Outsourcing News

As the economy gets ready to recoup from the impact of recession, the Indian BPO sector is faced with new opportunities and challenges. While the western corporate arena is faced with mounting cost pressure and increasing competition, outsourcing appears as more convincing solution to reduce cost. Alternatively, the drop in business volumes and market dynamics faced by the outsourcers has impacted the business of the BPO vendors. As the outsourcing industry matures and showcases the returns on business, big corporate giants have entered into the BPO sector and various destinations like Manila, East Europe, South Africa have emerged as a lucrative outsourcing destination. This poses an increasing competition to the Indian BPO sector, which has for long been the preferred outsourcing destination. It is time for the BPO sector to look at more convincing reasons to its business providers than just cost reduction in order to capitalize on the market opportunities. It is time for the BPO vendors to adapt to the changing requirement of its business providers and forge bonds which eventually translate into long term business relationship

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BPO sector and strategic restructuring for business edge

Pittsburgh, PA, January 4, 2010 — ODScommerce, Inc. is pleased to announce an exciting new promotion to help customers kick off 2010 with a Fast Start Promotion that will impact their bottom-line immediately, improve margins and capture new deals.   ODScommerce is now delivering millions of dollars in savings with our SaaS supply chain and sourcing service solutions to companies across the globe.  Acknowledging that there can be significant reductions in procurement costs on purchased goods and services for direct and indirect expenditures, while improving cycle time significantly and achieving a healthy competitive positioning…it is time to share what Fortune 500 companies have been doing for many years.  Right now ODscommerce is offering an unbelievable 1 st quarter rate for customers for any Event Module selected! RFQ to Buy Multiple Different Items Auction to Buy Multiple Different Items Standard Auction to Buy a Single Item at the Lowest Cost Auction to Buy Single Item w/Multiple Selection Criteria RFQ to Sell Multiple Different Items Auction to Sell Multiple Different Items Standard Auction to Sell Single Item at the Highest Price Auction to Sell Single Item w/Multiple Selection Criteria Dutch Auction  Just book your event and watch the savings begin. January – 60% discount on all events February – 40% discount on all events March – 25% discount on all events  Customers have been accustomed to expect great things when working with ODScommerce, why not contact ODScommerce today and learn how you can join in the savings and… Reduce procurement costs (both direct and indirect) 12%-25% Improve cycle time up to 65% Enhance collaboration with suppliers Increase process efficiency Minimal risk, low cost of entry Access to best practices in procurement and sourcing Make no long term commitments or endure set up fees Participate in a flat(fixed) fee model with volume discounts  Please visit our website www.odscommerce.com to participate in this event and request a “test drive” in our world class On Demand Knowledge Process Outsourcing(KPO) demo

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ODScommerce, Kicks off 2010 with a Fast Start Promotion

by Jeff Fehrman Craig Ball , Tom Morrissey and I recently discussed The Challenge of Preserving and Collecting Evidence in a Cloud for a CLE webinar hosted at Virtual LegalTech . For those not familiar with Virtual Legaltech, it is ALM’s online version of the well known LegalTech New York and LegalTech West Coast events. One key difference though is that Virtual LegalTech is free to attend for qualified registrants. Cloud Computing and its eDiscovery Implications is a Hot Topic Our cloud computing webinar was the best-attended session of the day with nearly 300 “live” attendees. Subsequently, another 100 viewed the replay . The strong attendance relative to most in-person or webinar eDiscovery topics highlights that cloud computing, and social networking too, are a hot topic these days. Certainly over the past several months, the news media has been overflowing with reports on the subject, including recent decisions for the adoption of Google’s cloud-based services by the cities of Los Angeles and Orlando , and by Rentokil , a company with operations in 46 countries. During the webinar, we asked three survey questions to see how the legal community views cloud computing. All were presented during our “live” session

