Meanwhile, the outsourcing industry generates 8.5% of all salary costs in the economy for 2018. This indicates that the sala­ ries in the sector are many times higher than the country’s average. Outsourcing companies also account for 7% of all social security contributions paid in the economy during the year.

Over the past years, the outsourcing industry has built a national presence.

The largest hubs for outsourcing services are still the big cities with universities, but there is a tendency for the activities to be moved outside the capital. Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna are the three biggest The analysis highlights the double growth outsourcing centers, but Veliko Tarnovo in the number of Shared Services Centers and Burgas are also starting to attract (SSC) operating in the country as one more and more new companies. of the important development trends for the Bulgarian market during last year. More than 1/5 of all employees in the industry Author: are engaged in this subsector. The employ­ ment rate in this type of companies has grown up to 25% during last year. Due to the size of SSC and the high quality services provided in Bulgaria for their mother-companies, this subsector Ilia Krustev, also accounts the largest contribu­ Chairman of tion to the state in terms of paid sala­ the Managing Board, AIBEST ries and benefits as an absolute burden.

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INVESTMENTS

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FIND NEW WAYS TO DEFINE EMERGING EUROPE My role as editor of Emerging Europe requires me to chair or take part in a large number of panel discussions covering a wide range of subjects, from investment and education to the future of the European Union and Brexit. These debates are always hugely enjoyable, not least as we try to ensure that as wide a range of opinions as possible get a voice, something which usually leads to lively and constructive debate.

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Held at the iconic Gherkin building in London, the panel was moderated by the BBC’s Kasia Madera and featured a number of leading journalists who spent an hour answering questions from a knowledgeable audience who primarily wanted to know why their coun­ tries (and the region in general) was so often poorly represented in the media.

It was by far the liveliest debate of the two day event, and everyone concerned was disappointed that we had to end it after an hour: it felt as though we had just begun to get somewhere, to draw some early conclusions, when the conversation was brought to a halt.

Our job as journalists is to interpret the post-Soviet region and make sure that we accurately convey the reality of today. Some countries have begun to understand that, the Baltic states especially, of which Estonia, often an example of best practice in the region, is not the least.

the reality of today. Some countries have begun to understand that, the Baltic states especially, of which Estonia, often an example of best practice in the region, is not the least. Even the laziest hacks no longer refer to post-Soviet Estonia; As such, throughout the rest of 2019 they refer to technology hub Estonia, I tried as much as possible to keep to digital Estonia. the debate going. I spoke to a wide range of senior journalists from across This did not happen overnight. It takes the region in order to find out more time. But just as journalists need to make about the conundrum that is emerging a conscious effort to leave communism Europe’s portrayal in the media. During behind once and for all in the way we the interviews I carried out, a number define emerging Europe, so the countries of recurring themes emerged, of which of the region need to make an equally perhaps the most crucial was the need conscious effort to find new ways for all of us who write about the region of getting themselves noticed. to draw a line under communism once and for all. After all, the Iron Curtain, This past autumn, the fall of communism except for short sections preserved once again took centre stage as across as a reminder of the horrors of totalitari­ the region, countries celebrated the 30th anniversary of the various revolutions anism, no longer exists. (peaceful or otherwise) which ended Think, however, about the last time you totalitarianism and ushered in the present read an article about any of the 23 coun­ era of democracy. As we look back tries of emerging Europe in the Western on the events of 1989 however, it might media, be it political, business or travel-re­ be a good idea to take the opportunity lated. The chances are that communism, to draw a line – once and for all – under or at the very least the fall of communism, the communist period. In the future, we was referenced. This is a problem, because should all do our best to use different, it suggests that it is the region which is more relevant defining moments. unable to move on, when in fact it is It would be amiss of me however not those of us who write about the region Together, we can, and will, change to admit that some panels are better than who are most guilty of perpetuating what the narrative. others. Occasionally, guests get tongue- are now, 30 years on, little more than lazy tied, the conversation does not flow and stereotypes. We need to find new narra­ I am left looking at the clock wondering tives, new prisms through which we view Author: how I might fill the allocated time slot. the countries of emerging Europe.

Sometimes, the opposite happens: people have so much to say that there is That said, it is not a one-way street. simply not enough time in which to say The countries of the region need to do it. This happened at last year’s Emerging their bit. They need to offer us new narra­ Europe Leaders Meeting and Awards, tives, to ensure that there are positive during a panel discussion which looked stories for us to report. Our job as jour­ Craig Turp, at the way the emerging Europe region nalists is to interpret the region and Editor, is portrayed in the media. make sure that we accurately convey Emerging Europe

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

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INVESTMENTS

WHAT ARE THE BEST BUSINESS MODELS WHEN INTERNATIONALIZING YOUR BUSINESS ABROAD? Going international is what most business owners want. You may be one of them and may be wondering what are some of the best practices and business models when taking a B2B scale-up abroad. As a multi-business entrepreneur, I know that this is something that may keep executives up at night, as there are a lot of possibilities to consider.

FULL VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN PAPER EDITION OF OUTSOURCING&MORE MAGAZINE OR ON THE PRO PROGRESSIO WEBSITE.

