Industry news

Webhelp - Europe’s third largest customer experience and BPO company - has chosen 50 start-ups involved in digital transformation the opportunity to showcase their ideas to some of the world’s leading companies and venture capitalists at the inaugural Viva Technology summit in Paris later this month.

Webhelp was one of a number of global brands, such as Orange and BNP Paribas, to agree to host co-working and demonstration laboratories with young businesses identified as the ones to watch in digital transformation. Webhelp is hosting the Customer Experience Lab and set six challenges which innovative start-ups were invited to submit their solutions to.

Olivier Duha, Webhelp co-founder and president, said: “At Webhelp we are constantly seeking the best people and the most innovative ideas to ensure we can continue to offer our clients the solutions to the customer experience challenges of tomorrow. We are delighted to host the Customer Experience Lab at VivaTech and I can’t wait to experience the atmosphere of collaboration and innovation that I’m sure will be the result of us bringing together these exciting new start-ups with some of the world’s leading companies.”

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Related: Polish Tech Day to gather hottest startups from Poland and Britain

Today’s business environment is becoming increasingly complex. Performance is now heavily dependent on technology, and that technology being the best there is and working properly. Customers want ‘anytime, anywhere’ access to their IT resources.

For service providers, the challenge of meeting modern businesses’ needs is no small feat. Not only is the world getting faster and more competitive, but the way in which their customers are managing and deploying their IT infrastructure is changing from a “plan-build-run” model to a “plan-procure-manage” model. Coupled with this, SLAs are becoming a thing of the past as business outcome-based models take the fore.

In order to keep up with these changes, service providers must transform themselves offering the latest and most competitive technologies and methods of delivery to their customers. But what are these?

Automation and Self Service

Automation enables the implementation of repeatable processes in business operations increasing efficiencies, minimising costs, and mitigating risks. Automation allows IT staff to move away from mundane, repetitive tasks and focus on innovation. Self-service enabled by automation will speed up internal business processes and boost productivity. Automation can also help in conducting proactive checks on the IT infrastructure to prevent incidents from ever taking place thus ensuring customer satisfaction.

Delivery Centre Transformation using Emerging Technologies

The adoption of new and emerging technologies such as Software Defined Infrastructure, DevOps, Hybrid Cloud, IOT and so on has changed the way IT services are being delivered. Data centres are being reimagined as a scalable suite of services that sit on top of the IT infrastructure and are delivered to businesses in the most flexible manner possible. Open Source hardware and software has also become an attractive proposition for enterprises and has now become a standard requirement for service providers.

Specialised Teams for New Delivery Frameworks

Service providers will need to have future-driven service delivery frameworks that are resilient, flexible, cost efficient, and aligned to business objectives. The frameworks will need to encompass technology landscape management, skills management, and incident management.

Implementing these frameworks within service provider organisations will require specialised teams tasked to drive these initiatives. These teams will carry out proactive assessments across various technologies and cross functional areas, identify key improvement areas, and provide recommendations to mitigate risks.

Cross Skilling

System Integrators will need to train their engineers in these emerging technologies so that they can deliver new infrastructure technologies and models to their customers. Being proficient in only one technology silo is no longer an option. A comprehensive framework that empowers delivery staff to enhance their skills will be required to implement the cross skilling programme and build a highly competent delivery team so that customers’ needs are met.

Analytics

A strong analytics setup enables organisations to respond rapidly to sudden changes in market conditions. It also helps them use insights to set future strategy, build competitive advantage, and improve customer experience. However, organisations find it a daunting task to manage the data and derive actionable insights from it. This is where their IT Partner can help. With the knowledge of the organisation’s current setup, a service provider can recommend and implement the right solution that delivers maximum value.

Adapting to the As-a-Service landscape

We are in the age of “As-a-Service” in IT Delivery. Customers want to consume IT on-demand to make their business more agile and dynamic. Service Providers will have to collaborate with their customers extensively so that IT services delivery becomes an end to end process of value enhancement. Design thinking will have to be used to build solutions that are the right fit for the customer’s requirement.

When Intelenet made the news in 2015, it was mainly due to the six-month bidding war that ultimately saw Serco sell the business to Blackstone Group LP for £250 million, four years after buying the unit from the same company back in 2011.

Now in 2016, Intelenet Global Services is making headlines for all the right reasons: winning awards, pioneering new tech and increasingly being recognised as a leader in the global outsourcing market. Not long after being chosen as Supplier of the Year by Barclays, picked from a supply base of thousands, Intelenet’s relationship with Barclays FAC won “Best Far-shore Team” at the NOA’s Professional Awards 2016, recognising a decade-long partnership defined by the mutual trust, respect, discipline and standards of excellence held by both service provider and client.

