heglobalpandemiccausedhavocaroundthe
Tcorporateworldduringitsinitialdays.Nearly everybusinesswasleftinconfusionabout howtoproceedwithitsday-to-dayoperations. Finally,internet-basedbusinessoutsourcingservices (BPOs)provedtobeagreatsaviorinre-establishing howbusinessoperationsarecarriedoutdaily
Businesses,rangingfromsmalltolarge,realizedthe truepotentialofwhattheinternetcouldprovideto themastheyoutsourcedtheirworktovariousBPO companies.Whilecorporationsaroundtheworld quicklyadoptedtheworkfromahomemodel, enablingtheiremployeestobesafe,itwastheBPO industrythatturnedouttobeagreatrescuerbecause ofitsalreadyexistingmodelofIT-enabledservices (ITES).
Today,thedigitizationwavethatwastriggereddueto COVID-19hasstartedtoprovideeveryfirmwithan equalopportunitytogrowitsbusinessinglobal consumermarkets.Thismeansthatthebudget,while important,hasnotremainedthetop-of-the-list constraintforthecompanies.Withtheavailable budget,youcanchoosetooutsourceyouroperations toanycorneroftheworldandgetqualityworkdone.
GivingaBoosttotheRemote
TheBPOindustryisenablingthecultureofremotely handlingalmosteveryofficeorin-fieldoperationfromany corneroftheworld.Somuchsothatanyorganizationof anysizenowhastheoptionofoperatingwithouttheneed foritsownphysicaloffice.Thebundledservicesprovided bytheBPOindustryareturningouttobelucrative profitmakingoptionsforbusinessesaroundtheworld.
Servicesrangingfromgeneratingsalesleads,customer care,datamanagement,contentsourcing,marketing, logistics,andmanymorearenowavailableunderthe umbrellaofservicesthattheBPOindustryprovides.All youneedtohaveisawell-establishedinternetconnection andadigitaldevice,andwithafewclicks,youcanshare yourrequirementswiththeclientBPOs.
OneofthegreatestbenefitsofemployingBPOservicesis thatitcansaveyouahugeamountofmoney.Expenseson humanresources,customercareservices,officeequipment, andrentalscanbesignificantlyreduced.Thissavedcapital cancomeinhandytofurtherenhancetheproductand serviceexperienceofyourconsumers.
Moreover,hiringBPOservicesmeansevenifyour company’sstaffdoesnotpossessthenecessaryspecializationinacertainareaofserviceormarket,youcansimply outsourceitandgettheworkdoneunderthegiventime limits.
Majorfirmsineverysectorhavealreadyestablishedtheir BPOpartnershipsinthevariousworldwidemarketsthat theyarereachingoutto.Insuchcollaboration,thescaleof reachthesebigfirmshavegainedcanbecomparedtonone. CompanieslikeAmazon,AmericanExpress,Walmart,and manymorearegreatexamplesofcompaniesthatarewisely utilizingtheBPOindustrytoexpandtheirservicereach.
Thefantasticthingisthatnearlyeverydigitally-enabled businessnowhastheequaloptionofscalingitsservicesto aworldwidemarketwiththehelpofBPOs.
Inthisedition,TheRiseofGlobalBusinessProcess OutsourcingCompanies2022,wehavecuratedalistof companiesthatprovideawiderangeofBPOservicesusing thelatesttechnologiesandvitallyaswellasspeedilyassist small-to-bigbusinessesinmanagingtheirdailyoperations.
Lastly,doreadtheCxOstandpointbytheindustryexperts andthewell-researchedexclusivearticleswrittenbyourinhouseeditorialteam.
Akorbi akorbi.com
SarahHaner, VicePresident ofMarketing
Akorbiisagroupofcompanies,basedinDallas-FortWorth, specializinginprovidingenterprisesolutionsthatempower companiestoachievesuccessintheglobaleconomy
Atomatic atomatic.co
TrevorLim, CEO
Atomaticisanagencythat’sspecializedinbuilding,optimizing andstreamliningsystemsandprocessesforeCommerce businessestoscaletotheirhighestpotential.
ContactCenterWorld.com contactcenterworld.com
DXCBPaaSandBPO dxc.com MillenniumTechnology Services mtscloud.com
OctopusTech theoctopustech.com
RajWadhwani, President ChristopherCognetta, Director AndyTan, CEO DhruvaKhanna, FounderandDirector
ContactCenterWorldistheplacewhereprofessionalsallaround theworldcandiscoverthenextgenerationofcustomer experience.
DXCisanITservicescompanyusingthepoweroftechnology tobuildbetterfuturesforourcustomers,colleagues, environmentandcommunities.
MillenniumTechnologyServices(MTS)isaUSAbased internationalproviderofWorld-ClassBusinessSolutionsand ITservicestothetopMultiNationalsCorporations.
OctopusTechisaleadingproviderofwebdesignandcall centeroutsourcingservices,trustedforitscutting-edgeservices byalonglistofpartnersacrosstheglobe.
OfficePartners360 op360.com
TimBoylan, FounderandCEO
OfficePartners360isaspecializedoutsourcingcompany focusedonprovidingcustombackofficeandcustomerservice solutionsforsmalltomedium-sizedbusinessesandFortune 500companies.
Salelytics,LLC salelytics.com
StarCRMSingapore starcrm.com.sg
MattGargo, VicePresident ClientOperations
Salelyticsisoneofthenation’sleadingprovidersofInside Sales,AccountManagementandInboundSupportservices.
SharadaQureshi, COO
HuiWu-Curtis, Co-founderandCOO
StarCRMisaleadingproviderofCRM(Customer RelationshipManagement)softwareandservicesintheAsiaPacificregion.
SupportUspecializesincontactcenteroperations;customer service,technicalsupport,salesandback-officesupport.
1990syouthculturewasstronglyshapedbythe increasinginfluenceofcapitalismandtheongoingconcern forenvironmentalprotection.Evertheinnovators, TimBoylanandhisfriend,DaveHighbloom,responded bymarryingthepracticalityofentrepreneurshipwiththeir passionforenvironmentalism.SellingtheirHuman-i-Teestshirtsoutofthetrunksoftheircars,theywerenotjust respondingtotheissuesoftheirtimebutwereplantingthe seedsoftheirvision.
TimandDaveunderstoodthatasustainablefuturerequired shapingamoreefficientyetgivingworld.Theirfirststep wastousetheirHuman-i-Teesprofitstosupporttheyouth intheirlocalcommunityaswellasnationaleffortssuchas StudentEnvironmentalActionCoalition,Centerfor EnvironmentalEducation,andSaveAmerica’sForests. Aroundthistime,BenRobertswasanactive“bigbrother” tochildrenataspecialeducationschoolandthecountless hourshespentwiththechildrenfurtherfueledhispassion forcreatingmeaningfulimpactbyhelpingothers.
