Across a variety of articles and newspapers, the BPO industry continues to find itself on the front page as a competitive and expanding workforce. There are no doubts among writers and business titans with their quotes praising the BPO industry. After all, it has proven itself resilient and necessary during a global pandemic and throughout the digital transformation.
Let’s walk through the four different quotes about the BPO industry from the industry’s finest. Beginning, of course, with a quote that points out what allows the industry to stand the test of time.
The Industry in 2023 Remains Adaptable
The BPO industry has always taken pride in being an adapting force. Moreso now that adaptability has never seen more importance in recent years with challenges like the Global Pandemic. As seen through the previous years, moving into 2023 presents uncertain challenges that need the flexibility offered by BPO businesses. Quoted in People Matters, Partha DeSarkar, who is the Group CEO of HGS, says that “To better handle immediate challenges while positioning for the long term [in 2023], innovation and creative management will be essential.“
As the article moves forward, we will show how the industry stays on top of client needs through quotes from the BPO industry’s finest. The first way is through staying on top of digital transformation. Second, is the continued investment in their workforce. And lastly, is the passion to allow businesses to thrive.
The Philippine BPO Industry Aids in the E-Commerce Digital Transformation
Competitive labour costs, Filipino values, and supportive government policies made the Philippines a prime destination for e-commerce BPO. We can thank the local industry’s adaptation towards digital transformation for that. According to PITON-Global CEO Ralf Ellspermann, “[The Philippines BPO industry] is poised to play a pivotal role in driving this exciting new era of e-commerce.” The new era in question is the leveraging of not only AI but Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies in the realm of e-commerce.
The e-commerce industry has leveraged VR and AR technologies to enhance the customer experience. Ellsperman has cited retailers like Wayfair who create virtual showrooms for an accurate and interactive demonstration of products. This also helps customer service representatives provide accurate solutions to queries, and spark creativity in the IT industry who take on the creation of these innovations. Even marketing teams are excited about new possibilities as AR and VR materials come into play in the e-commerce industry.
AI Reinforces The Need to Upskill Talent in the BPO Industry
Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to be a tense topic in business. But, the President and CEO of HGS APAC – Pushkar Misra steer AI, specifically Generative AI, into a different perspective. According to Misra, generative AI “does not really make some tasks obsolete, but it reinforces the need for upskilling and reskilling of talents.”
According to the 2023 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, the largest concern for workforces worldwide is the need for digital and technological training to adapt to evolving work environments. This concern is echoed throughout the BPO industry with expansions set in the near future. In fact, the BPO roadmap aims to add 1.1 million full-time jobs (FTEs) by 2028. However, this growth could be undermined if the industry cannot source talent with the required skills. The industry has seen a rise in basic AI use to enhance existing functions such as Speech Recognition for customer service and Automated Analytics for fraud detection.
Misra assures that efforts to upskill workers are already underway across the industry. The Philippine government itself has begun several priority programs for people to undertake digital transformation. These programs will hopefully “provide a wide range of opportunities amongst Filipino workers to create a skill-set that is future-ready,” according to Joey Concepcion, lead of the Jobs group of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC).
Meanwhile, the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) has begun initiatives towards empowering Filipino talent. Through a partnership with StackTrek, the IBPAP will focus on embedding training for industry-relevant skills into curriculums and internships. Through their combined resources, experience, and expertise, their goal is to upskill the workforce to work alongside AI tools and drive innovation.
BPO Allows Businesses to Prioritise Their Tasks
The beauty of the BPO industry is that it thrives in providing support. This means that you will be met with a partner that only wants the best for you: to keep focus on the task at hand. According to Apogee CEO Aurelio Maruggi, “Employers can start to free up their workloads and allow them to prioritise other objectives,” which rings true as the BPO industry in 2023 continues to uplift small and large businesses in steering focus towards core functions.
In fact, Australian insurance companies partnered with outsourcing companies for this very reason. They have cited major issues like remaining competitive and meeting consumer demand as insurance claims soared in 2022. Outsourcing providers have eased the workload for these companies to continue their growth.
The BPO Industry: Your Ultimate Support
As the landscape of industries and business change, it’s good to gain support from something reliable. This is where the BPO industry steps in. Whether you’re a startup or a large business, outsourcing and offshoring are dependable options. You will be able to find folks who work well with your local team to support you toward a broader dream for your business, all the while letting you scale as you want. After all, the BPO industry is simply happy to help.