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Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Author:

Loredana Niculae, CEO NNC Services Romania

Outsourcing&More | Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;February 2020

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INVESTMENTS

CZĘS TO CHO WA THE FUTURE IS HERE 76

DK 1. Photo: Anna Mielczarek.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Częstochowa has clearly changed in a past few years, its landscape is changing, new large-surface production halls are being built, road infrastructure is still developing, new solutions in our communication system are emerging – it is visible. The mentality of the inhabitants is changing as well, thanks to their activity and tools in form of, for example, participatory budget which can have an influance on the city development.

We prioritised things which help with changing the image of our city: being open to new investors, supporting entrepreneurship, building a modern road network, better public transport, creating new forms of help for residents (health programmes, support for fami­ lies – including foster families, young parents and couples who want a baby).

the development of the areas of special economic zones will bring optimal effects in the form of investment outlays, and also more and better jobs for the inhabitants of the city and the region.

We want an effective usage of EU funds – its role in modernization of the city and realization of the social programmes is priceless. With public funds we are able to give voice to the residents by encoura­ ging them to participate in further editions of the participatory budget or the local initiative of the residents.

We owe that economic recovery mostly to comprehensive activities for inves­ tors, for example on Special Economic Zones. About 64% of the area dedicated for investments has already local spatial development plans, which include compa­ nies development needs.

An ideal solution for the city would be to cover additional, prepared areas with the status of “zone” plots. In other areas – we want to continue road modern­ ization programmes (including district roads), improve the comfort of living in the city and care for residents, develop social economy and vocational educa­ tion, cooperation with non-govern­ mental organizations, and expand social participation.

Częstochowa is becoming an increa­ singly important centre of the automo­ tive industry and the Polish Information and Foreign Investments Agency consi­ dered us as a “rising star” of the business services sector.

Częstochowa focuses on sustainable economic development and building social capital based on extensive coopera­ tion of urban environments: local govern­ ment, business, academic or artistic.

The city is expanding the base of small and medium enterprises, but there are also – thanks to special economic zones – new, large investments. We count on further development of traditionally strong industries in the city and location of shared service centers in Częstochowa.

We will do everything to ensure that

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Construction of interchange centers at Częstochowa stations is underway.

For the residents, we have created a wonderful leisure zone with sea sand in Lisiniec Park, also the construction of the Water Park is coming to an end.

Movement in the zones is big, new plants We already have about 80 km of bicycle are building new companies, further routes in the city and very popular Często­ letters of intent are being made. chowa City Bike system.

Częstochowa is an innovative city.

The presence of a special economic zone in the city is already associ­ ated with the development of inno­ vation because it is in a way included in the activities of Special Economic Zones.The City Council of Częstochowa at the end of 2016 adopted another resolution on real estate tax exemptions in the field of regional investment aid for supporting new investments for innova­ tive entrepreneurs or the ones that are The biggest urban investments are: conducting research and development the recently completed construction in the City od Częstochowa. of the extension of Bohaterow Monte Cassino Avenue to Dzbowska Street and A little longer we have a real estate tax relief extension of the provincial road No. 908 for developers building in the B + or higher (street: Dzbowska, Powstancow Warszawy, standard, which aroused the interest Goscinna), co-financed from the Euro­ of the industry. The DL Center Point office pean Union. building built in the city in B + standard, followed by further investments.

There are also ongoing design and pre­­ paratory works for an even larger EU road The self-government’s cooperation with project – the extension of DK-46 – Glowna business and universities in the city is and Przejazdowa Street along with also interesting for the sector. The Faculty the construction of a bypass of St. Bar- of Management of the Częstochowa bary to Pulaski Street. The city govern­ University of Technology, after consulting ment is also facing another flagship with business circles, created a speci­ road task – reconstruction of the Polish ality: accounting in shared service centers.

Army Avenue – DK 1. We are also conti-­ Students working on the SAP programme nuing the urban programme of street con­­ purchased by the city may find a job s­truction and reconstruction, we already during the studies, eg. in the ZF TRW settle­ finished the drainage of the Grabowka ment center. The Częstochowa University district and Kiedrzyn, we are starting of Technology starts with a specializa­ the same actions in another big tion dedicated to the glass and ceramics dis­­trict – Północ. industry, which is patronized by the city.

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INVESTMENTS

mentioned, invests in the technologi­ cally advanced glassworks. Another glass manufacturer – Stolzle has very ambitious plans for new investments.

Kamienica Kupiecka. Photo: Adam Markowski.

The purpose of it is to educate staff, among others for Guardian, which puts another modern steel mill in Częstochowa.

These are, of course, only examples of actions designed to development and innovation. These and other initiatives are part of the presidential program “Better Job Now”.

Częstochowa was and still is a city of enter­ prising people. Most of the companies investing in the city are domestic compa­ nies that decide on development, invest and relocate within the city.

In the Special Economic Zones invest also foreign companies: German, French and Italian. Those are mainly small or medium enterprises. The largest employer in the city is currently ZF, a coporation operating in the automotive industry.

