Premium Content Roundup - October 2009

2009 is nearing its end – and with it, the slew of bad headlines we’ve become used to seems to be abating. Signs are that markets around the world are stabilizing, and though we’re still seeing the victims – in shared services speak – of last year’s routing, many are now talking about expansion and growth. The leaders of this movement are, perhaps unsurprisingly, the suppliers. Companies like Cognizant and TCS are ramping up for the growth in markets they see ahead by buying up captives, which, it turns out, were not easily sustainable.

Cognizant’s Senior Vice President and head of Banking & Financial Services Practice, Prasad Chintamaneni, in commenting on the recent acquisition of UBS’s Indian Service Center said this: "We see the biggest opportunities – beyond our bread and butter IT business – as being in the BPO, KPO and IT infrastructure space. I expect those areas to mark a substantial component of our revenue in the years ahead. Our recent acquisitions reflect our desire to build up complementary capabilities in that space."

Inhouse, the past year has honed focus on both service offerings and sourcing strategies. We have two excellent examples this month: First, Karen Mansell of Astra Zeneca fills a new role with a "small but perfectly formed team." As Head of Corporate Procurement and BPO she evaluates all of AZ’s sourcing decisions. Secondly, the effervescent Guy Mercier, who heads Solvay’s "3S" operations in Portugal shares his maverick approach to cost: "Under 1000 Euros [about US$1,460], we skip the ‘goods receipt’ part of the match. I pay automatically … knowing full well that if the ordered item is not delivered, someone from that department will raise a complaint. So we wait and make the correction when the need arises, instead of trying to control all goods receipt. This is far more cost-effective for the business."

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Premium Content 

Acquisition and Retention Services Remain Firmly Onshore
Why are some outsourced services staying near-shore, and others still moving off? Shedding light on the underlying drivers.

Evolution of Solvay Shared Services; Recognizing 'total cost' as a real factor
Reengineering before shared services implementation pays off. Interview with Guy Mercier, Managing Director, Solvay Shared Services.

The CFO Interview Series: What Drives Your Vision - NASA
NASA Shared Services Center was Winner of the 2008 Shared Services Excellence Award for Best New Captive Center. SSON speaks to Ronald R. Spoehel, CFO, NASA on drive and vision for the center...

What Goes Wrong With BPO?
Addressing some failings of BPO: customer service interaction skills, prioritisation, mixed messages, and robotic service.

Optimizing Sourcing Strategies with a Robust Procurement Function
A strategic sourcing strategy adds value to an enterprise - and robust procurement processes lie at its foundation.

Sourcing Strategy – Key To Success In The Dynamic Environment Of The Credit Crunch
In spite of the immediate impact of the credit crunch on operational margins, most companies have initially postponed their sourcing initiatives...

Yes We Can! The Next Port of Call For Finance SSOs: From Transaction to Service Delivery Organization
The only way that we can continue to add value to our customers, our stakeholders, and our employees, is to move beyond transactions and up that value add curve.

Marching Two by Two
A tale of an unhappy marriage; or how to use propinquity in your favor.

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