In2010,theirpathswouldcrossagaininthebusiness processoutsourcing(BPO)industry Timhadjustbegunhis outsourcingjourneyinthePhilippineswhileBenandDave wereestablishingcareersinhealthcareeducation.AsTim's firstclients,theysawhowhisuniqueentrepreneurialspirit andhiscommunityadvocacytranslatedintoaveryunique valuepropositionandknewtheywantedtocollaborate, contribute,andcoalesceasateam.Afteralmostadecade, Tim'sclientsbecamehisOfficePartners360(OP360) partnersand,together,havetransformedtheirsharedvision intotherealityembodiedbymorethan3,000employees today
Thatmantrathat“simplicityisgolden”hasservedasthe foundationofOP360.KeepingOP360groundedinthe goldentriangleofcustomer,culture,andcontinuous improvement,Timandhispartnershavereimagineda businessmodelwhereoutsourcingismadepersonal. FocusingonthesecoreelementsenableOP360withthe
flexibilitytoprovideintelligent,innovativesolutionstoall typesofclients–regardlessofwheretheyareonthe maturityscale,whattheydelivertotheircustomers,orhow theydefinesuccess.
Itscultureandcommitmenttothecommunitydrivesan unparalleledabilitytohirethebest.OP360’scustomers benefitfromtheinsightandexpertiseofdeeplyexperienced BPOandcustomerexperiencesubjectmatterexperts.
Finally,OP360’spracticeofcontinuousimprovement ensuresthatbothitsclientsandemployeesbenefitfromthe mostadvancedstrategiesandleadership/growthmodels. Simple,focusedelementstoresolvecomplexcustomer issues.
AsCEOandfounderofOP360,Timhasbeenvery deliberateincreatingimpactnotonlyforitsclientsbutalso
foritsemployees.Fromhisearlierexperiencesworking withlocalcommunitiesandvulnerablepopulations,Tim realizedthedeepcorrelationbetweenanorganizational cultureofgivinganddeliveryexcellence.Exposinghis employeestocommunityservice,compassionatereliefand altruisticactivitiestranslatedintocustomerexperience agentswhohavedeeperempathy,patience,and commitmenttoissueresolution.
Theglobalpandemicprovedhowdetermined,engaged,and dynamicOP360employeesareinsupportingitsclients. Despitetheirownchallenges,eachemployeecontinuesto standbythecompany’scommitmenttogrowingitsclients' businessesandkeepingclientoperationsrunningsmoothly byremainingpatientandadaptabletochangesinthework environment.
Tosafeguardthesafetyandwellnessofallemployees, OP360’sworldclassBusinessContinuityTeam(BCT) implementedbusinessresiliencymeasuresthat accommodatetheneedsofbothon-siteandremoteworkers.
Foremployeeswhomustperformworkonsite,theBCT ensuredthatallfacilitiesaremannedbytrainedcertified occupationalsafety,healthpractitioners,andtrainedfirst
aidersaswellstayincompliancetohealthregulationsand protocols.Theworkfromhomeworkforcereceived corporateTouristGuideAnnaWaynetelecommuting packagesincludingwiredinternetathome.Tomitigate servicedisruptions,Op360’sResiliencyCenterservedasan emergencyworkhub.ThepandemicalsoallowedOP360to provideemploymentandothereconomicopportunitiesto manyFilipinoswholosttheirlivelihoodstothepandemic.
Asaresult,OP360hasbeenabletoscaleitsoperations, unlikesomecompetitorsthatsufferedsetbacks.
OP360hasalwaysprideditselfinhowitengrainsintoits leadershiptobemindfulofnotjusttheirteam’sphysical healthbutalsotobeawareofmentalwellness.Topromote work-lifebalance,eachsiteconductsroutinementalhealth campaignstoprioritizeemployeewelfareandholistic development.
Forlastyear'sWorldMentalHealthDay,avirtualevent wasrolledoutforemployeesandexecutivestolearn effectivecopingmechanismsfromawellnessprofessional. Thisyear,OP360aimstofurtherthisconversationwiththe creationofemotionallysafespacesforremoteandonsite employees.
Havingtravelledtheworldandexperiencedfirst-handthe impactofdiversity,Timandhisleadershipteamareaware ofLGBTQIA+realities.
InJune,OP360observedPRIDEmonthwithavirtualevent (Love,Me)celebratingitsLGBTQIA+identifying employeesattendedby2000+participants.Ithassince starteditsapplicationtobecomeamemberorganizationto thePhilippineFinancialandInter-industryPride,thelargest professionalnetworkinthecountryfortheLGBTQIA+ identifyingworkforce.Theseareonlythefirstofmany stepsthattheOP360teamisactivelytakingtoamplifythe voicesofitsdiverseworkforce.
Protectingitsmostvaluableassets,theemployees,remains paramounttoOP360.Overthelastquarter,itlauncheda vaccinationprogram,TogetherandforEachother(in partnershipwiththelocalgovernmentofCebu)tovaccinate
over600employeeswhohadnotalreadyreceivedlocal governmentvaccinations.ThisprogrambroughtOP360’stotal workplacevaccinationrateto28%,whichishigherthanthe country'scurrentnationalaverage.Furtherextendingthis program,OP360justlaunchedOP360Junior,providing vaccinationstoouremployeefamilymembersanddependents aged12–17yearsold.Toinspireotherstodotheirpartin protectinglivesduringtheseextraordinarytimes,acontinuing storycampaignfeaturesthenarrativesofvaccinated employees,highlightingtheirmotivationsforgettingthe vaccine.
Fromitsrootsinenvironmentalawarenesstothe3,000+ peoplefocusedBPO,TimBoylanhastakenhispassionforhis community360degreesandembeddeditintotheDNAofhis company.Fromprotectingitsemployees’holisticwell-being toinnovatingandcuratingcompetitiveadvantageforour clients,OP360hasremainedtruetoitshumblebeginnings. WhileTim,Dave,andBenhavecomealongwayfrom sellingt-shirtsandvolunteering,theycontinuetodorightby theiremployees,ourclients,andcommunities.
Outsourcinghasbecomeoneofthego-tooptionsfor businesses.Choosingtooutsourceisequivalentto requestingahelpinghand.Manysmallbusinesses outsourcenotbecausetheywanttosavemoneyorthey can’tfindsuitableemployees,butbecausetheyprefer investingthetimeandeffortinmattersthatarevitaltothe business.Therefore,hiringathird-partyserviceprovider maybethebestdecisionacompanycanmake.