After opening the new headquarters of TRW Shared Services Centre accounting for almost all European company factories, enlargement of the Engineering Centre and the Shopping Centre, an IT Service Centre was established, and now ZF finishes the construction of a new produc­ tion plant (advanced safety systems) and another office building. Other compa­ nies from Automotive industry are also investing, the Guardian, which I already

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As part of the “Academic Częstochowa” programme, we support effective educa­ tion courses for our students at univer­ sities, we equip workshops, we buy programs. We also remember about We always try to treat the needs of active “excluded” who can take advantage the business environment of Często­ of the offer of social integration centres chowa as a matter of priority, in the scope or become interested in participating, for of possible facilitations in administrative example, in a social cooperative. procedures or in planning urban invest­ ments that support the business environ­ One of the key urban programmes is also ment and the development of business “Better Job Now”. New jobs for residents activity zones. of Częstochowa were one of the priori­ ties of our activities in recent years. We set At a time when many cities offer attractive a clear goal: new investors, new jobs, less properties to be developed, other advan­ unemployment. However, now we have tages of the location become important. to fight for more, because now it is not Entrepreneurs pay attention to the climate just about jobs, but about making those created by the city authorities. jobs, which are available in the city, better quality. This is why we created the Better This is noticed by the business world and Job Now programme which includes Fair consulting agencies in Poland. We have Play Programme, the Better Workplaces already entered the rankings of attrac­ Center and pro-development projects. tive cities in terms of relocation prepared by recruitment agencies for specialist and Better Job is one that meets expecta­ managerial positions. tions, gives satisfaction, a sense of sefety, enables development and fulfillment Very important thing for the city of ambitions. We want the Częstochowa economy is supporting vocational educa­ labor market to be a market of socially tion – that is why we create multi-pro­ vulnerable employers who care about fessional classes, expand the workshop their employees, knowing that it is their base and we have a vocational coun­ largest capital. seling system. We adapt the educa­ tional offer of schools to the local needs That is why we offer reliefs, certificates of the labor market. Schools increasingly for reliable employers and, on the other sign cooperation agreements with entre­ hand, programmes facilitating the return preneurs and meet their expectations. to the labor market (eg employment One of the largest projects implemented of nannies) and improving the profes­ by the city is the “Professional coopera­ sional skills of Częstochowa residents. tion 1 and 2” program (several million PLN from the European Union). With its help, Author: Anna Mielczarek we try to coordinate the system of educa­ Translation: Magdalena Wytrzymała tion and apprenticeships and internships with various employers. This and other EU programs related to vocational educa­ More information: tion are implemented to create qualified staff, as well as to “directionally” retrofit our practical training centers and appren­ ticeships. We want young people who finish their education to be well prepared Investor Assistance Center Department to enter the labor market in those speciali­ of European Funds and Development zations and professions that are particu­ City Hall of Częstochowa larly sought after.

Waszyngtona 5 Street, We have already invested almost PLN 25 million in industry and tech­ nical schools but we are not finishing at a secondary level.

42-217 Częstochowa Phone: +48 34 3707 212, +48 34 3707 213 e-mail: coi@czestochowa.um.gov.pl, fer@czestochowa.um.gov.pl www.czestochowa.pl

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

INVESTMENTS

IN HARMONY WITH THE RIVER FLOW Situated in the picturesque Brda river valley, which stretches as far as the broad Vistula river, and surrounded by forests, Bydgoszcz was clearly built as a garden city, and has been inextricably linked with the river since its founding. Magic flows from the waterways of Bydgoszcz.

Grafika: Przemyslaw Graphic: PrzemyslawObarski.

Obarski

The people of Bydgoszcz have always looked to the Brda for prosperity and the promise of a better future. Today’s residents have not turned their back on the river either. It creates a sense of community. The river continues to stim­ ulate the city’s dynamic economic and social growth, shape its distinctive char­ acter, and build its identity.

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GROWTH – EQUILIBRIUM – REVITALISATION

and Mill Island, are the city’s major land­ marks, and many of its historical build­ The city’s riverside areas have always been ings and monuments can be found right a place of intensive growth. Bydgoszcz on the banks of the river. Other city land­ is one of Poland’s leading cities when it marks, including the granaries, the huge comes to revitalising derelict areas and Polish Post building, the main church, and converting them into sites that can serve several modern structures, such as office the citizens. The Bydgoszcz Water Node, buildings, hotels, apartment blocks, part of the international E70 waterway, sports sites, and cultural institutions

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

e.g.the Opera Nova, the Glass Grana­ ries, and the Bydgoszcz marina, are all reflected in water. New construction sites, both office and residential buildings, are situated along the banks of Brda as well.