Following Intelenet’s victory at the NOA’s Professional Awards, Sourcingfocus spoke with Bhupender Singh, CEO of Intelenet Global Services, about their victory, where they’ll go from here and what the future of outsourcing holds.

Congratulations on your Professional Awards victory! What do you think particularly stood out to the judges?

Bhupender: I think it’s clear that we’re always putting our clients’ interests first, and that we ‘walk the walk’ unlike many other service providers. We’ve always been willing to cannibalise our revenues and use innovative pricing models to the benefit of our clients, including Barclays. Also, while we service many sectors – including travel, retail, healthcare, telecoms, utilities and more – banking and retail are certainly our strongest sectors, making up around 45 per cent of our business.

Where will Intelenet go from here?

Bhupender: We’ll hopefully carry on winning awards! Intelenet is also in the process of moving beyond BPO, with a strong focus on technology, knowledge and intelligence to enhance our service offerings. We’re investing in plenty of new partnerships and tools – with over 120 tools and applications in our repertoire currently being put to use – with the emphasis on constant investment in automation and augmenting technology, along with the digital teams, divisions and companies involved in these areas. Our aim is to approach $1 billion in revenue with the use of these technologies, without this growth being reflected in our company headcount.

In 2016, it’s more clear than ever that the worlds of digital and outsourcing have collided. What should organisations do to come out on top?

Bhupender: Yes, collision is certainly taking place! Over the last two years the outsourcing industry has been very much driven by the desires of the end-consumer; individuals who are increasingly comfortable with digital personally, can handle it, and are expecting it more and more in business. Start-ups are really driving the change and playing a bigger role in the outsourcing space, which is prompting legacy and incumbent players to speed up change themselves.

As a sponsor of the NOA Symposium 2016, Intelenet will be exhibiting their latest technological solutions in the Symposium’s first ever Technology Hub. Five tools will be exhibited – Radius, Business Pulse, iFare, iSafe and iOp – which have been proven to boost capabilities in the areas of customer experience, data processing, airline back offices, airline GDS systems and contact centres respectively.

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Related: Winners announced for the NOA’s Professional Awards 2016

Recently the National Outsourcing Association held the NOA’s Professional Awards 2016 ceremony, revealing the eagerly-anticipated winners and celebrating excellence across the outsourcing industry.

Now in its fourth year, the NOA’s Professional Awards is dedicated to recognising the people, teams and organisations that consistently strive to achieve outsourcing brilliance. The Professional Awards shortlist includes a wide variety of industry representatives operating across a number of vertical sectors, but all of those featured have one thing in common - a drive to achieve outstanding success through their outsourcing. 2016’s ceremony was held at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, taking place outside of London for the very first time.

Kerry Hallard, CEO of the NOA, commented: “The NOA’s Professional Awards has always been about celebrating the fabulous talent of individual workers, collaborative teams and forward-thinking organisations operating in the outsourcing industry in the UK and beyond, and the considerable success they deliver collectively on a day-to-day basis.

“Following an unprecedented number of entries across 16 diverse categories, we were delighted to once again recognise and celebrate outsourcing’s finest representatives. It’s so important to raise the profile of those that excel in outsourcing and service delivery, and build upon the size and positive reputation of the industry by doing so.”

NOA’s Professional Awards 2016 winners

Rising Star of the Year

Tom Morris, Manager, Sourcing Advisory Practice, KPMG

Manager of the Year

Kristina Drysdale, Procurement Director for Global ERP and IT Services, GSK

Legal Advisor of the Year

Glenn Quadros, General Counsel, ETS, Unilever

Consultant of the Year

David Brain, Chief Operating Officer, Symphony Ventures

Automation Champion of the Year

Terry Walby, Founder, Thoughtonomy

Strategic Leader of the Year

John Callachan, Solutions Director, DDC OS

NOA Student of the Year

Stephen Hayers, Freelance Procurement and Outsourcing Interim/Consultant, SMJH Associates

Excellence in Procurement

Shop Direct

Excellence in IT Transformation

Elixirr & Barclays Africa

Excellence in Outsourced Customer Service

Capita – BBC Audience Services

Excellence in BPO (Public Sector)

de Poel & North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO)

Excellence in BPO (Private Sector)

Accenture Operations & Royal Sun Alliance BPO Team

Best Nearshore Team

Infosys Poland

Best Far-shore Team

Barclays FAC at Intelenet Global Services

Best Shared Services Team

Accenture: RBS Digital Operations Team

Skills Development Programme of the Year

EXL

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Related: Arise Virtual Solutions and npower demonstrate the value of home-working at the NOA Symposium 2016

Xerox has chosen former IGATE CEO Ashok Vemuri to oversee its business services company following the split of the technology giant.