Outsourcingoffersrapidaccesstoateamofhighly qualifiedprofessionalswhoconnectwiththecustomers utilizingthelatesttechnologyandtechniquesbypartnering withathird-partysupplier.Ontheotherhand,customers receivebetterservice,agentsaddressissuesmorequickly, andcompaniesdon’thavetoworryabouthighturnoveror infrastructurecosts.
Inshort,outsourcingprovidesagreatplatformforboththe companiesandcustomers.Overtheyears,theoutsourcing markethasexpandedrapidly,andmanycompaniesstarted deliveringoutsourcingservices.Oneprominentcompanyin thatlistisSalelytics,whichprovidesInsideSales,Account Management,andInboundSupportServices.
InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,MattGargo,the VicePresidentofSalelytics,shedslightonthejourneyof hiscompany,itsservices,andthedifferentaspectsofthe outsourcingspace.
PleasebriefouraudienceaboutSalelytics,itsUSPs,and howitiscurrentlypositionedasatrustedoutsourcing partner.
WeworkwithFortune1000companiesaswellasventurebackedstart-upsgettingofftheground.Sincewedon’toffer cookie-cuttersolutionsandcustomizeanyoneofour serviceofferingstothespecificneedsofourclients,weare highlysuccessfulinabroadrangeofindustries.Weare
adeptatleveragingcross-verticalsynergiestodrivethebest salesandserviceoutcomes.
Salelyticswasfoundedover30yearsagotosupport manufacturersofconsumer-packagedgoods(CPG).From there,webranchedintohealthcaretoincludemedical deviceandpharmaceuticalmanufacturers.Someofour largestclientpartnershipstodayexistinthe business-to-businessspaceforfinancial,logistics,industrial supplies,travelandhospitality,anddistributionamong others.
Overall,wehaveahighlysatisfiedcustomerbase.Thebest evidencetosupportthisistheaveragetenureoftopclients andtotalclientbase.Top10clientshavebeenwithusan averageof10+yearsandtheoverallcustomerbase averagesoverfiveyearsofpartnership.
ShedsomelightonSalelytics’offeringsandhowthey impacttheindustryandyourclients?
Weprovidefivekeyserviceofferingstoclients,allofwhich canbecustomized:
We are adept at leveraging cross-vertical synergies to drive the best sales and service outcomes.The Rise of Global Business Process Outsourcing Companies
FunnelDevelopment:Outboundappointmentsettingor demandgeneration(dateandtimewithqualifieddecision maker)
TeamSell:ClientsFieldSalesandourInsideSales resourcescollaboratetoacquire,retain,andgrowrevenues.
SoleTerritoryCoverage:OurInsideSalesAssociates independentlyacquirenewcustomersforourclients.
AccountManagement:OurInsideSalesAssociatestake overaclientsspecificsetorsegmentofcustomerstoretain andgrowthroughUpsellingandCrosssellingefforts.
Customer/PatientCare:Ourdedicatedcareassociate supportingInboundandOutboundneedstiedtoeducating andsupportingclient’scustomerorpatientgroups.While mostofourinitiativesareastrategiccomplementtoour partner’soverallgotomarketstrategic,ourabilitytotake onbothlargeFortune100partnerswhilealsobeingnimble enoughtoprovidetheadviceandcounseltosmaller start-upsallowsustodeployoursolutionsatalmostany scale.
Ourexpertiseinconsultingwithourpartnersandbuilding outacustomsolutionensureswedesignasalesorservice engagementthatisuniquetothevaluegoal,beitinrevenue generation,service,orserviceintosales.Aspartofthis,we leadourpartnersthrougharobustsolutiondesignprocess thatlooksateverycomponent,ensuringwe’repairingthe besttalent,techstack,andsalesandserviceenablersto optimizevalue.
Tocalloutonespecificandproprietarysolution,we’ve developedapatented‘SuperAssociate’applicationto providerealtimecallscoringforassociatesleveragingour SpeechAnalyticsplatformtolistentoaselectedgroupof keywordsandphrasesasspecificpointswithinacall.
ThisapplicationisthentieddirectlyintoourGamification platformtoprovidescoringandtrackingtokeyword adherenceattheassociatelevelthatcorrelatesdirectlyto thesalesorservicegoalsoftheclient.Thisdirecttieinhas dramaticallyshortenedthespeedtorampfornewassociates byupto50%insomecases.
Combiningourreal-timeSuperAssociatewith Lingua—Salelyticsproprietaryfulltranscriptionspeech analyticsplatform—wehaveempoweredourcoachesto findopportunitiesfasterthaneverandhaveequippedthem
Matt Gargo Vice President Client OperationsAfter leaving graduate school, started out as an inbound sales associate for a consumer retention program. Through a variety of roles of increasing responsibility in training, talent, and sales operations, Matt established the firm’s Financial Services practice.
He drove the growth of the company’s largest client while standing up internal and external compliance and auditing, a modern, speech-enabled quality assurance methodology, and a consultative sales practice focused on leveraging the right technology to drive incremental sales and best-in-class customer satisfaction.
In this area, Matt helped spearhead the establishment of the firm’s data warehouse for business contact intelligence, a proprietary tool used to uncover addressable markets with lead scoring for likelihood to contact
Matt has also been at the forefront of the transformation of the associate talent and training model from regionalized, brick-and-mortar centric to one that is national and virtual.
About the Leadertospeedthediagnosticfunctionofcoachinganddeveloping associates.
Whatusedtotakehoursinthe‘olddays’oflisteningtocall aftercallcannowbeaccomplishedwithaquicktextsearch acrosshundredsoreventhousandsofcallinteractionsand filteredbycalloutcomeoranyvarietyofcallmeta-data. Bothtoolsarefullyintegratedinourproprietary performancemonitoringanddevelopmenttoolROADMAP, drivingaseamlessintegrationofcallanalysisandcoaching.
Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononthe impactofadoptingmoderntechnologieswithinthe businessoutsourcingspaceandwhatmorecouldbe expectedinthefuture?
Overthepast10years,therehasbeenarapidevolutionof callcentertechnologyaimedatenablingsalesandservice outcomesanddrivingbetter,morepreparedassociates. Toolssuchasspeechanalyticsandgamificationhave becomecentraltohowwegotomarketandkey componentsofdeliveringuponprogramKPIs.
Thesetoolsalsohelpreducetheinitialtimetoperformance rampandpartofourtacticsinkeepingassociatesengaged andultimatelyreducingchurn.Theuseofchatandvideoenabledchathastiedteamstogetheratadistanceandhas madecrosscontinentalcollaborationeasytoameasureno onewouldhavebelievedadecadeago.