into a forested valley, where it winds its course through fields and picturesque woods before eventually merging with the Bydgoszcz Canal and entering the city centre. There, the natural beauty of Brda is overshadowed by the architectural In its strategy of creating a city that is both gems along its banks. As it continues its liveable and business-friendly, Bydgoszcz course towards the Vistula, the current places a lot of emphasis on sustainable slows down. The floodplains and pools development. This is evident in the revi­ along this section are sanctuaries for talisation projects in the city centre. Many many species of water birds, and are buildings and areas right in the heart a huge attraction for bird lovers from all of the city, which date back to its indus­ over Poland. trial past, are now being given a new lease of life and transformed into exceptional In the heart of Bydgoszcz, an arm of Brda spaces dedicated to culture and busi­ (called Młynówka) branches off to create ness ventures. The huge investments an exceptional urban treasure – the Mill involved in reconstructing the prome­ Island. This green enclave is only a short nade along Brda and regenerating walk from the Old Market Square and is the park over the Old Bydgoszcz Canal one of the city’s most popular natural have freed up more and more recreation and cultural sites. The island’s charming and leisure zones. landscape is made up by the beau­ tiful tenements of so called “Bydgoszcz For centuries, water has been viewed Venice”, as well as the impressive view as a transportation route, a source of of the three stone rings of the Opera Nova energy, and a key element in the produc­ building, which hosts such exceptional tion process. Bydgoszcz’s industrial events as the Bydgoszcz Opera Festival heritage lies in being able to harness water and the “River of Music” festival – the first through the application of science and and only summer concerts on the water. technology, and in drawing on its resources in many different ways. The stories For the residents of Bydgoszcz, the river is of the people, places and hydrotechnical endless source of positive energy. Many machinery involved are indelibly written of the city’s cultural, sports and enter­ into the fabric of this city, whose history is tainment events are held on the banks intertwined with the river. Together, they of Brda. The Bydgoszcz Water Festival “Set make up the exceptional TeH2O: Bydgo­ your Heading on Bydgoszcz 53˚N, 18˚E” szcz Water, Industry and Craft Trail, where takes place here every year and is a unique each site and story is linked to the work venture bringing together sailors, artists of craftsmen, entrepreneurs, and social and travellers. Environmental and conser­ activists and spurs local industry and craft. vation investments made the river safe for swimming. This allowed to organize CHARMING SPACE FULL the Enea Bydgoszcz Triathlon, one OF NATURE, CULTURE of the largest in Europe, which takes place AND SPORTS right in the heart of the city, and finishes Brda is one of Poland’s most beautiful near the “Łuczniczka” Sports Hall. Also, lowland rivers, and one of its best known athletes from all over the country flock kayaking trails. The river’s natural riches to the city for the “Bydgoszcz Waters”, and unique landscapes are visible even a unique swimming competition, where in Bydgoszcz. Upriver from Bydgoszcz, contestants swim against the rapid current Brda is mountainous. It flows down of the Brda river, right in the city centre.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

Bydgoszcz is constantly striving to open its heart to its river which infuses the city with positive energy, spurs economic growth, attracts investments, and unites the community.

Bydgoszcz is constantly striving to open its heart to its river which infuses the city with positive energy, spurs economic growth, attracts investments, and unites the community. The revitalised Mill Island together with the modern marina have become the city’s landmark. Numerous events attracting visitors from all over the country are held on the banks of the river. The Brda draws new invest­ ments like a magnet and its banks continue to be graced with new devel­ opments. Bydgoszcz owes its inimitable atmosphere to the river, to the oppor­ tunity of taking walks along the boule­ vards, cruises on the Brda, or discovering the beauty of the city from the perspec­ tive of a kayak or a pedalo. The Bydgo­ szcz Water Node, once crucially impor­ tant to the city’s economic prosperity, has gained yet another dimension by being a vital component of the identity of both the city and its residents.

More information:

4C Unii Lubelskiej Street 85-059 Bydgoszcz Phone: +48 52 585 88 23 e-mail: barr@barr.pl www.barr.pl

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INVESTMENTS

SALESFORCE. LUBLIN’S NEW DRIVING FORCE?

The beginning of October was marked by a decision of a new investor to start its business operations in Lublin. PwC IT Services has just opened its eighth branch in Poland, where it will provide Salesforce-related services. By choosing Lublin the company has joined a great number of companies already present in the city which work with this increasingly recognized platform. Is this a new technology force driving the Lublin’s growth?

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Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

We’re more than happy that Lublin’s potential has been recognized by such a renowned brand as PwC, even more as we have great experiences from our collaboration to date (…). This project proves that the Lublin’s Development Strategy we consistently implement really makes sense and it is recognized by some Today, Salesforce is one of the fastest- of the biggest companies worldwide too -growing technology company in – says Krzysztof Żuk, Mayor of Lublin. the world which is increasingly valued by the biggest global corporations using In the Lublin branch, PwC aims to focus its CRM solutions. These Salesforce solu­ on the development and implementation tions are dedicated not only to supporting of modern CRM solutions, in particular sales departments, but due to the plat­ Salesforce. At the initial stage of its form’s versatility they facilitate also other growth in Lublin, the company plans areas like data management or customer to hire around 40 specialists, including service helping businesses to increase Salesforce architects, developers, project customer loyalty or employees’ effec­ leaders and business analytics. tiveness. Within 20 years since its market debut, the platform has won a substantial PwC aims to build trust and solve key portfolio of clients in Poland. What are problems. Therefore, our services are the key ingredients behind the success a response to the greatest challenges story of Salesforce? Undoubtedly, one of today’s world. Undoubtedly, digital of the reasons is the fact that its solu­ transformation which quickly changes tions are based on cloud and do not the face of business and its reality is one require any additional software. To access of them. We support Polish companies the platform one needs only a browser in the process of digitization by both and the Internet connection, while developing strategies adapted to this the entire code is stored on Salesforce new reality and implementing specific servers. The company’s solutions respond tools and solutions. At the same time, we to the greatest challenges of today’s busi­ care about increasing digital competenness, including digital transformation cies of our employees and the society we or the development of cloud solutions. live in – says Przemysław Soroka, Board Nowadays it is often said that winning Member of PwC IT Services. a new client costs 5 times more than retaining an existing one. Thus, there is a growing demand for solutions which support client service and increase customer trust in the company.

To meet this demand and maintain the pace of growth, Salesforce works with technology companies which implement its solutions and develop applications for the platform. Many of these companies are based in Lublin, and some of them are official Sales­ force partners. One of platinum part­ ners is a Polish company PolSource which has been present in Lublin since 2017. The firm is proud to have worked with clients like Spotify, eBay, Volvo, Converse, Nike or Sony Playstation.