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Poll Results Released on Cloud Computing from Integreon’s Virtual LegalTech Webinar

by Matthew Banks Boston based consulting firm Vantage Partners has published a White Paper, aimed at law firms, entitled Easy Mistakes to Make When Making Decisions About LPO . The Paper contains several pertinent market observations and useful recommendations for law firms, both at a practical and strategic level. I have selected a handful for comment (text copied from the Paper is in italics ): In-house law departments are leading the way in the exploration and experimentation with LPO. And even where law firms are getting involved… Most law firm experience is centered around serving a particular client who has insisted in the use of a lower cost resource for some of the work. This is indeed true for most, but not all law firms. We are seeing more law firms folding LPO into their offerings and into their model. Recent examples include the Allen & Overy offshore document review option and the move by Simmons & Simmons to set up a core team in India . Most of this activity is from U.K. based firms. In addition, a number of US AmLaw 200 firms have set up either formal or informal LPO “investigatory committees”, as they conduct a due diligence process aimed at selecting one or more preferred LPO providers

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LPO for Law Firms

It has only been a little over a decade when Indian outsourcing leaders were resonating pitches trying to sell India as a destination for outsourcing to the ‘Anglo’ nations. The sceptical yet risk taking multinational corporations were blazing with questions ranging from ‘Does India have any English speaking population at all? To questions like ‘Do people come to work on elephants’.

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India BPO comes on elephant and goes on Ferrari

It’s the time of year again where Christmas-addled sourcing professionals come up with their predictions for the coming 12 months. As predicted, predictably, the sourcing industry’s would-be fortune tellers have been busy, with tens and twenties of forward thinking releases hitting the NOA’s newsdesks in the last week. Add our own member’s predictions to the pile and it makes some interesting reading. Without further ado I thought it best to give a quick rundown of the most promising predictions.

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What’s in store for 2010?

by Matthew Banks, Ron Friedmann, and Mark Ross Integreon’s LPO experts, Matthew Banks, Ron Friedmann and Mark Ross take a look at what to expect in the LPO world in 2010. Someone once said that less happens in a year than you might think but more happens in a decade than you might think. That’s the way we feel about the legal profession and LPO.

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LPO Predictions for 2010

We already know just how important meet and confer is for electronic discovery. But, do you also know who should be at the meet and confer? Here’s a pop quiz: What makes a good meet and confer team?

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Can You Meet and Confer without an eDiscovery Expert on Hand?

“Alibris, one of the Customer Support services clients of Motif, lists Motif in its Premium Business Partners list and recognizes Motif’s contribution to its business.” Motif has been an Alibris partner since December 2006, and provides Customer Support to Alibris’ customers through Email, Chat and Voicemail responses from its India delivery center at Motif India Infotech Pvt. Ltd. This relationship has grown and strengthened over the years, with Motif’s focus on improving the processes to enhance end user shopping experiences at Alibris. Brian Elliott, President and CEO of Alibris, recognized Motif’s contribution to Alibris in a recent report in Retail Merchandiser magazine and featured Motif in its Premier Business Partner list. Brian mentions “Alibris works with Motif Infotech to support e-mail, chat, and phone interactions with buyers.

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Motif featured in Alibris’ Premium Business Partners list

We recently came across a fabulous video (a Flash animation) by Beaton Consulting , which is “Australia’s leading B2B services research and consulting firm, providing insights to drive business performance.” In just under three minutes, “The Big (Legal) Picture” provides a great perspective on the current and future global legal market, including legal process outsourcing (LPO). We think this illustrates graphically that the LPO trend is just beginning. This is a ’must see’ for anyone in the legal profession. Beyond the content, we have seldom seen such high ‘production values’ in the legal market. (Click on the arrow in the video box below to watch.) As a quick side note, we have observed that in the last couple of years, video and animation have evolved into a major phenomenon for the consumer and business markets. In keeping with this trend, we have recently set up our own LPO channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/IntegreonLPO .

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Recommended Viewing: “The Big (Legal) Picture” by Beaton Consulting

Fronterion , a “leading international management consultancy advising law firms and corporate counsels on outsourcing options”, has published its top-10 list of legal outsourcing (LPO) trends for 2010 . Here is the list: A dynamic legal landscape. Economic pressures and the changing regulatory environment will continue to put pressure on organisations to turn to outside vendors. Alternative legal delivery. Traditional delivery of legal services are unbundled allowing firms to offer clients new, streamlined services and create greater efficiencies. Shift in focus. Legal organisations will take a more strategic approach to their outsourcing arrangements as opposed to an ad hoc, cost-focused approach

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Fronterion Publishes Top 10 Trends for Legal Outsourcing in 2010

