Outsourcing Current Topics

Shared Service Organizations (SSO) have undergone a sea change since they became prevalent a couple of decades ago. The evolution is as much a reflection of changing market needs as it is of the increased maturity and technological capability of SSOs. The modern-day SSO is a globally integrated service delivery center with regional hubs and centers of excellence. Today, mature SSOs offer services that involve data analytics and social media.

If cost savings, quality and productivity were the key aspects of an outsourcing relationship in early 2000, specialization, process re-engineering and technology-enabled platforms have taken that place in 2012. Today’s multifaceted service offerings include data analytics, real-time processing, consulting, business transformation and optimization. It is this ‘New Normal’, which is giving enough room for the industry to evolve over the coming decades.

“Customization is taking center stage in an industry that owes its foundation to commoditization.”

At Shared Services & Outsourcing Week Europe 2012, held in Amsterdam, WNS led a session on the “vertical” approach to BPO service delivery . Specifically, the discussion focused on how “service verticalization,” from a BPO perspective, is supporting customers’ needs for increasingly tailored services.

On the stage with WNS were representatives from Finnair, Sony Music Entertainment, and Sony Electronics.

The IT industry has surely come a long way, from mainframes to client servers and Web-based applications. But the “CLOUD” has been a part of the IT landscape for quite a while now, and most organizations have already been experiencing its benefits. Cloud Computing is NOT the future of computing, as the hype surrounding it says. It HAS been the past and IS the present of computing. Read on to find out what this Cloud has in store.

There are various theories and approaches to building leadership ─ build from within; buy from outside and get a mix of build and buy. The outsourcing industry follows the build model primarily, as it has various profiles and roles to offer along with team responsibilities, in the process of honing leadership. And this ability of the industry sets it apart from the rest clearly.

Nowhere to hide. Today's global economic crisis is creating untold challenges for businesses in all industries, in all corners of the world. Business leaders of large and small companies alike are struggling to weather the storm that is affecting the survival of many once solid companies. With no safe harbor in sight, it is time to sort out how to stay afloat.

While multi-tower outsourcing engagements – in which a range of functions such as F&A, HR, IT and contact center are bundled into one contract awarded to a single provider – may seem an effective way to quickly reduce costs due to economies of scale and presumed truncated solutioning phases, the reality is often quite the opposite. Think back to post-September 11 when cost reduction, just like today, was an outsourcing buyer's primary driver. Then consider the multi-tower deals struck during this timeframe – large utility and insurance company buyers top the list – all of which resulted in missed expectations.

Besides multilingual services capabilities, Bucharesters inherit strong mathematical and analytical skills. This is what makes the city an adorable outsourcing location,not only to the companies that operate in the same time zone, but also to the ones several miles away.