What is there to still look forward to in the world of outsourcing? Apparently, a lot and it all boils down to one word: Innovation.
Businesses these days cannot afford to remain stagnant and must instead continuously look for new ways to do things better in order to provide improved products and services as well as improved customer and supplier relationships. This doesn’t escape the relationship between outsourcing buyers and providers.
According to the Aecus Innovation Reality Report 2015, a survey among 100 senior outsourcing buyers in the UK, buyers are “already actively implementing processes and tools in order to innovate through their outsourcing partnerships.” The study reveals that 83% of buyers have already experienced innovation in their outsourcing relationships and that 92% report that their outsourcing partners want to drive further innovation. This just goes to show that outsourcing buyers understand how innovation can impact their business.
The report further outlines three ways in which innovation is seen to make a huge impact.
Analytics
Organizations nowadays already know how important data collection and analysis are and this is highly evident in operations of BPO companies as well. According to the report, 46% have already implemented analytics in their outsourced operations, 35% will implement it in the next 12 months and 19% will implement it in the next three years or beyond.
More and more businesses are putting more focus on analytics knowing that data is a powerful tool that can be used to improve business outcomes by learning from the past and predicting the future.
Robotics
The issue of robotics is a cause of concern in the outsourcing industry mainly because many worry that it will lead to laying off personnel. However, BPO companies like Accenture have already begun to embrace this technology saying that “not all processes fit into the automated fusion mode” and that moving toward a more automated administrative services enable them to deliver “extended flexibility within a dynamic client / customer community.”
The Aecus report actually states that “although only 32% of respondents have already implemented robotics, it is the trend most likely to be adopted over the next three years and beyond. It also has significant potential to change the outsourcing and the broader business world works.” Robotics is increasingly becoming more popular because they are quick to implement, mimic human processing and minimize the need for expensive systems integration.
Multi-Channels
Accenture also revealed that technologies such as social media “will increasingly trigger an external, end-customer oriented operations” and will “open the doors for next generations operations.” Multi-channels enable a business to connect with its customers and stakeholders easily and more quickly in a variety of ways, which increases customer satisfaction.
Clearly, most businesses share the same sentiments. The Aecus report reveals that 48% have already implemented multi-channel engagement in their outsourced operations, 33%will implement it in the next 12 months and 19% will implement it in the next three years or beyond.
Innovation is becoming more important especially as more businesses begin to see its tangible benefits. For instance, the 2015 Nice Insight Biopharmaceutical Outsourcing Survey revealed that innovation has moved up the ranks as one of the top six key outsourcing drivers. Further, the Aecus report also states that “54% say they have achieved customer satisfaction in their wider business through their outsourcing agreements” and that “45% suggests innovation has an impact on their revenue growth.”
Experts believe that there are still challenges to overcome though but that maximizing innovation in outsourcing is still the way to go if businesses want to achieve the best results.
Resource :http://www.blog.infinit-o.com/3-ways-boost-business-performance-outsourcing-innovations/