In 2009, the Black Book KPO Industry user survey investigated over 380 contracts held by 1800 of the top spending law firms, investment banks, capital markets and conglomerate corporations globally. 18 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or criteria are employed, scored on each respective vendor by client type and ranked on a 0-10 scale per KPI. Key Findings Key Finding: Most Important Customer Satisfaction KPIs Customization, Integration/Implementations and Vertical Expertise are the most important attributes influencing KPO client satisfaction with their 2009 outsourcing providers. Key Finding: Vendor Dissatisfaction is uncommon in the Knowledge Process Outsourcing Industry among Top Ranked Suppliers Strong dissatisfaction is uncommon in this niche KPO sector, occurring in only 4.7% of Legal Industry client types, 5.5% in Investment Banking clients, and 6.0% Market Research clients globally. UK & US clients are among the most satisfied with KPO services delivery. Strong dissatisfaction with offshore outsourcing vendors was less than 6.5% of all surveyed clients with 2009 projects. Key Finding: Comprehensive Services Vendor Arrangements from a Comprehensive/End-To-End KPO Vendor produces the Highest Satisfaction Rates Single-vendors offering comprehensive research services to services corporate clients ranked highest in the overall survey by clients. For more information, please visit: http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/2009-Top-Knowledge-Process-Outsourcing-KPO-Vendors-Black-Book-2009-Survey-Results-31084.html

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2009 Top Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) Vendors, Black Book 2009 Survey Results

Company : Our Client is $5b Indian Information Technology major. Position : Director Business Development – BPO Job Location : Sydney, Australia. Job type : Permanent/Full-time Experience : 13 – 18years Local talents or candidates having Work Permit for Australia are preferred. Should have Complete understanding of the customer segment for BPO requirement. Should have worked in ITES/BPO/KPO, Customer Service,-Business Development. Candidates having Business Development experience in BPO/Call Centre/ITES Industry are preferred. Will Independently Generate new business in the Region.

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Director Business Development – BPO – Sydney, Australia

In November, I spoke at the Ark Group Conference on Alternative Fee Arrangements (AFA). My Unbundling Repetitive Aspects of Large Matters presentation tried to de-mystify and simplify AFA, which has become a very hot legal market topic.  Here are the presentation highlights. Inside and outside counsel would find AFA easier if, instead of thinking about entire matters, they considered the components of big matters. By big matters I mean single large matters such as major litigation or an M&A deal or “portfolio” matters such as real estate transactions, sales contracts, or NDAs. These big matters typically include high volume, repetitive elements that can be treated as fairly discrete activities and therefore costed and priced separately

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Alternative Fee Arrangements (AFA) are Not as Hard as You Think

Last week saw the release of the latest ValueNotes report,  Legal Process Outsourcing: Crisis Creates New Opportunities for LPOs (November 2009), regarding the state of the LPO industry and representing the analyst firm’s third detailed research publication on this now fast maturing market. Following the predictions and postulations recorded in their prior reports, Offshoring Legal Services to India (2005) and Offshoring Legal Services to India, an Update (2007), what can we glean of Value (pardon the pun), from their most recent biennial LPO coverage? Here is my assessment of the report’s findings. Impact of the Financial Crisis The 2009 report’s release, and no doubt the time period during which the research was undertaken, coincides with a period of financial turmoil in both the wider global economic community, and of course the legal profession. When the 2007 report was released, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers were apparently in robust financial health, and the term “subprime” was hardly commonplace in day to day business speak. Profits per equity partner were at an all time high, new associate starting salaries at the AmLaw 50 were knocking on the $200,000 door and the concept of deferred start dates was simply unthinkable. How times change.

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An Overview of the Latest ValueNotes Legal Process Outsourcing Report

The Lawyer’s Lyceum Capital injects £25m into LPO start-up and LegalWeek’s Lyceum commits £25m to enter LPO market in Laureate venture  articles show continuing investment momentum into LPO, as discussed in my post £400m Acquisition an Indicator of a Maturing KPO Market?  This particular investor group has been looking for opportunities to invest in “new business models for delivery of legal services” for some time. I can’t find much about the startup company, Laureate, on the web, but Lyceum’s advisory panel knows a thing or two about the opportunity in the legal market: former Clifford Chance managing partner Tony Williams, visionary legal IT consultant Richard Susskind and Paul Hewitt, who helped develop legal services  at the RAC and Co-operative Group. I expect to see some of this private equity money go towards acquiring law firms’ captive, non-core business services operations. It’s certainly a use of capital that Integreon has earmarked.