Implementation of Salesforce solutions is also provided by some of the biggest companies of Lublin’s IT sector, including Billennium, DataArt or Sii. At the begin­ ning of October, the group of local firms providing Salesforce services was joined

by PwC IT Services which selected Lublin for its new location in Poland.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

for students and graduates to start a professional career in IT from the Sales­ force technology. By the end of this years, Britenet plans to grant a 200th Salesforce certificate within the “Force Academy” scheme.

We wish that the quality of specialists and services delivered by Britenet and the entire Polish IT sector was unrivalled.

Therefore, we invest in people. Well-educated personnel are a guarantee of trust and long-term relations with customers.

At the same time, by providing our developers with the opportunities to grow while working on international projects we keep them in the city, which drives the local economy and has a positive impact on the perception of our local IT community – says Michał Borny, CEO of Britenet.

The growth of local businesses and the arrival of new IT companies in Lublin are possible thanks to the excellent quality of education provided by Lublin’s universities and colleges. Currently, five of them offer IT and IT-related courses, namely public University of Maria CurieSkłodowska, Lublin University of Tech­ nology, Catholic University of Lublin and private University College of Enter­ prise and Administration and Univer­ sity College of Economy and Innova­ tion. In academic year 2019/2020, there are more than 6,000 people who study these courses in Lublin, which translates into a steady inflow of a highly skilled workforce. It is worth emphasizing that Lublin’s universities perfectly respond to the ever-changing specificity and requirements of the labour market, and their flexibility and openness for busi­ ness is reflected in a number of training According to PwC representatives, programmes, courses or lectures carried the reason behind the Lublin’s selec­ out in close cooperation with local tion was a great number of students companies to prepare students to work of computer science and IT-related in specific programming languages courses, as well as a well-developed or latest technologies. This approach system of supporting collaboration makes the academic potential of Lublin between businesses and local academia. a real asset for both local firms and new investors who seek an attractive location Britenet, a Polish IT company which for their business development. in Lublin has its biggest branch out of all More information: 6 locations in Poland, is a perfect example of how to benefit from the great poten­ tial and opportunities Lublin’s universities and students create for business. As one of the largest domestic IT companies, for Łukasz Goś Director of Investor Relations Office 8 years already Britenet has been carrying Lublin City Hall out its unique training programme called Phone: +48 81 466 25 42 “Force Academy” which creates a chance e-mail: lukasz.gos@lublin.eu

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CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

HR NEWS SAVILLS POLAND HAS PROMOTED TOMASZ BUDA the use of the latest technologies and to develop proptech services for clients.

Savills Poland has promoted Tomasz Buda to the newly created position of Innova­ tion Manager. In his new role, Tomasz will identify op­­portunities to streamline Savills Poland’s business operations through

In his previous role as Senior Business Analyst and Database Architect at Savills, Tomasz Buda contributed to the imple­ mentation of one of the most cuttingedge IT tools in Poland for the automa­ tion of real estate valuation processes.

Prior to joining the company, Tomasz worked for mBank, where he helped design mortgage lending systems, and Inekon Systems where he was responsible for programming business intelligence tools. Tomasz holds a degree in IT and Management from the University of Łódź.

MACIEJ GIERAK HAS JOINED REAL ESTATE ADVISORY FIRM SAVILLS

MIRA MATUSIAK, WOJCIECH PRZYBYLAK AND TOMASZ BULEJ HAVE JOINED TO CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD Mira Matusiak, Wojciech Przybylak and Tomasz Bulej have joined the Industrial and Logistics Agency of global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Mira Matusiak was appointed as a Nego­ tiator at Cushman & Wakefield with responsibility for warehouse and indus­ trial space leasing, liaising with deve­ lopers and tenants, client advisory, business development and oversight of projects in Lower Silesia. Mira has worked in real estate for over 10 years and has experience in cooperation with inter­ national companies and partners. She began her professional career in residen­ tial real estate. Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, she worked for SDP Nieru­ cho­mości as a Branch Manager. She grad­ uated in Science in Professional Commu­ nication from Clark University.

Wojciech Przybylak joined Cushman & Wakefield as a Land Specialist with a focus on land analysis, review and acquisition for warehouse and industrial projects.

His responsibilities also include advice on the Special Economic Zone, utility

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connections and provision of services for clients to roll out production. For the past three years he had worked as a Senior Urban Planner Assistant for SUNBAR, where he was responsible for zoning plans, land use plans, spatial analyses and related graphic designs and finan­ cial forecasts for approved zoning plans.

Wojciech completed a master’s degree program in Land Management and post­ graduate studies in Real Estate Valuation at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences.

As a Junior Negotiator, Tomasz Bulej is responsible for warehouse and indus­ trial space leasing, and liaising with developers and tenants. His other duties include market research into indus­ trial and logistics space listings and client acquisition. He gained profes­ sional experience in the pharmaceutical industry with Pfizer and Teva as a Senior Pharmaceutical Sales Representative.

Tomasz completed postgraduate studies in Business Psychology for Managers at Koźmiński University. He is also a gra­duate of the University of Physi­cal Education in Warsaw.

Maciej Gierak has joined real estate advi­ sory firm Savills in the newly-created posi­ tion of Business Development Manager in its Industrial Agency in Poland.