Inthisarea,thefuturepromisesthematurityofmanyof thesenascenttechnologiesandafurtherapplication transformingboththein-officeandremotetraining experiencestowhereoralandwrittenassessmentsare supplementedwithtoolsthatnumericallymeasuresalesand servicereadinessbasedontalktrackdeliverandvoice analyticspriortoanassociatetakingtheirfirstlivecall.
Forassociateinproduction,expectthefurtherautomation ofperformanceanalyticsthroughAI-drivenspeechand sentimentanalyticsaswellastheautomationofthecall qualityandcompliancefunctions.
Consideringthecurrentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidSalelyticsfaceandhowdidyoudrive Salelyticstosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployeesatthesametime?
Aswewereprimarilyabrick-and-mortarcallcenter business,we’dneverbeentestedtodeploytechnologyand leadourteamsremotely.Forus,however,therewasnevera
considerationaroundwhetherwewouldstayintheofficeor migrateouremployee’shome–wewerecommittedfirst andforemosttothesafetyofouremployees.
Ourlargestinitialchallengeswerearounddeployingand testingourtechstackremotelyandatscaleandservicing ourremoteemployee’shardwareandsoftware–especially whentroubleshootingremotely.Oursecondchallengewas intrainingandonboardingnewemployeeswhowould neverworkinthebrickandmortar.Bybuildingout proprietarytoolstohelpwithworkstationpickupand leveragevirtualinterviewingandtrainingplatforms,we foundwe’dimprovedourabilitytohireandtrain.
WiththeintroductionofMSTeamsandenablingvideo acrossouremployeebase,wefoundwewerequicklyable toduplicatethein-officecamaraderieandsupportevenas wesatindisparatelocations.Separately,whilewehad neverspecificallyintendedourproprietarySalesEnabler technologytosupportaremoteworker,wefoundthatwith minorchanges,theywerewellsuitedthejobofcontinuing todrivetopnotchperformanceandemployeeengagement.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintothebusinessoutsourcing servicesmarket?
Whileitiseasytogetdistractedbyallthetechnologyand tools,thefirststepistofocusonsettingupthebasicsofthe salesorserviceoperation,determiningtherightKPIsand buildingacultureandcadenceofaccountabilitywhere everyonehasclearvisibilityintowhatsuccesslookslikeat everyaspectoftheprocessandlevel.
Thetechnologyprovidesnoshortcutsintoensuringthe basicblockingandtacklingexistsandcanonlysupporta programbuiltonafirmfoundationofexperienceandrigor andcannotfillinthecrackswherecornershavebeencutor outcomesunclear.Secondtothatisgarneringtheright talentforthetaskandbeingabletotargettheintersectionof skillsetandwageforyourinitiative.
Whileitmayseemcontrary–inmostcaseswage-level aloneisnotthekeydriverinemployeesatisfactionand retention.Havingarobustunderstandingofyourtalentand beingabletobuildprocessestovettalentintotherightrole willensureKPIsaremetbutwillalsobringlongerterm employeesatisfactionandreducedchurn.Asattrition trainingisoneofthelargestdriversinperformanceand marginerosionwithinBPO,itiscriticalthatallofthese piecesworktogetherascompliments.
HowdoyouenvisionscalingSalelytics’operationsand offeringsin2022andbeyond?
Thefutureofscaleistiedtoanationalmodelfortalent.The olddaysregardedthelocationofbrickandmortaras
paramount.Thepandemichasacceleratedthedesireto workfromhomeandforcedcompaniestoconfrontthisasa viableoptiontoadegreeeverbeforeseen.Duetotheshear success,we’venowlookedathowwecanminefortalentat theintersectionofwageandskillsetregardlessof geographiclocation.
Whereweweretetheredtothegeographyandits inhabitants,havingtheflexibilitytopullthebesttalentfor thepricepointhasbeentransformational.Whilethebrick andmortarwillalwaysbeapartofourmodel,wenowhave fullyvirtualizedclientsspreadacrossmarketsgivesus scale,skills,andflexibilityweneverenjoyedpriortothe pandemicandtiedtoafinitesetoflocations.
Duetothischangeinourapproach,we’reinthemiddleofa laborcrisisyethaveonboardedmoreassociatesoverthe pasttwoyearsthanpre-pandemic.Ifitweren’tforour embraceofthisnewmode,wewouldnothavebeenableto deliveruponourgrowthobjectivesoverthelasttwoyears.
Today,theworldiswitnessingthegrowthof artificialintelligenceanditsimpactoneverysector Everyindustryisadaptingtothischangeand lookingtousethesetwotechnologiestoruntheirbusiness. Businessprocessoutsourcing(BPO)isoneofthosefamous andoneofthefastest-growingglobalindustries,witha widevarietyofservicesrangingfromaccountspayableto clinicaltrialsmanagement.TheBPOmarketisrapidly growingduetotheconcurrentgrowthofcloudcomputing, bigdata,andartificialintelligence(AI).
Artificialintelligence(AI)hasbeenthetechnologyofthe futureforquiteawhilenow.Sciencefictionmoviesand novelshavepredictedafutureinwhichAIruledover humansorapost-apocalypticworldwherehumanbeings barelysurvivedagainstAI.Whilethesepredictionsare spectacularandentertaining,wearefarfromhavingrobots withstate-of-the-artartificialintelligencewhichcontrolour lives.However,thereisoneareainwhichtheimpactofAI isreal:businessprocessoutsourcing.
MachineLearning(ML)andArtificialIntelligence(AI)are twoofthehottesttopicsintechnologyrightnow.However, AIandMLareoftenusedinterchangeablyorconfusedwith oneanother TherealityisthatAIandMLhavedistinct definitions,andwemustunderstandthemforboththeiruse casesandcapabilities.
MachinelearningisasubsetofAIthatdefinesasystemthat automaticallylearnsandimprovesfromexperiencewithout requiringexplicitprogramming.Machinelearninguses softwaretocrawlthroughdata,removeunnecessary information,anddevelopsolutions.Itisoftenusedfor predictiveanalysisanddecision-making.
Whilethegeneralpublicmaythinkofartificialintelligence asafancymeanstodevelopthelatesttechnology,many companieshavestartedincludingartificialintelligencein theirbusinessoperations.However,manyBPOcompanies haveyettomakeproperuseofit.Whilemanyofthemhave beguntoincorporatemachinelearningintotheirservices andapplytheseAIskillstowardcustomer-facingbusiness processes,manyorganizationsareexaminingtheperksof artificialintelligencewithintheirBPOprojects.
