The Outsourcing Week in Review: Wednesday, November 27, 2019

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THE WEEK IN REVIEW

The Philippines has climbed six places in the annual World Talent Ranking (WTR) prepared by Swiss business school, the International Institute for Management Development. Stakeholders in the country’s massive endeavor to upgrade the nation’s skills to meet the needs of the future will take heart from the result. Progress is being made. They will also recognize that there is still some way to go. Of the 63 participating nations, the Philippines is now ranked at number 49 overall. The ASEAN Society Philippines has recommended a more unified approach if success is to be achieved, with government working alongside business leaders, academics and prominent civic figures on a common, human capital development initiative. Meanwhile, US-headquartered, Cognizant, recently designated as one of the leaders in the Asia-Pacific AI consultancy sector by Forrester Research, has officially begun its massive re-skilling and retraining program and is selecting 5,000 mid- and senior-level employees to participate. 

The demand for skilled staff to service digital transformation is still in its infancy, says Accenture, claiming that only about 16% of companies worldwide actually have the know-how to successfully deploy large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives. Accenture is itself reorganizing its Australia and New Zealand operations with staff cuts expected, as it matches its staff skill sets to meet changing demand in the region, according to reports. 

This massive opportunity for the BPO sector has major outsourcing companies teaming up with specialized highly skilled providers and vice versa, to get quickly into the market. Tata Consultancy Services has announced the launch of a dedicated Microsoft Business Unit, which will focus solely on helping customers deliver on their Business 4.0 transformation goals. Oxford-based clinical AI specialist, Sensyne Health, has appointed IT services provider Cognizant and data infrastructure specialist Agorai to promote its digital healthcare services in the US. Huawei has appointed Teleperformance to manage its UK customer service and technical support operations. The Paris-based BPO giant will also be supporting Huawei’s 1+8 initiative – a strategy aimed at extending its services to a host of other digital devices beyond its core smart-phone offer. 

But with ever-increasing connectivity and automation, cyber-threats are also multiplying, presenting other opportunities for specialist skills. Comprehensive, real-time endpoint protection is now on offer from the recent partnership between Wipro and CrowdStrike. BPO players can also be caught out by online threats.  Infosys Technologies said it has had to call in the local law enforcement agencies at its Indian base of Bangalore, after it came to light that third parties were sending WhatsApp messages to jobseekers, and promising positions at the company. Geopolitical risks are also growing as cloud-based business and outsourcing increasingly internationalize business operations. Offshore outsourcing arrangements must now be reviewed on an ongoing basis in order to properly mitigate such risks, argues international consultancy, Gartner.

An ace in the Philippines’ hand is that it continues to enjoy a robust GDP growth outlook, reassuring participants on investing in training long term. The country managed 6.2% GDP growth in Q3, which has led the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to raise its overall 2020 economic growth forecast for the country to 6.3%.  All things considered, says Tomas Helbling, the IMF’s Asia and Pacific division chief, the Philippines remains one of the region’s best-performing economies.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

NEWS THIS WEEK

25 November 2019

• Video Conferencing Company Chooses Synnex as its Distribution Partner Of The Year – read article…
• Malaysian ICT Firms Confirm Planned Collaboration with Davao BPO Sector – read article…
• Cognizant Officially Commences Phase One of Mass Reskilling Program – read article…

22 November 2019

• ASEAN Philippine Government Called on to Head National Upskilling Taskforce – read article…
• Cognizant Recognized as Lead Player in Asia-Pacific’s AI Consultancy Sector – read article…
• Only 16% Of Firms Capable of Successfully Scaling AI says Accenture Report – read article…

21 November 2019

• Wipro and CrowdStrike Team Up To Boost Client Cybersecurity – read article…
• Infosys Files Complaint Against Phantom WhatsApp Recruiters – read article…
• BPO Clients Advised to Adopt Multi-Jurisdiction Strategy to Reduce Geopolitical Risk – read article…

20 November 2019

• TCS Launches Dedicated Microsoft Unit to Assist in Business 4.0 Transformations – read article…
• Philippines Climbs Six Places in Overall World Talent Rankings – read article…
• Robust Q3 Performance Sees IMF Raises Philippine 2020 Growth Prospects to 6.3% – read article…

19 November 2019

• Accenture ANZ Cuts Staff But Confirms Long-term Commitment to Region – read article…
• Huawei Appoints Teleperformance as UK Customer Service Provider – read article…
• Cognizant and Agorai Team Set to Pitch Sensyne’s Digital Healthcare Solutions to US – read article…

Read more Inside Outsourcing Newsletters here:

1. The Outsourcing Week in Review: November 13, 2019
2. The Outsourcing Week in Review: December 18 , 2019