His key responsibilities include business development and client relations. Maciej will support the industrial team, advising tenants on leases and ways to optimise logistical operations. He has long-standing experience in transport, forwarding and logistics (TFL) and is a logistics expert with a strong track record in client service.

Prior to joining Savills, he worked for TIP Trailer Services, a leading European trailer provider. His previous experi­ ence also includes time at international logistics providers DB Schenker and TNT Express. Maciej is a graduate of War­­saw School Economics. He also completed a postgraduate MBA programme.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

WHAT (APART FROM MONEY) DO THE SSC AND BPO SECTORS OFFER TO YOUNG PEOPLE? Over 70% of people employed in the SSC and BPO sectors are under 34 years of age.

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Providing for attractive ways of travelling to work, e.g. by bike, gains popularity.

Employers create the infrastructure to facilitate bike commuting and invest in showers and internal programmes intended to encourage staff to use bikes by financially supporting the choice of this way of travelling to work. The experience of the companies in this sector shows that this type of non-cash benefit is very positively perceived by employees of the age group concerned, i.e. the so-called Millennials.

The modern business services sector in Poland has been growing dynami­ cally. Currently, more than 300,000 people are employed in this area in Poland.

Throughout the country, there are more than 1,000 shared service centres in oper­ ation, of which more than 70% belong to foreign investors. It is important to emphasise that over 70% of people employed in the SSC and BPO sectors in Poland are between 20 and 34 years of age. So, it is young people who are the driving force in SSC/BPO. The sector requires qualified staff who are expected to have advanced language skills, with English as the priority, but command of another language, as well as technical or other specialised skills very much welcome. For these reasons, employers who face a shortage of candidates try to make their offering as interesting as possible to attract young people to their organisation.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

WHAT ATTRACTS YOUNG PEOPLE, APART FROM MONEY? The analysis of non-monetary benefits most frequently offered in shared service centres clearly indicates two major groups: those concerning the form of work done and those relating to the health and wellbeing of the employee.

The first group consists of non-cash benefits focused on the organisation of the workplace, working time flexi­ bility and development. This group includes implementation of flexible working time systems and flexible places of work: office, home, laundry or cafe­ teria. Additionally, employers strongly promote ‘development’. What does this involve? Investing in additional training for staff, both language and professional training, internal and external, which provides knowledge about other business processes within the centre. For the age group concerned, the possibility of tran­ sition trips which offer the most in-depth knowledge and new experience opportu­ nities is equally important. Process tran­ sitions offer an opportunity to acquire new knowledge and to observe original processes and ways for their improve­ ment after they have been transferred to the centre. Additionally, transitions offer an opportunity to experience new foreign cultures.

this type of non-cash benefit is very posi­ tively perceived by employees of the age group concerned, i.e. the so-called Millen­ nials. Additionally, it is important to high­ light other benefits that are frequently offered by the sector: co-financing glasses or corrective lenses, integration trips, funds for education, gifts to celebrate employment anniversaries, the possi­ bility to purchase company equipment, co-financing holidays, lunches, the possi­ bility to buy company shares, pay rises, company kindergartens, relax zones and games which reduce the level of stress in the office (such as table football, table tennis, PlayStation, etc.)

WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE SSC/ BPO SECTOR? Research shows that employment in the sector in the coming years is set to grow by 8-10% annually, which is lower than in previous years, but it still means about 30,000 new vacancies to be filled.

How is the sector going to respond to the continued demand and what will the employers manage to add to their offering to make it even more attrac­ tive? Time will tell, but when we hear from a candidate who is about to start his work for a new organisation at the begin­ ning of December and is informed about a wide range of benefits and that he will The other group comprises benefits which work operationally only by 20 December, are strongly focused on the idea of well- we can assume that in the coming being. They include sports packages, years, the companies will expand their organisation of fitness and sports activi­ range of non-wage benefits even more ties promoting health, supply of healthy effectively. fruit, vegetables and nuts to the office and providing space in the kitchen to prepare tasty juices or smoothies. Providing for attractive ways of travelling to work, e.g. Author: by bike, also gains popularity. Employers create the infrastructure to facilitate bike commuting and invest in showers and internal programmes intended to encourage staff to use bikes by finan­ cially supporting the choice of this way Mateusz Bazydło, of travelling to work. The experience Team Leader SSC/BPO, HRK of the companies in this sector shows that

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THE FUTURE OFÂ THE LABOUR MARKET Alan Kay, the American IT specialist and winner of the Turing award, said: the best way to predict the future is to create it.

The forecasts of the McKinsey Global Institute show that 25 per

The fourth industrial revolution is rapidly changing the way we live and work before our very eyes. Three phenomena are the main driving forces behind it: the rapid technological development, globalization and the resultant greening and demographic changes.

Technological progress, i.e. mainly the development of artificial intelligence, the internet of things, automation and robotics, will undoubtedly create new jobs. Unfortunately, those who are going to lose their jobs as a result of the changes will likely be the least prepared to benefit from the new opportunities. Today’s skills will be no fit for the tasks of tomorrow and newly acquired abilities will soon become obsolete (according to the latest OECD studies, they will become out of date within 6 years, instead of 30 years as it has been the case to date).

cent of the American workforce from not-much-industrialized areas of the US and 20 per cent from technologically advanced areas might be replaced by machines. According to Oxford Economics (information from July 2019), million jobs in production alone will disappear by 2030 as a result of human work being driven out by machines.

