The Rise of Global Business Process Outsourcing Companies 2022(Volume 3)

Tim Boylan

Theglobalpandemiccausedhavocaroundthe

corporateworldduringitsinitialdays.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.

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.

HappyReading!

- Vishal Golekar

Ofce

Featuring Brief CompanyName

Akorbi akorbi.com

SarahHaner, VicePresident ofMarketing

Atomatic atomatic.co

TrevorLim, CEO

ContactCenterWorld.com contactcenterworld.com

DXCBPaaSandBPO dxc.com MillenniumTechnology Services mtscloud.com

OctopusTech theoctopustech.com

RajWadhwani, President ChristopherCognetta, Director AndyTan, CEO DhruvaKhanna, FounderandDirector

Akorbiisagroupofcompanies,basedinDallas-FortWorth, specializinginprovidingenterprisesolutionsthatempower companiestoachievesuccessintheglobaleconomy

Atomaticisanagencythat’sspecializedinbuilding,optimizing andstreamliningsystemsandprocessesforeCommerce businessestoscaletotheirhighestpotential.

ContactCenterWorldistheplacewhereprofessionalsallaround theworldcandiscoverthenextgenerationofcustomer experience.

DXCisanITservicescompanyusingthepoweroftechnology tobuildbetterfuturesforourcustomers,colleagues, environmentandcommunities.

MillenniumTechnologyServices(MTS)isaUSAbased internationalproviderofWorld-ClassBusinessSolutionsand ITservicestothetopMultiNationalsCorporations.

OctopusTechisaleadingproviderofwebdesignandcall centeroutsourcingservices,trustedforitscutting-edgeservices byalonglistofpartnersacrosstheglobe.

OfficePartners360 op360.com

Salelytics,LLC salelytics.com

StarCRMSingapore starcrm.com.sg

TimBoylan, FounderandCEO MattGargo, VicePresident ClientOperations

OfficePartners360isaspecializedoutsourcingcompany focusedonprovidingcustombackofficeandcustomerservice solutionsforsmalltomedium-sizedbusinessesandFortune 500companies.

Salelyticsisoneofthenation’sleadingprovidersofInside Sales,AccountManagementandInboundSupportservices.

SharadaQureshi, COO

SupportU supportusolutions.com

HuiWu-Curtis, Co-founderandCOO

StarCRMisaleadingproviderofCRM(Customer RelationshipManagement)softwareandservicesintheAsiaPacificregion.

SupportUspecializesincontactcenteroperations;customer service,technicalsupport,salesandback-officesupport.

Tim Boylan

Founder and CEO OfficePartners360

1990syouthculturewasstronglyshapedbythe increasinginfluenceofcapitalismandtheongoingconcern forenvironmentalprotection.Evertheinnovators, TimBoylanandhisfriend,DaveHighbloom,respondedby marryingthepracticalityofentrepreneurshipwiththeir passionforenvironmentalism.SellingtheirHuman-i-Teestshirtsoutofthetrunksoftheircars,theywerenotjust respondingtotheissuesoftheirtimebutwereplantingthe seedsoftheirvision.

TheVision

TimandDaveunderstoodthatasustainablefuturerequired shapingamoreefficientyetgivingworld.Theirfirststep wastousetheirHuman-i-Teesprofitstosupporttheyouth intheirlocalcommunityaswellasnationaleffortssuchas StudentEnvironmentalActionCoalition,Centerfor EnvironmentalEducation,andSaveAmerica’sForests. Aroundthistime,BenRobertswasanactive“bigbrother” tochildrenataspecialeducationschoolandthecountless hourshespentwiththechildrenfurtherfueledhispassion forcreatingmeaningfulimpactbyhelpingothers.

TheSpark

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

SimplicityisGolden

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.

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Outsourcing Made Personal

FacingthePandemicHeadOn

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.

EmployeeWellnessExtendsPastthePhysical

OP360hasalwaysprideditselfinhowitengrainsintoits leadershiptobemindfulofnotjusttheirteam’sphysical healthbutalsotobeawareofmentalwellness.Topromote work-lifebalance,eachsiteconductsroutinementalhealth campaignstoprioritizeemployeewelfareandholistic development.