Fromtheinitialstagesofcustomerinteractiontothefinal output,customerexperiencehasalwaysbeenatthe forefront.Whilethetraditionalcustomerservicesolutions werereasonable,theyencounteredcertaininadequaciesto meetallthechangingcustomerdemands.Andenteringinto thenewerstage,wheremachineswillbeworkingintandem withhumansandpowerfulAItoolscontrolallthis.Itisstill inthedevelopingstage,andalotmoreresearch,innovation, andintegrationarerequiredtomakethisindustrymore useful.
Paperworkhasplaguedbusinessesforcenturies.Itistrulya commonenemy.Storiesaretoldtoscareyoungemployees andinternsaboutthetremendousamountofinvestmentthat acompanyputsintheiremployeesonlytounnecessarily spenditonhandlingpaperfilesthatcouldbereplacedby software.Inmanycountries,thegovernmentsetsupforms andproceduresforregulatorydocumentsandhandling papercorrespondence.Bydigitizingyourmail,youcan dealwithalltheseelementsthroughtheuseofsoftware speciallydesignedforthispurpose.
Customersarethecruxofyourbusiness,andsatisfactionis amajorcomponentofkeepingcustomers.Securityis anotherareawithnoexceptions,anditcanbeatricky subjectorsomethingthatcanbebrushedasidetooquickly
AIwillhelpcompaniesinthefuture,evenifjustinthe formofbettersecurity,hopefullyavoidingsomecommon pitfalls.Businessesofallsizesareresponsibleforproviding theircustomerswithasafeandsecureexperience.With machinelearning,youcanuseyourresourcestoprotect yourcustomersfrombothcybercrimeandidentitytheft.
Thereisalotofbuzzaroundthedevelopmentofvirtual assistantsandAI-basedsystemswithmorenaturallanguage processing.Thereasonforthisinterestisthatcustomersare increasinglymovingtovoicesearchratherthantypinginto thesearchengine.IfyouareinterestedinAI,deeplearning, andneuralnetworks,Chabotisexactlywhatyouneed!It alsocreatesagroundforbuildingyourownenterprise-class AI-basedvirtualassistantrightonyourwebsite.
Intoday'sbusinesslandscape,it'sobvioustoseethe growinginfluenceofartificialintelligenceandmachine learningonalmosteveryprocess.FromVirtualAssistantsto self-drivingcars,theseareallexamplesofAIputinto action,butthistechnologyhasbeenavailableforalong timeinsomeindustries.
Withtheuseofartificialintelligence,growingyour businessthroughBPOiseasierthanever There'snodoubt thatrobustcontroltechnologyandatrustyBPOpartnercan keepthecontrolsingoodshape,propellingyourbusiness's growth.Asabusinessowner,youwillalwayswantto investintechnologiestoensurethemaximumROIand savings—innovativetechnologiesareyourbestbet.
- Bhushan Bhad
Bindustryacrosstheworld.TheBPOindustryassists indeliveringreliable,significant,andconstant supporttocrucialbusinessprocesses.Ithaswidelyadapted totheneedsofvariousindustriestosupportthemin streamliningtheiroperations.Industriessuchasbanking, manufacturing,healthcare,financialservices,insurance,IT, etc.,takeactivehelpfromtheBPOindustrytoimprove productivityaswellascutcosts.
usinessProcessOutsourcing(BPO)isanimportant
We have created a track record of establishing business rela onships that emulate ourits values of transparency, accountability, genuineness, and determina on.
OnesuchorganizationisSupportU,headquarteredin Phoenix,Arizona.Ithasbuiltitselfintoatrustworthyand result-drivenBPOorganization.Itoffersspecialized servicesincontactcenteroperations,technicalsupport, customercare,sales,andback-officesupport.Thecompany providesitsservicesacrossalltheavailablechannels, includinginboundandoutboundvoice,SMS,chat,and email.
SupportUisawoman,minority-ownedbusinessprocess outsourcingorganizationformedonsomefundamental principles.Itdoesnotbelieveinthebusinessoflabor arbitrageandwantstocreateanorganizationthatbettersthe livesofothers.
SupportUwasfoundedbyHuiWu-Curtis(Co-founder andCOO)andRonPetrie(Co-founderandCEO).With broadprofessionalexperienceintheBPOindustry,both formedthecompanywithseveralintentionsinmind.“My businesspartnerandIhavealwaysworkedinthe outsourcingindustryinvariouscapacities,andwehave learnedthat—withthismodel,likeanythingelse—itistime forchangeanddisruption,”Huisays.
Theco-foundersbuilttheorganizationfromthegroundup withsomesimpleprinciples:
1)Maketheinvestmentupfrontwiththesavviest technologysolutionthatwillcontinuetoevolveasBPO businessandmarketsevolve.
2)Alltechnologyconsiderationsstartwiththe organization'semployeesinmindandhowthoseresources willhelpthemdotheirjobsbetter,faster,andmore efficiently
3)Howtheorganizationintegratestheavailabletechnology stackintoaworldofpossibilitiesforitsclientssothatit mayevolveitsbusinessesforward.
Whenaskedabouthowthecompanydifferentiatesits servicesfromitscompetitors,Huisays, “Itsimplycomes downtothefactthatwetakethetimetounderstandour clients”businesses,goinwithaconsultativemindset,and deliveroutstandingperformance,data,andanalysisthatis value-addedandactionableforourclients.”
Thecompanypurposefullyfocusesonproviding employmentopportunitiesforpeopleoftheunderserved communities(single-parents,LGBTQ,theformerly incarcerated,minorities,women,militaryspouses,and
Hui Wu-Cur s COO/Co-founder
collegestudents).Itbelievesincreatingasafeenvironment forpeopletobethemselves,celebratediversity,andsee differencesasavalue.
TheBPOcompanysupportsandeducatesitsentirestaffto besuccessful.Itprovidesitspeoplewithpromotionaland careeropportunitiessothattheymaychangetheireconomic conditionsgiventheirdesiretosucceed.Startingatthe company’scorewithitspeopletranslatestoprovidingits clientswithexceptionalserviceandsupportfrompeople whowanttobeseenaswinners—notpeopleseenas differentorlessskilled.
“Wehavecreatedatrackrecordofestablishingbusiness relationshipsthatemulateitsourvaluesoftransparency, accountability,warmthgenuineness,anddetermination,” HuiquotesonthefoundingfundamentalsofSupportU.The foundershaveestablishedthemselvesasexpertsinthe industrywithprovenresultsacrossmanyverticalsanda strongdesiretopushtheboundariesofprogressforthe BPOindustry
HuiimmigratedtotheU.S.whenshewasfive,withher parentsandyoungersister.Theywerethefirstwaveoftheir familytoescapetheVietnamWar.Herfatherhadonly$200 inhispocket.Hewasalsotheonlyonewhospokeany Englishinthefamily
Havingdealtwithsomuchadversityalready,herfatherstill foughthardforthefamily'ssurvivalbecausehetruly believedthattheU.S.wasacountryofopportunityfor everyone.
