“Fear and uncertainty gripped the city” . . . “Rumors have been swirling” . . . . A great opening line like these just isn’t coming to mind today for this blog. Nevertheless, the importance of the outsourcing news items I’m blogging about shouldn’t be underestimated. Making my pulse list today are outsourcing developments we should all keep on our radar screens.
But then . . . along came IBM. Amidst countless media articles and industry surveys and reports predicting the adoption of outsourced cloud services are many that point to the inherent security risks and complexities that may slow adoption. But… Read the rest
Three statistics caught my eye as important outsourcing news today: #1, 3/4, and 24.
#1 - Congratulations to Océ Business Services!
The Black Book of Outsourcing’s 2010 “State of the Industry” survey ranked Océ as the leading document process outsourcing provider among the Global Top 50 Outsourcing Providers. Océ Business Services received the highest scores of any DPO provider in the three criteria that 6,500 respondents considered to be the most important. These include awareness of requirements, closely followed by the ability to resolve problems as and when they arise, and the skills and resources that providers can bring to the work they… Read the rest
In tracking what’s been pulsating through the outsourcing world recently, two items rose to the top of my list of developments that buyers of outsourcing services should keep on their radar screens.
First is the launch of OPInvoice, Outsource Partners International’s new on-demand end-to-end solution for the Source-to-Pay cycle. This is important not only because of the solution’s capabilities to reduce costs and provide visibility into the process but also because it is OPI’s entry into the world of Platform BPO offerings.
It’s part of a significant trend in providing more predictable value in outsourced services. Look… Read the rest
As the economy recovers from the recession, talent acquisition is a significant focus of many companies. But the hiring process has changed thanks to technology enhancements, globalization, new regulatory mandates, and workforce demographics.
I spoke with Angela Hills, Executive Vice President of Pinstripe, a leading recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) service provider, about the considerations companies should keep in mind when they turn to a third party to manage through the recruitment process.
Q: What are the biggest needs companies currently face in their recruitment efforts?
Hills: We are seeing an increased focus on global solutions. As companies expand globally and… Read the rest
Over the past 20 years, the outsourcing request for proposal (RFP) process fueled the growth of outsourcing on a global basis. It served as a framework for buyers to evaluate service providers and their proposed solutions. Overall, it provided buyers with the details to reduce the risk related to large outsourcing transactions and led to identification of best practices, templates, and processes that leveled the playing field for unsophisticated buyers. For service providers, the RFP process initially provided a structured platform to present their solutions and differentiate their services.
All of these developments were extremely positive and would normally insure that the RFP process… Read the rest
“Most outsourcing service providers – no matter their size – believe they differentiate themselves from their competitors and clearly convey the message about what makes them special. But that’s not actually the case, based on feedback from buyers of outsourcing services. Marketing initiatives of most outsourcing service providers often end up just being a case of ‘me too.’”
Add to this phenomenon the fact that most start-up firms and smaller, niche service providers focus all their energies on their business proposition and don’t have a lot of money for marketing to build their brand and convey what makes them special,… Read the rest
Headline news recently has highlighted several areas of the world where outsourcing is taking a different turn.
Midsized companies are demonstrating a trend of accepting offshore services in outsourcing. Companies in the United States, Europe, and leading banks in Africa, are offshoring to India’s outsourcers.
Wipro is targeting domestic business in China, Korea, and South Africa.
Wipro also established its first data center in Europe, taking over a Citibank center in Germany.
DbyDx Software, an application development firm headquartered in India, is starting to expand its global footprint and announced it’s opening a delivery center in Sunnyvale, California.
The adoption of outsourcing legal functions is booming, especially for offshore service providers. An article in the Deccan Herald points out there are more than 140 legal outsourcing companies in India, some charging one-third less than American law firms’ hourly billable rate. And they’re recruiting North American and European lawyers with experience.
How long will this movement last and how far will it go? The Deccan Herald says it’s “here to stay.”
But a New York Times blogger points out a potential problem that has already impacted other business processes commonly outsourced to India.
An article in a leading Indian magazine, Business Today, highlights strategies of Genpact and a few other firms on the leading edge of tweaking their work cultures to align with the needs of GenNow, the new-generation workforce. The article also quotes HR provider, Mercer India, on the driving needs of the GenNow workers:
… the new workforce is driven by four needs: To acquire recognition and prestige, to bond, to comprehend and seek knowledge, and to defend themselves. This generation likes to seek novelty, push frontiers and they seek to be trusted.
I believe wise buyers of outsourcing services — those that seek to… Read the rest
On the heels of well-grounded success in Clinical Research Outsourcing (CRO), the ever-evolving pharmaceutical industry is exploring new ways to leverage outsourcing to address challenges of increasing cost pressures and shorter drug-development cycle times. Pharma companies are turning to Functional Service Providers (FSPs). FSPs provide services function by function but have the added advantage of providing full service through IT+BPO+IS. India’s service providers are on the leading edge of FSP services and are positioned for helping pharmaceutical companies transition to a single strategic partnership model for clinical trials. I spoke with VK Raman, Head of Domain BPO Services at TCS,… Read the rest
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