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

Welcome to Inside Outsourcing: The Outsourcing Week in Review

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

An important indicator last week that technology is now firmly at the heart of the outsourcing industry was new research by the Everest Group that revealed that chief digital officers are fast becoming the outsourcing decision-makers on the client side. It is no longer just chief information officers, chief operations officers and chief finance officers. The importance of technology’s role was also manifest in other developments. The Philippines and Jordan signed US$60 million worth of deals on the back of President Duterte’s recent state visit, much of it in the ICT sector. Indian giant and global IT services player, HCL Technologies, announced confidently its ambition to take on its larger rival Infosys over the next few years in double-digit sales growth. The latter company has been in the doldrums of late, as its new leadership tries to reassure investors that it now has the team to lead it onwards and upwards. Teleperformance also announced its major rebranding as “TP”. Its chairman and CEO Daniel Julien said the new brand reflects the company’s status as a resolutely modern, global and digital group.

 IBPAP also helped in the drive to bring local technological innovation into the industry by introducing ten local tech start-ups to the established big beasts of the industry in its TakeOff program. The Asia Society named Paul V. Rivera, co-founder and former president of technology-focused BPO firm Open Access – and now at tech start-up Kalibrr – as one of three Filipinos in this year’s Asia 21 Young Leaders Class of 2018.

Hand in hand in making technology innovation succeed goes imparting the skill sets required for it in the workforce.  The need to retrain BPO workers today to service tomorrow’s tech skills was again underlined in a recent statement by Lito Tayag, managing director of Accenture Philippines. Initiatives like that announced last week in which iQor will be working with the Clark authorities to train up BPO workers in necessary BPO skills are to be welcomed. There are causes of concern in the labor market. Employment data from the Philippine Statistics Authority for July showed that although unemployment in the country dropped from a year ago, the quality of the jobs available was eroding, and the proportion of those that were underemployed had risen.

Concerns over the government’s new tax law continued to surface. Cebu business leaders expressed their worries over the news that AmCham members are halting expansion plans: also underlined by a PwC survey that found that CEOs of US BPO firms are indeed worried over the new tax law. Still, one American major, JPMorgan Chase, seemed undaunted. It started the move into its new, bespoke 25 storey building.

The Philippines SSS named Sprobe and Qualfon as the most compliant employers In respect of the social services it administers. In stark contrast, the US Department of Justice said it had filed charges against a number of India-based call centers involved in a multi-million dollar fraud. Although no Philippines involvement was cited, it does serve as a reminder that staying ahead in the global industry will require constant vigilance – not just in technology, but also in the industry’s ethics.

News Roundup

10 September 2018

10 startups pitch their business ideas to BPOs – IBPAP – read more…

Philippines and Jordan sign ICT deals – read more…

US uncovers ‘massive’ call center scam – read more…

07 September 2018

Cebu business leaders worried over AmCham members halt on expansion – read more…

HCL Technologies plans to overtake Infosys in terms of revenue – read more…

iQor partners with Clark for BPO training – read more…

06 September 2018

Unemployment eases, but underemployment increases – read more…

Kalibrr’s Paul Rivera named among Asia’s top 21 young leaders – read more…

Teleperformance rebrands to “TP” – read more…

05 September 2018

Businesses urged to upskill workers to prepare for AI – Accenture – read more…

JPMorgan Chase’s BPO to occupy new 25-storey building – read more…

Chief digital officers emerge as outsourcing spending decision-makers  – read more…

04 September 2018

CEOs of US BPO firms worried over new tax law – PwC Survey – read more…

SSS names Sprobe and Qualfon as most compliant employers – read more…

Infosys assures investors of strengthened leadership team – read more…