WhileincollegeatSanDiegoState,Huiworkedaparttimejobinacallcenter,takingcallsandrelayingmessages topeople'salpha-numericpagers.“Ilastedaboutsixmonths becauseitwashorrible.Inevermetmysupervisor.There weresomanypeopleeverywhere,anditseemed unorganized.Thiswasnotaplaceforme,”Huidescribes herfirstjobexperience.
Severalyearslater,shehadanopportunitytogobackintoa callcenter,butinasupervisorcapacity,soshetookthe chance.Shethoughtitwouldbechallengingtolearnmore aboutthisuniqueenvironmentandfigureouthowone couldeffectivelymanagepeoplewhowerealwaystiedto thephones.
Subsequently,shespentthenext25+yearsworkingin variouscallcentersinnearlyallmajorindustries,eachtime learningasmuchasshecouldandabsorbingallthe information.Thisprovidedherwiththeknowledgeand hands-onopportunitytolearnaboutallaspectsofthe business,understandexistingandnewertechnology solutions,anddiscoverhowtoexecuteforresults.
Overtime,shelearnedthatthemulti-disciplineapproachin callcentermanagementhasmanypartsthatareall interdependent.Shealsolearnedtosuccessfullyjuggleall themovingpartsofacallcentertomakeitsuccessful. “Fromthere,I’vebeenaskedtocreatenewcallcenters,fix thecallcenter,ortakethecallcentertothenextlevel,allof whichI’vedoneverysuccessfullyovertheyears,”Hui shares.
Sheobservedthroughouteachcompanythatminorities, bothmaleandfemale,neededtoworkmuchhardertoget noticed,oftenneverbeinggiventheopportunitytogrow andadvancebecausetheydidn’tlook,sound,ordressthe part.Theotherrealitywasthat,intheindustriesinwhich sheworked,veryrarelywerethereanyminorityleadersor executivesthatunderstoodandknewthechallengesthese groupsface.
WorkingonthebrandandBPOside,shehasdevelopedthe uniqueperspectiveofboth. “Asaclient,I’veexperiencedthepainpointsofworking withBPOsofallsizesandgeographicallocations.Now,as IamontheBPOside,Iknowwhatclientsarelookingfor, andcanworkwithmyoperationalteamtoensurewenever causethosesamepainpointsforourclients,”Huitellsus.
Withheryearsofworkinotherorganizations,she understoodhowtofinddegreesofdifferencebetweena company’sfocusandhowitshouldfunction.So,she decidedtoleavethepositionofCEOinherlastcompany andstartherBPOwithherbusinesspartner,RonPetrie— himselfaformerCEOatasmallerBPOandabusinessdevelopmentexecutive,leadingsizablesalesteamsfor years.
Afterseeingallthepolitics,greed,andmismanagement,the co-foundersdecidedtobuildtheirBPOthatfocusedon bringingtogetherthebestleadershiptalent,coupledwith thebesttechnology,tocreateasafe,collaborative,and innovativeenvironmentformarginalizedpeople.“We embraceandvaluediversityandwillprovidecareer opportunitiestothemaswecontinuetogrow,”Huitells.
Today,65%ofworkersinacallcentercannotafford(orare notoffered)healthinsurance.Huisays,“Thisisnotokay withus.Wefeelthatitisimportantforallourteam memberstohavehealthinsurance,whichiswhySupportU runsasefficientlyaspossible,sowecanreinvestthose fundsintoprovidinghealthinsuranceandotherbenefitsfor ourpeople.”
Thefoundersstronglybelieveinaculturewherepeoplesee andfeelthattheyareimportanttothecompany.SupportU iscommittedtoputtingitsemployeesandclientsfirst.By doingso,itcontinuestodriveloyaltyandperformance.
Boththefoundershavespenttimeatcompanieswherethe technologywasallovertheboard.Someboughttechnology withoutknowinghoworwheretouseit.Somedidn’tbuy anytechnologybecause“thingshaverunjustfineforall theseyears.”Somesimplyfearedearlyadoption.
“First,technologyisNOTthesolutiontoeverything.Itis notgoingtofixallyourcompany’sproblemsmagically WhattechnologyCANdoisprovideaveryeffectivetool(s) torunyourbusiness,IFgiventherightoutlookofhowit interplayswithpeopleandprocesses,”Huiexplains.
“Wehavebeenfortunateenoughtoinvestupfrontinthe besttechnology Thebestdoesn’tmeanthemostexpensive. Wewereverydeliberateinhowwebuiltourtechnology stackofsolutions.Welookedforsolutionprovidersthathad aninnovativesolution,whowereflexible,agile,and entrepreneurialinspirit,”sheadds.
SupportUwantstopushtheboundariesofsuccessin operationsandservicedeliveryinpartnershipwiththese varioussolutionproviders.Theorganization’sapproachto consideringitstechnologysolutionsalwayshaditspeople inmind.
Doesitmakeemployees’jobseasier?Doesitprovide visibilitytoitsleadershipinaneasilydigestiblewayfor themtomanageandmakebusinessdecisions?Doesthe technologysolutionhelpthecompanyidentifywhereit needstohelppeople?Doesthetechnologyhelpcompanyto identifyissuesofwhichitsclientsneedtobeaware?
Someofthetoughestjobsinanycallcenterareatthe frontlineagentandsupervisorlevels.SupportUhasbuiltits technologystackwithsomeofthemostinnovativeand fluidsolutionsinthemarketto:
1)Supportitsemployees,sotheygainproficiencysooner andoutperformothers
2)Provideleadershipwiththetoolstomanagetheir operationandpeopleeffectively
3)Identifyissuesandtrendsforitsclients’businesses,and
4)Allowforthecompanytorunefficientlysothatitcan reinvestsavingsbackintoitspeopleviahealthcareand otherbenefits
TherearemanyBPOsthatdogreatworkwiththeir technologysolutions,butasaclient,Huifoundithardto visualizehowthosesolutionswouldbenefitherbusiness. SupportUprovidesthatconsultativeapproach, understandingtheclients’businessmodelsandproposing opportunitiesfortechnologysolutionsthatwillhelpgrow andadvancetheircompanies. SupportUtakesthe guessworkoutoftheequationandprovidesopportunities fortheirclients.