Mr Vemuri is set to become CEO of Xerox Business Services at the beginning of July. The outsourcing business will employ more than 100,000 people and cover areas ranging from call centre services to mass-transit software.

In the meantime, Xerox’s search for a new head of its document management businesses continues.

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Related: Capgemini considers using IGATE’s account management strategy for all its clients

The Ministry of Defence has been stripped of work providing security for The Royal Mint, with the private contractor G4S due to take over in July, the FT has reported.

One month following The Royal Mint’s decision to open a coin-making facility in Wales, a spokesperson for the body announced that “new private security team of trained guards” would be taking over its security on 4 July 2016.

The contract will last for five years, with the potential of a two-year extension.

“As a global manufacturer of circulating and commemorative coins, a world-class bullion supplier and the location of the newly opened Royal Mint Experience visitor attraction, the Royal Mint takes the security of its site extremely seriously, and as such our security arrangements are under constant review,” the Royal Mint said.

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Related: G4S to enter high street banking market

The president of the Business Process Association of Jamaica, Dr Guna Muppuri, has announced that Jamaica can become one of the top 10 global destinations for BPO within the next five years.

According to The Gleaner in Jamaica, Muppuri is warning that this will only be achieved if the proper support mechanism is put in place for Jamaica's investment and export promotion agency (JAMPRO) to effectively contribute to the process.

"I am here to play 20/20 match, I am not here to play a Test match," Muppuri told The Sunday Gleaner. "I want to hit a six with every ball and make my team win, to continue our journey to get to the top ... that's my game plan."

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Related: Polish Tech Day to gather hottest startups from Poland and Britain

At the NOA Symposium 2016 this month, the Co-operative Bank and Zurich Insurance will showcase how they’ve put robotic process automation into practice, and how this implementation has benefitted them in terms of accuracy, efficiency and cost reduction.

Jane Conroy, COBRA build manager at Co-op Bank, and Richard Mills, head of UK outsourcing & supplier management at Zurich, will both put forward their case studies and describe the benefits, issues and long term goals associated with their use of RPA.

The NOA Symposium takes place on Wednesday 22nd June in London. Speakers also include Vested Outsourcing author Kate Vitasek, and consultant and Power of Soft author Hilary Gallo. 2016’s Symposium focuses on the recent collision of the digital outsourcing worlds, and the technologies, skills and standards required in order to stay on top.

Tickets are still available for purchase, while buyers of outsourcing and public sector employees attend for free!

Find out more / Register now

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Related: Vested Outsourcing author Kate Vitasek confirmed as keynote speaker at the NOA Symposium

At the NOA Symposium 2016 this month, npower will lead a breakout session covering the new outsourcing capability they’ve put to use in the last 18 months – the challenges they faced managing domestic call demand at peak, and how they’ve used outsourcing to access the additional resources required, while actually enhancing the quality and competency of the service provided.

Arise Virtual Solutions will join npower to explain how their innovative UK home-working pilot has provided vital support for npower’s Customer Enquiries function, bringing flexibility, customer satisfaction and cost-effectiveness. npower will join Arise to highlight key points in the evaluation and partnering process, along with the lessons learned over the past year and a half of partnership.

The NOA Symposium takes place on Wednesday 22nd June in London. Speakers also include Vested Outsourcing author Kate Vitasek, and consultant and Power of Soft author Hilary Gallo. 2016’s Symposium focuses on the recent collision of the digital outsourcing worlds, and the technologies, skills and standards required in order to stay on top.

Tickets are still available for purchase, while buyers of outsourcing and public sector employees attend for free!

Find out more / Register now

For weekly news updates, subscribe to our email newsletter

Related: Vested Outsourcing author Kate Vitasek confirmed as keynote speaker at the NOA Symposium

The management team behind Target Group, the financial services outsourcing and software provider, has welcomed the announcement of the acquisition of the business by global multi-national specialist in digital transformation, Tech Mahindra. The transaction is subject to FCA approval - completion will take place once this is confirmed.

Tech Mahindra will acquire 100 per cent of the share capital of Target Group at an Enterprise Value of £112m. Following four years of expansion under the ownership of Pollen Street Capital the transaction represents the start of a new and exciting phase for Target and its growing client base.

Paddy Byrne, chairman of Target Group, commented: “Target Group has been focused on building expertise in the lending, investments and insurance sectors, becoming a market leading player in each of our verticals. We have delivered significant growth over the last four years, with the support of our current owner, Pollen Street Capital. We now look forward to the next stage in our growth. By joining with the $4bn Tech Mahindra, it will allow us to serve our clients better through greatly expanding the solutions and services we provide.”

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Related: NASSCOM President joins the NOA Symposium 2016 line-up