Industry news

Lloyds Bank have made the decision to shrink hundreds of its branches in size, which in some cases will mean boarding up the old counter sections. The new "micro branches" will be staffed by just two people, who will help customers to use machines, including pay-in devices. As customers have increasingly turned towards online banking and renting premium high street space is not cheap, this looks like a good move and should free up capital for the bank. It has already announced plans to close 400 of its branches around the UK, with 9,000 job losses. The micro format, modelled on an existing branch in Paternoster Square in the City of London, will use as little as 1,000 square feet of space. To read more, click here.

Related news: Lloyds Restructure with IBM Move

Intelenet, which wants to reach $1 billion in revenue by 2020, is building automation products in the areas of healthcare and transport that will cut into its revenue in the short term, in order to help win new customers in the next few years. Automation is seen by many as the most promising area of business investment in the current climate, having a greater effect than location. Indian sourcing firms need to experiment with automation to secure their long term future as their strengths in ITO are fading. To read more, click here.

Related news: GSA Launches Independent Automation User Group

Wavestone, one of the largest independent management consultants have released the first in a series of four pieces of thought leadership providing insight into the sourcing market and industry. The sourcing of IT systems and services is a time consuming and complicated process which typically commences up to 18 months before the end of existing contract arrangements. While organisations are typically looking to reduce costs on new contracts there is a balance needed between cost reduction and technology transformation to deliver next generation infrastructure.

Ultimately the most successful IT contracts are those where the expectations are clear between customer and supplier and both parties have agreed a contract which addresses the customer needs and enables the supplier to deliver the services at a profit. Getting to that point requires these nine steps that are detailed in this insight to be executed well to deliver a successful end-to-end strategic IT sourcing. You can download the article here.

LISA, the world’s first impartial robot lawyer, allows users to create legally binding Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in less than 7 minutes at absolutely no cost. By asking questions about the users’ needs, LISA intelligently drafts the document while helping them understand the legal and commercial principles on which it is based.

This means that individuals and businesses are able to use LISA to protect themselves without any prior legal knowledge. LISA is also the first law robot to provide unbiased and objective assistance to both parties, allowing users to avoid having to engage traditional human lawyers on either side.

Click here to learn more about LISA or join the GSA for their Digi-tech event this April.

Capgemini, a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing services, announced that it was named Star Performer of the Year both for Overall IT Services as well as Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) Services in Everest Group’s PEAK Matrix Service Provider of the Year awards. With more than 190,000 people, Capgemini is present in over 40 countries and celebrates its 50th Anniversary year in 2017. Mark Devonshire, Executive Vice President of Capgemini recently joined the GSA Council to further the sourcing industry. You can read more here.

,

Consero’s 2017 Procurement and Strategic Sourcing Report has found US procurement executives key concerns for the coming year. The procurement talent gap, technological frustrations and suppliers who are insufficiently focused on risk are among the challenges with 39% saying supplier management is the main focus area for the year while 37% cited talent development and retention. To read more from Supply Management, click here.

The GSA are offering workshops on key areas such as risk management and relationship management, click here to find out more.

HCL Technologies, the leading global IT services company, has been chosen as the strategic IT services provider to the Volvo Ocean Race. HCL will be responsible for developing and delivering IT solutions for the 2017–18 edition of the race around the world. The IT infrastructure being developed in collaboration with HCL will form the backbone of Volvo Ocean Race’s streaming and TV production for key events such as arrivals, departures and the In-Port Race series. To learn more, click here.

Australia’s most populous city Sydney was told yesterday that it was time to invest in Sri Lanka given the future upside supported by progressive policies in place or planned under a unity Government. This message was conveyed at the ‘Invest Sri Lanka’ forum organised by the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) in partnership with several stakeholders at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney. Over 150 Australian citizens, companies, other firms and representatives based in Sydney as well as Sri Lankans living in Australia attended the forum. Click here to find out more.

The GSA UK is today launching an industry wide Automation User Group to look at Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) beyond the hype to focus on how organisations can create an automation Centre of Excellence. The GSA will run a series of user groups across the UK, driven by major buyers, with a focus on how organisations can harness the incredible opportunities automation can offer through correct implementation.

The Automation User Group will be an opportunity to learn from those who have successfully implemented RPA and AI programs and hear the challenges and obstacles they faced when trying to make automation work for them. The GSA UK’s aim is for the independent meetings to help the Association’s members streamline the implementation process and steer participants away from the potential pitfalls of embracing the technology through the development of best practice guides and a repository of case studies.

The Automation User Group has been initiated by the Global Sourcing Association’s buy-side members, who want a forum to stop the hype and share the reality of automation in practice. Already, firms including Zurich, Direct Line, the NHS, Aviva and KPMG have registered membership for the group. This is an independent initiative and the GSA is inviting buyers, service providers and advisors in order to create a vibrant platform for guidance, support and two-way communication.

Kerry Hallard, CEO of the GSA UK said “So much hype surrounds automation that it is becoming difficult to tell fact from fiction. By offering an Automation User Group to our members we are going to cut through the embellishment and hyperbole to get the real story on RPA and AI implementation. We know that there are great benefits to be had from implementing automation but they are not as easy to achieve as the hype would make people believe.”

“Our Automation User Group will unify the industry in its understanding of automation in implementation and practice. By sharing insights through the GSA, organisations can get to grips with automation and really benefit from this disruption to business. The GSA has an independent role in these workshops, acting as a facilitator, bringing members together and creating unity on the issue. It’s encouraging to see our buy-side members taking the initiative to push for action on Automation and its role in modern organisations.”

The GSA UK has organised initial meetings of its User Group in Leeds on the 30th March, London on the 21st June and later in Manchester and Dublin as part of an ongoing programme of activity “Automation in Practice”, a key part of the GSA’s Transformational Roadmap. The topic of

automation will remain central to the GSA UK’s current programme with future events and thought provoking debates centred around the automation transformation.

Disruptive technology and innovative ideas don’t necessarily mean business success if the basics are not covered. Uber, the taxi booking app has shook up the taxi market but it is struggling to come to grip with the governance expected of a large firm. This week the president of Uber, Jeff Jones announced he was leaving the company after six months with the firm. This comes after Travis Kalanick, CEO and co-founder of Uber admitted he needed ‘leadership help’ following some high-profile PR slips. You can read more here.