According to Dell’s studies of July 2019, 67 per cent of business leaders expect to use modern solutions which will allow them to eliminate personal bias during the recruitment process. As many as 86 per cent of them plan to use emerging tech­ nologies to improve work effectiveness and 70 per cent would welcome people The greening of our economies will lead who know how to cooperate with to the creation of millions of jobs when machines (with the use of artificial intelli­ we implement sustainable practices and gence) to exceed human limitations. clean production technologies on a wider scale. At the same time, other jobs will DYING OUT PROFESSIONS AND disappear as a result of limiting those COMPLETELY NEW JOBS areas of the industry which generate too Most of us have heard about modern much carbon dioxide and consume too technologies mainly in the context many natural resources. of the growing scale of risks. For more or less 5 years, the media have been Demographic changes connected regularly sending sinister signals about with e.g. growing population of youth people being replaced by machines. in some parts of the world and ageing OECD’s data from April 2019 show population in other parts and diversity that 14 per cent of existing jobs might of societies will be pressurizing labour disappear as a result of automation markets and social security systems. within the next 15-20 years and another However, new opportunities for integra­ 32 per cent will likely change radically. tive and active societies will develop even The forecasts of the McKinsey Global in those conditions.

Institute are even grimmer, showing that 25 per cent of the American work­ Today, all of those factors result force from not-much-industrialized areas in real changes for employers and of the US and 20 per cent from technolog­ employees, at the moment boiling ically advanced areas might be replaced down mainly to growing pressures by machines. According to Oxford on mobility. The practical manifesta­ Economics (information from July 2019), tions of the demand for flexibility voiced 20 million jobs in production alone will by employees include phenomena disappear by 2030 as a result of human such as the gig economy, i.e. commis­ work being driven out by machines. sion-based work or the human cloud (projects being completed on plat­ However, there are also studies which forms which share and precisely adjust contradict the above warnings, rather human competencies of selected emphasizing the enormous number individuals). The technologies which of new specializations which will be support the aforementioned changes emerging thanks to the development of new technologies in the coming years. are mushrooming.

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

According to the World Economic Forum (data from September 2018), 75 million jobs will disappear as a result of auto­ mation by 2022, but at the same time, up to 133 million new ones will appear.

Gartner’s studies (from December 2017) show that the number of profes­ sions connected with the development of artificial intelligence alone is expected to be by as much as two million higher by 2025 alone. Practitioners seem to be confirming those predictions – 100 respondents polled in December last year during the world artificial intelli­ gence (AI) conference and fair in Boston were asked whether the implementa­ tion of AI in their companies decreased or increased the level of employment.

About 40 per cent of the respondents said that the number of jobs increased and only 8 per cent stated that it decreased.

Having analyzed data from over 50 million job offers, ZipRecruiter decided that AI created three times more jobs than it destroyed in 2018. The fastest deve­ loping professions connected with AI, created in 2017-2018, include the Senior Data Scientist (with the annual growth in the number of job offers at the level of as much as 340 per cent), mobile applications programmer (186 per cent) and SEO specialist (180 per cent). Those data expressly show how big potential for creation, not destruction, lies within modern technologies.

THE COMPETENCIES OF TOMORROW We should be truly alarmed not by statis­ tics connected with risks coming from machines but those concerning the competency gap which is seen on the labour market already today.

According to data compiled by the World Economic Forum (from December 2018), the world will lack as many as 85 million (!) people of specific competencies by 2030.

What is more, 65 per cent of children who are just beginning their education will work in the future in professions which do not exist yet. MIT’s reports from the autumn of 2019 only confirm those forecasts. The McKinsey Global Institute adds its predictions (from July 2019), according to which 40 to 150 million women across the world might need to change their profession by 2030, often to jobs requiring higher qualifications.

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CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

Since robotics means that a task which the human being needs 15 minutes for is done within one minute, big financial and bookkeeping centres are implementing innovative tools which improve customer value and on the other hand, at the same time, they design new personnel strategies which will be able to respond to the challenges of the future.

Especially given that office work which is today done by secretaries, planners or bookkeepers is particularly prone to automation (statistically, as many as 72 per cent of those jobs in advanced eco­­nomies are held by women). Since robotics means that a task which the human being needs 15 minutes for is done within one minute, big financial and bookkeeping centres are implementing innovative tools which improve customer value and on the other hand, at the same time, they design new personnel stra­ tegies which will be able to respond to the challenges of the future. Instead of fearing that they will be replaced • it is worth independently shaping your by machines, employees should take it own career path, into account that they might have to take • it is worth following your passion so on more strategic and creative responsi­ that your job gave you satisfaction bilities connected with e.g. direct inter­ and joy. action with the customers and proactive offering solutions adjusted to the busi­ ORGANIZATIONS OF THE FUTURE ness reality of the serviced entities.