Therearemanytechnologysolutionsoutthere,andthe foundersunderstandtheneedtokeepupwiththemfroma marketawarenessaspect,butmanycompaniesarenot willingtomakeabiginvestmentjustyet.Thecompanyhas doneseveralpilotsforclientssothattheycanexperience thefunctionalityofaparticulartechnologyandhowit impactscustomerexperiencewithoutahugecapital investmentupfront. Itisasmarterwayofleveraging outsourcingpartnershipsinadditiontolaborsupport.
“Ratherthanlookingbackward,I’mfocusingonthefuture. COVID-19continuestopermeatemanycountries,andthere seemstobenoendinsight.Asabusiness,wemustbe savvyenoughtounderstandhowandwhatweneedtodoto pivotduringthisnewnormal,” Huisays.
“Wealsomustlistentowhattheaftermathistellingus. Whilewecancontinuetoupholdthesafetyprotocolsof distancingpeopleatworkorutilizingwork-from-home, thereisalsothesignificantthemeof“TheGreat Resignation.”Forthefirsttime,amassiveportionofour laborworkforceistellingusthattheyaretiredandfed-up withemployerstreatingthempoorlyatwork;tiredoflow wages,poorworkingconditions,terriblebosses,long commutes,etc.,”sheadds.
SupportUisaimingtobethatdisruptorintheBPOspace because,althoughitisasmallerplayer,itsexecutivescome frommuchlargercorporationswhounderstandwhatit meanstobecompetitive,todifferentiate,andtovalue
talent.Thecompanyismakinginvestmentsinitspeople andtechnologywhileremainingagile. Ourabilitytobe incrediblyadaptiveandflexibleiskeytooursuccess.
Someentrepreneurs,whoknowverylittleaboutBPOs, becomesuccessfuloutofblindluck.Otherstrulylearnand workhardtobesuccessful.Foranyonewhowantstoget intothisspace,learnasmuchasyoucanaboutthe operationsandwhatclientsarelookingfor.Thenask yourselfwhyyouwanttogetintothisbusiness.Itisa relationship-basedbusiness,andbuildingyournetworkand reputationmatters.Italsotakesfundingtogetyour operationsstarted.
“StartingaBPOisnotunlikestartingotherbusinesses,but youmustdetermineifthisissomethingyou want todooris itsomethingyou love doing.Ifyoulovedoingit,thenall thehardworkwillpayoff,”Huiadvises.
“WecreatedSupportUbecausewe love thisandbutwanted theabilitytorunacompanytherightway,andwebelieve stronglyingivingbacktoourpeopleandourcommunityin theunderservedareas.Wearemission-andvalue-driven,
andbelievethatbydoingtherightthing,everythingelse willfollow,”sheadds.
IntheBPObusiness,itisaboutplanning,buildingyour pipelineofopportunities,andnetworking.Nothinghappens overnight.“Wearewellpreparedinourplanningprocessto beafewstepsaheadaswecontinuetogrow.Our technologiesandprocessesareautomated,andforsmall companies,thisjustdoesn’thappenattheearlystages,”Hui notes.
“Wearebig-companymindedwithbig-companyresources forourfutureandwell-positionedforgrowth.RonandIare alwayswatchingthevariousmarkets,shifts,andnew entrantssothatweunderstandthechangingconditionsin themarketplace,”sheadds.
Thecompanyiswatching,learning,andgaugingactivities inandaroundtheindustrysothatitcanbeproactiveand readyversusreactive.“Giventherightclientinterest,we arealsoflexibletooperateinothergeographicallocations, butfornow,wearefocusingourdeliveryonshoreinthe U.S.,”saysHui.
IntheU.S.,“We’remiddle-class”hasoftenbeenthe responseofmanywhenaskedwhattheirhousehold incomeis.Oftenfraughtwithgivingaspecific answerforfearofjudgmentinonewayortheother,for makingtoomuchmoneyornotenough,mostpeoplejust aimforthemiddle.
So,whenIcameacrossanarticleinForbesMagazine aboutProfessorNinaStrohminger’svaguequestionto herstudentsattheUniversityofPennsylvania’sWharton SchoolofBusinessaboutwhattheythoughttheaverage Americanworkermakesperyear,itinstantlybrought backamemoryfrommycollegedays.
DuringmytimeasanundergradatBereaCollege,oneof myfavoriteprofessors,Dr.JillBouma,askedourclassa similarquestion.“Aftergraduation,whatdoyouall thinkwouldbeagoodsalarytomakeinyour professionalcareers?”Theconsensusanswer:$50kper year.Now,obviously,thiswasbackin2006,and factoringininflation,thisamountwouldbecloserto $70kin2022.
Nevertheless,asastudentcomingfromafamilyof limitedmeans,$50kperyearwasreallyverygood.Dr. Boumajuxtaposedourresponsestostudentsthatshe’d previouslytaughtatauniversitywithstudentsfrom higher-incomeearningfamilies,whoseconsensus responsewas“atleast$100k,”anditactuallyledtoan eye-openingandultimatelycareer-definingmomentfor me.
Whetherwewouldliketoadmititornot,theU.S.,My CountryTisofThee,isonethatisbuiltonsocial
constructs.Thisincludesnotonlyracebut socioeconomicclass.Furthermore,whetherwewould liketoadmititornot,financialeducation,financial literacy,andfamilybusinesssuccessionplanninghave allowedforfamilieswhohaveaccumulatedmass amountsofwealthtotransferitefficientlyandeffectively fromgenerationtogeneration.
Ultimatelywhatthisdoesisallowthosefamiliesto educatetheirheirsonstrategicwealthmanagement, effectiveinvestmentstrategies,andhowtonotonly protectwhattheyalreadyhavebuttocontinuetogrow theirempire.Thosewhoarenotofmeansareoftenleft outofthepersonalfinanceandbusinessmanagement discussionsthatthesefamiliesarehavingduetoalackof knowledgeandorexposuretotheseguidingprinciples.
Asstatedinthearticle,over25%ofthestudentsthought thattheaverageAmericanworkermadeoversixfigures annually.Obviously,thisistwicetheamountofwhatthe realnumberis(approximately$52,520in2021). However,onecouldarguethatforthosestudents,a majorityofwhomprobablycomefromafinancially stablefamilyofmeans,sixfiguresare‘average.’
Thus,theresponsestheygavereflectthelifetheylive andwithwhomtheyandtheirfriendsandfamilies associate.Aswiththeproximityprinciple,youtendto becomeandpatternyourbehaviorsafterthoseyouspend themosttimewith.Astheoldsayinggoes,“birdsofa featherflocktogether.”IffamilyAisonethatis‘middleclass’andhasdiscussionswiththeirkidsaboutmoney
andpersonalfinance,whilefamilyBhasdiscussions aboutthelatestandgreatesttrendsonsocialmedia,the long-termeffectsinbothscenarioswillshowthemselves overtime.
