The Shared Services and Outsourcing Network (SSON), the largest and most established community of shared services and outsourcing professionals, today announced the results of its India community’s selection of the India 6 (I6). This group of industry leaders will feature at SSON’s upcoming Shared Services and Outsourcing Week India 2011 conference, which will be held 5-8 December, 2011 at the Leela Palace Kempinski, Bangalore, India.

The panel, moderated by recognised shared services and outsourcing leader Rakesh Sangani, Proservartner will feature the viewpoints of several of the industry’s top sell-side authorities:

– Arnab Chakraborty, Director — Global Analytics, Hewlett Packard

– Manish Dugar, Senior Vice President & Global Head, Wipro BPO

– Milind Godbole, President — Asia Pacific, Aditya Birla Minacs

– Sakuntala Rao, Director, IBM

– Sriram V, Vice President & Head of Global Business Services India, Hewlett Packard

– Swaminathan, CEO, Infosys BPO Ltd

Emma Beaumont, SSON’s Global Director of Events sums up the importance of this new focused I6 panel within the region: “SSON felt compelled to react to the overwhelming increase in enquiries seen from our Indian market members, regarding interest in BPO over the last twelve months. Launching a regionalised version of the Global Sourcing Think Tank (G6) to specifically tackle the local nuances of the BPO related activity in the Indian-speaking market was a very natural decision for us, and a clear indicator that some Indian organisations are now beginning to reassess their approach to traditional Shared Services modelling. We’re definitely seeing more Indian businesses considering outsourcing and hybrid activity a potential solution for delivering the next wave of value, whilst some captives remain strongly sceptical on the cultural fit between BPO with this market. We anticipate there will be some tough questions posed to those thought leaders voted into the spotlight to answer them.”

Sriram V, Vice President & Head of Global Business Services India for Hewlett Packard remarked,”6 industry leaders getting together on a platform to exchange their individual experiences, learning and thoughts, will bring the best for the industry out of such constructive dialogue. This will go a long way in formulating common understanding amongst industry leaders to drive next generation excellence in customer services.”

“Enterprises today are looking for Next Generation solutions and strategies that ensure sustainable business acceleration in uncertain times that have become the New Normal. A forum like the India 6 (I6) presents a great opportunity for industry thought leaders to put their collective experience & knowledge in creating a long term vision and strategy for catalysing industry growth,” says Milind Godbole, President — Asia Pacific, Aditya Birla Minacs.

“The first I6 panel for India is a very unique session that will throw light on pertinent issues at a global level as well as touch upon the domestic nuances that are relevant for an emerging market like India.” Comments Arnab Chakraborty, Director — Global Analytics, HP. “India’s importance in the world economy and the role it plays in the global talent landscape will make this session very interesting and relevant for the audience. I look forward to the exchange of ideas with my industry colleagues in the I6 panel that will bring in divergent perspectives to frame a common industry point of view around future trends, challenges and associated opportunities facing the shared services and outsourcing industry.”

Source:http://www.moneylife.in/prnews/shared-services-and-outsourcing-week-india-2011-announces-i6-visionaries/201111272010PR_NEWS_ASPR__EN_4aea47a533c50e210133e7b6af4702ea.html

Business process outsourcing firm Convergys, which has completed 10 years in India, is one of the few standalone outsourcing firms not to be acquired by a technology company . From the heady days of the BPO boom in 2001 to an uncertain economic climate today – not to speak of Occupy Wall Street protests — the firm has seen it all.

Convergys’ Christine Timmins Barry, senior vice-president, customer management and Marife Zamora, senior vice-president and MD for Asia-Pacific , Europe Middle East and Asia , gave a lowdown on the impact of slowdown on outsourcing decisions and the new trend of social network monitoring at BPOs . Excerpts from an interview with Harsimran Julka:

On the new trend of analysing Tweets and Facebook posts by Indian BPO agents….

It’s the latest growth line . It’s a unique product line over and above the conventional offerings we offer in the financial , retail , telecom and tech space . We have a technology platform with built-in decision tools . For example , a well-known blogger is posting something offbeat , the tools direct an agent to monitor and act . It offers an automated manual, of what to do in certain scenarios when there is a deluge of blogs , tweets or comments being posted on a certain issue about a client . It’s a unique selling proposition we are offering .

On the impact of Occupy Wall Street protests and high US unemployment on clients’ outsourcing decisions….

We are not shipping existing jobs to India. If there is an expansion , then jobs go offshore . Most of our clients in the US already have global operations . Also , the jobs debate largely takes place during the election cycle in the US. Frankly, we don’t know what exactly the Wall Street protestors want. But am sure they are not protesting against increased business to India or other geographies where clients exist. Clients now want to have a balanced footprint and not concentrated in the US only . Protests such as these are not impacting business decisions , till now .

On the last 10 years in India and competition with Philippine’s BPO industry….

The last 10 years in India have been outstanding. We have about 10 ,000 people in India across three centers – Delhi , Pune and Bangalore. We are hiring 1,000 more this year . At Convergys, we are always focused on not putting our eggs in one basket.

That’s the rationale behind setting up centres in the Philippines. But , India has a scale advantage and Indians are more experienced and proficient in tech-related issues – something that’s not there in other geographies.

On the change in clients’ buying behaviour in a recessionary market and the future of India’s BPO industry….

Earlier, clients’ buying decisions were based on cost. Now with wages increasing in India and salaries falling in the US, gap has reduced and the customer is less focused on cost . He is more focused on quality. And the quality delivered out of India centres is more often than not better than what we get from other centres. Surely, Philppines might better India in voice but the quality India offers in web support and highend analytics is unparalled. We don’t see India’s supremacy in BPO business fading away anytime soon .

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/enterprise-it/strategy/Convergys-Indias-BPO-biz-supremacy-not-fading-away/articleshow/10854114.cms