The companies which want to take advantage of the current wave of changes How are the above challenges responded should focus not only on improving their to by giants from sectors other than employees’ abilities to create newer and outsourcing? For instance, Amazon has better products and services in an even recently announced that by 2025 it plans more effective way. They should develop to invest USD 700 million in training an organizational culture which supports about 100,000 employees in the US people in their development – in a new to help them move to more skilled jobs. work reality. Only by doing that will they be able to effectively compete Therefore, what are the competencies on the global market – having the best of tomorrow? According to specialists professionals and attracting the most who analyze the issue, it is becoming talented individuals. Louis Gerstner, of key importance to have skills which the former president and CEO at IMB, are necessary on the labour market got to the heart of it by saying: I came of the future rather than highly valued to see, in my time at IBM, that culture isn’t diplomas. The competencies expected just one aspect of the game, it is the game. to be gaining importance include In the end, an organization is nothing analy­tical thinking, creativity or active more than the collective capacity of its learning. Apart from the obvious fluency people to create value. Building a proper in technology, typically “human” skills organizational culture requires leading such as emotional intelligence, leader­ the employees to develop a sense that ship, critical thinking or negotiation skills their work is important and that there will also be important. There are three is a certain purpose to it. It is neces­ pieces of advice for those who want sary to involve the employees in deci­ to make sure that their professional sion-making processes and taking their future is secure: opinions into account. And, first and • it is worth getting involved in im­­­- foremost, continuous learning and proving competencies on a life­ improvement of the entire organization long basis, are needed. It is the task of managers

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to skillfully lead the people through the above changes, leading by giving the proper example, moving from management and control to inspira­ tion and coaching and building a strong culture inside the organization and with business partners. At the same time, leaders should reconsider the roles of separate individuals in their organi­ zation and rethink the strategy, not only with respect to the HR policy (recruit­ ment, training and talent retention) but also with respect to the development and the core of business. Generationally smart, technologically modern organi­ zations which want to set the direction of development should develop flexible work possibilities, introduce measu­ ring systems based on performance and autonomous work programs which provide much freedom to the employees.

The effort is worth taking – it is about much more than just the well-being of your own company and its employees or their families. The real future of the society we are part of is at stake.

Meanwhile, seemingly not noticing the gigantic, continuously growing and rolling ball of changes, most of us go to work and drive our children to school every morning. We do it mechanically, without reflection. And just around the corner, there great challenges to the safe status quo we developed but also fantastic opportunities for individual and business development. It is worth realizing them to be able to join that wave of changes on an informed basis before it carries and floods us.

Author:

Monika Smulewicz, Partner, Grant Thornton

Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

EXPERIENCE AND INTUITION COUNT Konrad Krusiewicz, architect and founder of The Design Group, talks about the objectives set for a project manager in the architectonic sector and his role in the process of implementing an architectonic project.

Outsourcing&More: The project mana­ ger position is present in many industries. Also in the architectonic sector.

What are the objectives set for a project manager who supervises an architectonic design?

Konrad Krusiewicz, The Design Group: The primary task facing a Project Manager in our industry is to conduct the process of implementing an architectonic pro­ ject in a manner that will ensure compli­ ance of the time schedule with the ear­ lier adopted financial plan. The Project Manager controls the correct course of this process and optimizes it at every stage. To tell the truth, I cannot imagine a properly conducted implementation process, especially in the case of office and commercial projects, without par­ ticipation of a Project Manager.

areas of possible problems are detected is first of all experience. We should not, early enough. Finally, documents related however, forget that the client is most im­ to payments and costs are verified. portant in all this. If he puts management in the hands of and trusts the Project How long can Project Management last? Manager, the Project Manager will cer­ All depends on the duration of the im­ tainly successfully complete the project. plementation process itself. It determines whether the Project Manager will be en­ Does the Project Manager’s role gaged for a few months or for the whole in the “fit-out” sector require any speyear and at which stage of the process he cial education and skills? will be involved.

I do not believe that vocational edu­ cation is necessary in this case. Certainly, Does the Project Manager’s work have knowledge concerning completed pro­ a direct impact on the costs of the pro- jects is important, but in practice it would ject being implemented? be difficult to require comprehensive Certainly, it does. The verifica­ knowledge in law, economics, architec­ tion of costs performed by the Project ture or construction. Indeed, the Project Manager is to verify whether the pro­ Manager has to efficiently navigate posed prices related to performance in the maze of legal regulations, or be of the contract correspond to the mar­ familiar with technical issues and com­ ket realities, and to propose possible bine them with the financial aspects, but What are the basic responsibilities more economically favorable solutions. still in practice what counts most is ex­ of a Project Manager?

In this way, the costs of the project perience, intuition and the ability to talk Project management is a complex are optimized. to people. and multi-stage process. At the begin­ ning it is important to create a precise In the course of the project, the Project What is your opinion about the availaschedule of design and implementation Manager cooperates with differ- bility of such employees on the market? works, and particularize all technical ex­ ent persons…

From my own experience I know pectations of the client. His responsibility It’s true. Owing to the nature of the ar­ that there are many very good Project also covers verification and the budget, chitectonic project, the Project Manager Managers on the market and I have al­ which is of considerable impact on the fi­ cooperates both with architects and de­ ready had an opportunity to cooperate nal costs of implementation. Later on, su­ velopers, construction contractors, suppli­ with many of them. However, as with each pervision over the implementation and ers of materials and equipment etc. Based profession, you can come into contact publishers begins, and all the tenders for on his experience, he has to build such with professionals on various levels, with workmanship and equipment are con­ a team of co-workers that will allow for different experience and different skills. ducted. In the meantime, implementation trouble-free and smooth implementation has to be monitored to ensure that any of the project, therefore what counts here Thank you for the interview.

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Outsourcing&More | January–February 2020

I cannot imagine a properly conducted implementation process, especially in the case of office and commercial projects, without participation of a Project Manager.