Inthesameway,ifone’scircleoffriendsishaving discussionsoninvestmentstrategies,riskmanagement strategies,andwhoistheirwealthmanagement professional,theyaremorelikelytobearpositivefruit fromthosediscussions.Thus,itisnotthatthe WhartonSchoolofBusinessstudentswereoutof touchwithreality;itisthatthosestudents’realityis notthatofan‘average’American. it.
Thedoorsofopportunityandadvancementareas openastheyhaveeverbeen. educationforallraces,genders,andcreedshas neverbeenmorereadilyavailableasitistoday
Asparentsandmentorstothenextgeneration,we havedoneagoodjobofchallengingthemto pursueeducation.Yet,that’sonlyonestep.Itisour responsibilitytoeducateourstudents,kids,andheirs tobefinanciallyliterate.Thiscomesthroughfinancial education,which,ironically requiredtograduateatanylevel.Itisanacquiredskill thatmustbepursuedindependentlyandconsistentlyover thecourseofone’slife.
Exposingouryouthandyoungadultstopersonalfinance advice,howtouseaninsuranceinvestmentstrategy theimportanceofestateplanningwillopenmoredoors andensurethefinancialwell-beingofourgenerationsto come.
Manywillbecomeentrepreneursandbusinessowners, soitisnotonlyimportanttoworkwithanassetand wealthmanagementprofessionalbuttoalsowork withthemonbusinesssuccession planningsotheirchildren’s childrencanreaptherewards ofthesacrificesthey personallymadetohavea betterlifeandchange theirfamilytree.Itis timetolevelup.
Thetermoutsourcing,oroffshoring,referstothe transferofproductionprocessestoaforeign countrywhereinremotelylocatedworkersinhost countrieshandlecertainstepsoftheproductionprocess. Thereareseveralreasonswhyfirmspreferto “outsource”someoftheiroperations.First,itisgenerally morecost-effectivethanifallserviceswereprovidedby internalresources.Second,itisflexible,allowingfirmsto allocateworkquicklyandefficientlyaccordingtotheir changingrequirements;andthird,itallowsfirmstotapinto foreigntalentpools.Inrecenttimes,manycompanieshave startedmovingtheirsoftwaredevelopmentactivities offshoreaswell.
Outsourcingisanincreasinglycommonpracticeinmany differentindustries.InthecaseoftheITsector,thishasled toamarkedincreaseinoutsourcedprojectsduetohigh demandandavailability Assoonastherewasademandfor labor-intensivework,othersectorsstartedtohireforeign providersinsteadofbuildingtheircapacityorretraining theirexistingstaff.
ThekeytrendintheITservicessectorisspecialization focusingonfourareas:applicationmaintenance,systems maintenanceandsupport,BPOs,andinfrastructure management.
India’soutsourcinghasshownexponentialgrowthovera periodoftime.Theideaandconceptofoutsourcingcame
intoexistencefromthe1970stotheearly1990s.Ashortage ofskillsandcostwastheprimedriverforoutsourcingto Indiathen;thecountrythatgavebirthtocivilizationitself wasnowbecomingknownastheworld’sbackoffice.The companiesintheWestjumpedonthebandwagonand outsourcedworktoIndiancompaniesatlowercosts.The costfactorwasaprimedriverforoutsourcingtoIndian companies.
Theeraofinformationtechnologyoutsourcingintheyear 1994to1998wasacrucialturningpoint.Beforethis period,justahandfulofclientsoutsourcedtheirprojects. TheadvancementsandsuccessstoriesthatputIndiaonthe globalmapwererelatedtothisperiod.Severalcompanies benefittedfromtheJapaneseeconomicslumpandslowly becamereliableITserviceprovidersthroughhardworkand dedication.Manyold-timeITcompaniesfacedalotofflak fromthedomesticestablishmentfortakingawayjobsfrom thecountryintheearly90sbutsoonemergedasan unstoppableforceafter1995.Thecreationofareasonably goodsupportecosystemwithadherencetoindustry standardsmadeIndiancompaniesprimetargetsforclients acrosstheworld,especiallyformid-to-largelevel outsourcedprojects.
TheOutsourcingIndustryinIndiahasbeenrapidlygrowing sincetheyear1999to2001.Theindustryhasbeen undergoingseveralchangessinceitsinception.Asmoreand morecompaniesstartedshiftingtheirfocusonoffshoring andbusinessprocessoutsourcing,thedemandforquality manpowerstartedrisingatarapidpace.Theyear2001saw alargenumberofcompaniesshowinginterestinthissector. Thus,theworld’slargestoutsourcingindustry–India, suddenlyfounditselfatthecenterofglobalattentioninthe year2001,withallthemajorplayersintheindustrystriving hardtomakeitbiginthislucrativemarketbyacquiring newclientsandwinningalargershareoftheiroperationsto outsource.
From2001tothepresent,theindustryofoutsourcinghas changedgreatly Whenitcameintoexistence,thelandof opportunities,Indiawasthemainandsoledestinationfor companieslookingtooutsourcetheirtasks.Inthis competitiveandglobalizedmarket,companieshaveto comeupwithnewideasandstrategiestosurvive.The
outsourcingindustrycaterstobothlarge-scaleapplications aswellasminorprojectstoseveralleadingsoftware developmentcompaniesoperatingallovertheglobe.
Outsourcinghashelpedcarryouthigh-endITtasksfora longtimenow Theindustryhasundergonemanychanges andhasbecomeoneofthemostqualitativeandadvanced industries.Indiancompanieshavehelpedcorporations acrosstheglobeinonewayoranother,fromofferingthe bestITstrategiestoeffectivemanagementoflarge-scale applications.Atpresent,companiesarenowfocusingon researchanddevelopmentactivities,architecture,and businessintegration,whichotherwisewereconsidered complexwork.
Theyareleveragingtheirexperienceindeliveringtheirown ITservicestomakeamarkforthemselves.Theoutsourcing industryinIndiaisnowatargetoflargecorporationsand medium-sizedcompaniesacrosstheworld,particularly fromtheoil,financial,andtechnologysectors.
ITandsoftwareservicesarethefastestgrowingsectorsin India,butoutsourcing,ingeneral,ismovingbeyondthe servicessectorthesedays.Thoughbusinesseswantto outsourcetoIndiaforitslow-cost,high-skilltalentpool, BPO(BusinessProcessOutsourcing)hasbeenamore popularsegmentduetotheleadplayersinthatmarket.In fact,BPOhasbeengrowingatarapidpaceandhas achievedadouble-digitgrowthrate.
- Bhushan Bhad