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Private Equity To Fund Acquisitions Of Law Firm Captive Business Services Operations?

One good job source in the Philippines is the BPO industry and when it comes to call center, seo company , Manila has some of the best and most competitive companies in the country. The biggest call centers that handle prestigious projects for Fortune 50 club businesses are housed in the busy streets of the city. In 2007, the country was considered a top choice for choice for companies looking to outsource business processes. At the time, it was an estimate $150 billion industry. So why are call centers great sources of employment for Filipinos? Call center in Manila has the edge that most European clients are looking for like excellent workforce and cost effectiveness. Since English is the second language of Filipinos, it is easier for Filipino call center agents to adjust to the demands of clients in terms of communication skills. They are also more trainable for American accent especially once their native accent has been neutralized

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Call Center Manila – Finest Source of Jobs

The Philippines is one of the richest call center hubs in Asia. Many business owners looking for offshore contact center service are slowly realizing the heaping benefits that they will get in making the decision of getting BPO companies and seo company from this country in South East Asia. With more than a hundred developing and established companies offering such business function like inbound and outbound calls, multilingual call centers, email management, and technical support, finding a BPO servicer that could answer your business needs is not a hard thing to do. The rising competition has only made the industry nurture its service quality and workforce more in order to dominate the market. This is why all practices and business elements, including technology and human resource are streamlined and enhanced to meet the growing demands and expectations of the world market.

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Philippines has the answer to your call center outsourcing worries

In a move that reflects long time practices in the US legal market, interest is apparently growing amongst UK law firms for use of temporary project based staff. Leading City firms in talks to bring in teams of contract lawyers ( LegalWeek , 29 Oct 2009) prompts us to consider the differences between the legal process outsourcing (LPO) and local temp staffing models. The article reports that major UK law firms may consider using temporary lawyers for more of their routine legal tasks. After the significant lay-offs over the last year and the change in the economic landscape, law firms are naturally apprehensive about venturing back into the full time recruitment market, at least until there is a sustained upturn in the volume of legal work (and even when that happens, many analysts feel that firms will not return to those old recruiting methods). Beyond market conditions, clients demand greater efficiency. Sound familiar? Temp staffing in the UK is another example, along with LPO, of alternative models for delivering certain legal tasks. For perspective on the LPO approach, see our post earlier this week, LPO – No Longer a Case of ‘If’ but ‘When’ . Providers of project based staffing used to be called “temp agencies”; now they are labeled as “virtual law firms”. Same service, new name?

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Next Gen Legal Models: Service vs Staffing

by John Croft, President, Global Sales and Marketing, Integreon On Tuesday I attended Centaur’s legal process outsourcing (LPO) conference , hosted by The Lawyer .  Panelists from both law firms and in-house counsel made for a well-balanced discussion.   Most noticeable was an underlying change in tone from debates at prior LPO conferences.   Whether a result of the economic climate, the unbundling of legal services, or clear directives such as the one by Rio Tinto’s Managing Attorney Leah Cooper  – it is now clear that no longer was anyone talking about ‘if’ but ‘when’. Ms. Cooper led the charge against law firms, challenging their reasons for using the same old model – junior associates at £300 an hour – for repetitive aspects of legal work,  for which she now refuses to pay.   What does she propose instead? Unbundling and re-distributing legal work among her in-house team, her outside counsel and an LPO provider. “The trick to doing this well”, she said, was “we all have to do our bit and work together”. Whilst this idea might have shocked the market just six months ago, the conference saw well-considered and pro-active responses by some big UK law firms who are heeding her call. Lovells partner Neil Mirchandani explained that his firm had been working in a three-way relationship with their corporate client and Integreon for nearly three years.  Lovells previously created what we can now view as an early-stage LPO: their ‘Mexican Wave’ outsourced legal work to lower cost domestic law firms starting in 1999. Allen & Overy shared that Integreon is now their preferred LPO partner and they use this LPO offering as part of a “suite of options” that they offer clients.   Unlike Simmons & Simmons, which has a dedicated team at Integreon for LPO work (see our press release ), A&O has chosen to deal with Integreon on a project-by-project basis.  This approach provides the benefits of scalability when needed and no overhead when not.

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LPO – No Longer a Case of ‘If’ but ‘When’