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Forlastyear'sWorldMentalHealthDay,avirtualevent wasrolledoutforemployeesandexecutivestolearn effectivecopingmechanismsfromawellnessprofessional. Thisyear,OP360aimstofurtherthisconversationwiththe creationofemotionallysafespacesforremoteandonsite employees.

InclusivityEnablesAccesstotheBest

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.

360Degrees

Fromitsrootsinenvironmentalawarenesstothe3,000+ peoplefocusedBPO,TimBoylanhastakenhispassionforhis community360degreesandembeddeditintotheDNAofhis company.Fromprotectingitsemployees’holisticwell-being toinnovatingandcuratingcompetitiveadvantageforour clients,OP360hasremainedtruetoitshumblebeginnings. WhileTim,Dave,andBenhavecomealongwayfrom sellingt-shirtsandvolunteering,theycontinuetodorightby theiremployees,ourclients,andcommunities.

Driving Revenue with Advanced Technology and Continuous Innovation

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.

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

Gargo Vice President Client Operations

After leaving graduate school, Matt Gargo 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 Leader

Matt

tospeedthediagnosticfunctionofcoachinganddeveloping 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.

Dynamic Ways in which is the Recasting BPOMarket

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.

WhatisMachineLearningandArtificialIntelligence?

MachineLearning(ML)andArtificialIntelligence(AI)are twoofthehottesttopicsintechnologyrightnow.However, AIandMLareoftenusedinterchangeablyorconfusedwith oneanother TherealityisthatAIandMLhavedistinct definitions,andwemustunderstandthemforboththeiruse casesandcapabilities.

MachinelearningisasubsetofAIthatdefinesasystemthat automaticallylearnsandimprovesfromexperiencewithout requiringexplicitprogramming.Machinelearninguses softwaretocrawlthroughdata,removeunnecessary information,anddevelopsolutions.Itisoftenusedfor predictiveanalysisanddecision-making.

ArtificialIntelligenceandBusinessProcessOutsourcing

Whilethegeneralpublicmaythinkofartificialintelligence asafancymeanstodevelopthelatesttechnology,many companieshavestartedincludingartificialintelligencein theirbusinessoperations.However,manyBPOcompanies haveyettomakeproperuseofit.Whilemanyofthemhave beguntoincorporatemachinelearningintotheirservices andapplytheseAIskillstowardcustomer-facingbusiness processes,manyorganizationsareexaminingtheperksof artificialintelligencewithintheirBPOprojects.

GreatCustomerExperience

Fromtheinitialstagesofcustomerinteractiontothefinal output,customerexperiencehasalwaysbeenatthe forefront.Whilethetraditionalcustomerservicesolutions werereasonable,theyencounteredcertaininadequaciesto meetallthechangingcustomerdemands.Andenteringinto thenewerstage,wheremachineswillbeworkingintandem withhumansandpowerfulAItoolscontrolallthis.Itisstill inthedevelopingstage,andalotmoreresearch,innovation, andintegrationarerequiredtomakethisindustrymore useful.

DocumentationMethod

Paperworkhasplaguedbusinessesforcenturies.Itistrulya commonenemy.Storiesaretoldtoscareyoungemployees andinternsaboutthetremendousamountofinvestmentthat acompanyputsintheiremployeesonlytounnecessarily spenditonhandlingpaperfilesthatcouldbereplacedby software.Inmanycountries,thegovernmentsetsupforms andproceduresforregulatorydocumentsandhandling papercorrespondence.Bydigitizingyourmail,youcan dealwithalltheseelementsthroughtheuseofsoftware speciallydesignedforthispurpose.

SafetyandSecurity

Customersarethecruxofyourbusiness,andsatisfactionis amajorcomponentofkeepingcustomers.Securityis anotherareawithnoexceptions,anditcanbeatricky subjectorsomethingthatcanbebrushedasidetooquickly

AIwillhelpcompaniesinthefuture,evenifjustinthe formofbettersecurity,hopefullyavoidingsomecommon pitfalls.Businessesofallsizesareresponsibleforproviding theircustomerswithasafeandsecureexperience.With machinelearning,youcanuseyourresourcestoprotect yourcustomersfrombothcybercrimeandidentitytheft.

