The Outsourcing Week in Review: Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Welcome to Inside Outsourcing: The Outsourcing Week in Review

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

The pledge by the Mislatel Consortium, the Philippines’ recently appointed third telecom provider, that it will offer internet speeds of 27 Mbps in Metro Manila within its first year of operations, will be welcome news to the BPO sector. Having fast, reliable connectivity underpins much of the IT transformations now reshaping the industry, and completing such transformations in time to stay ahead of the competition is vitally important. A report from global outsourcing firm Canon Business Process Services shows that robotic process automation will offer substantial benefits to businesses and will grow fast. In a broader context, 375 million workers will have new occupations by 2030 as a result of digital innovation, according to the Apec Business Advisory Council. The BPO industry needs to change, and change quickly.

Embracing new technologies and broadening HR practices to find and train the staff to use them, has become the sector’s ‘new normal’. On the technology front, IBM has launched a new AI tool to power workforce transformation. Accenture is now including Tagalog as one if its 15 coding languages in its training modules. Increasing inclusivity in the workforce is also vital. To this end, the Department of Labor and Employment is taking strides in promoting the employment of persons with disabilities (PWDs). Many BPOs attended its recent recruitment fair in Quezon City targeting the sector, and it has introduced incentives for firms that boost the number of PWDs that they employ.

Meanwhile, industry news reveals that those in the BPO sector are continuing to innovate, adapt and thrive. Global IT and outsourcing firm Wipro was recognized as a ‘Leader’ in digital process automation by Forrester Research; SWU PHINMA won an award at the Mobile App Venture Challenge event in Cebu that aims to encourage local innovation. Accenture announced that it had won a major digital deal for Telefónica. Due to strong demand, KMC MAG Solutions will increase its workspace capacity next year by 50%.

In one of the latest Indian industry restructuring deals, AION Capital Partners is acquiring InterGlobe Technologies for US$230 million. Nature Technologies, a US-based leader in global software development, customer experience management and business process outsourcing that operates in the Philippines, is also to add a new office in India. These events serve as reminders that the Philippines is not the only country in the BPO game. Colliers International Philippines said that delays in PEZA approvals are hampering BPO expansion. Getting this fixed will be important: for the local industry to succeed it needs to compete at every level. In the US last week, workers from communications giant AT&T held protests against their employer’s policy of closing service centers in the United States, and moving internet technology jobs to low-wage countries in Asia such as the Philippines. It is an important reminder that there also losers – as well as winners – in the increasingly competitive world of BPO.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

NEWS THIS WEEK

10 December 2018

Firms offering jobs for PWDs to get incentives – read more…

Filipino among Accenture’s 15 coding tutorial languages – read more…

Delay in PEZA approvals to hamper BPO expansion – read more…

7 December 2018

AION Cap to buy BPO firm InterGlobe for US$230m – read more…

Metro Manila to benefit from Mislatel’s first year of operations – read more…

US BPO firm Nature Technologies expands – read more…

6 December 2018

Canon says robotics process automation offers benefits – read more…

AT&T workers air grievances over tech job outsourcing – read more…

SWU PHINMA wins Cebu IT-BPM sponsored event – read more…

5 December 2018

KMC plans 50% increase in its flexible office space – read more…

Present jobs may become extinct by 2030 due to automation – Apec – read more…

Wipro bags digital process automation recognition – read more…

4 December 2018

IBM launches new AI tool to power workforce transformation – read more…

Accenture wins major Telefónica deal – read more…

BPO firms to join the DOLE Quezon City PWD job fair – read more…