AI-basedInteractiveVoiceResponse

Thereisalotofbuzzaroundthedevelopmentofvirtual assistantsandAI-basedsystemswithmorenaturallanguage processing.Thereasonforthisinterestisthatcustomersare increasinglymovingtovoicesearchratherthantypinginto thesearchengine.IfyouareinterestedinAI,deeplearning, andneuralnetworks,Chabotisexactlywhatyouneed!It alsocreatesagroundforbuildingyourownenterprise-class AI-basedvirtualassistantrightonyourwebsite.

InConclusion

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

Support U

An Impact Sourcing BPO, Building Transformaonal Change

BusinessProcessOutsourcing(BPO)isanimportant

industryacrosstheworld.TheBPOindustryassists indeliveringreliable,significant,andconstant supporttocrucialbusinessprocesses.Ithaswidelyadapted totheneedsofvariousindustriestosupportthemin streamliningtheiroperations.Industriessuchasbanking, manufacturing,healthcare,financialservices,insurance,IT, etc.,takeactivehelpfromtheBPOindustrytoimprove productivityaswellascutcosts.

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.

TheBeginning

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:

We have created a track record of establishing business relaonships that emulate ourits values of transparency, accountability, genuineness, and determinaon.

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.”

FundamentalsofSupportU

Thecompanypurposefullyfocusesonproviding employmentopportunitiesforpeopleoftheunderserved communities(single-parents,LGBTQ,theformerly incarcerated,minorities,women,militaryspouses,and

The Rise of Global Business Process Outsourcing

Hui Wu-Curs 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

TheInitiator–HuiWu-Curtis,COO/Co-founder

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.

ModernTechnologiesintheBPOIndustry

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.

Fighting

thePandemic

“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.

WordsofGuidance

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.

Objectivesfor2022andBeyond

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.

Wealth

The ‘taboo’ topic within American culture

- Jason Reeves MA, CEPF, Founder and CEO of Segue Wealth Management

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.

The Rise ofthe OUTSOURCING Industry

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.

The1970stoearly1990s India’soutsourcinghasshownexponentialgrowthovera periodoftime.Theideaandconceptofoutsourcingcame

The BPO Story

intoexistencefromthe1970stotheearly1990s.Ashortage ofskillsandcostwastheprimedriverforoutsourcingto Indiathen;thecountrythatgavebirthtocivilizationitself wasnowbecomingknownastheworld’sbackoffice.The companiesintheWestjumpedonthebandwagonand outsourcedworktoIndiancompaniesatlowercosts.The costfactorwasaprimedriverforoutsourcingtoIndian companies.

1994to1998

Theeraofinformationtechnologyoutsourcingintheyear 1994to1998wasacrucialturningpoint.Beforethis period,justahandfulofclientsoutsourcedtheirprojects. TheadvancementsandsuccessstoriesthatputIndiaonthe globalmapwererelatedtothisperiod.Severalcompanies benefittedfromtheJapaneseeconomicslumpandslowly becamereliableITserviceprovidersthroughhardworkand dedication.Manyold-timeITcompaniesfacedalotofflak fromthedomesticestablishmentfortakingawayjobsfrom thecountryintheearly90sbutsoonemergedasan unstoppableforceafter1995.Thecreationofareasonably goodsupportecosystemwithadherencetoindustry standardsmadeIndiancompaniesprimetargetsforclients acrosstheworld,especiallyformid-to-largelevel outsourcedprojects.

1999to2001

TheOutsourcingIndustryinIndiahasbeenrapidlygrowing sincetheyear1999to2001.Theindustryhasbeen undergoingseveralchangessinceitsinception.Asmoreand morecompaniesstartedshiftingtheirfocusonoffshoring andbusinessprocessoutsourcing,thedemandforquality manpowerstartedrisingatarapidpace.Theyear2001saw alargenumberofcompaniesshowinginterestinthissector. Thus,theworld’slargestoutsourcingindustry–India, suddenlyfounditselfatthecenterofglobalattentioninthe year2001,withallthemajorplayersintheindustrystriving hardtomakeitbiginthislucrativemarketbyacquiring newclientsandwinningalargershareoftheiroperationsto outsource.

2001topresent

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