Call Center Outsourcing Becomes More of a Strategic Imperative

[sukishan]

the United States economy experiences its most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression, an increasing number of companies are recognizing the benefits of outsourcing all, or at least some of their call center operations, this according to a new analysis by FFP Global, a provider of Business Processing Outsourcing Solutions.

  In addition, the FFP Global review indicates that while it is not a monumental shift, domestic options are gaining traction not only for political reasons, but more notably because of evolving applications and business process integration requirements.

Other key findings of the FFP Global review indicate:
•  Companies are hedging their risks by employing multiple providers in order to enhance service levels and determine optimal benchmarking metrics.
•  Even industries such as pharmaceutical and healthcare which traditionally prefer to keep call center functions in-house are exploring call center outsourcing options because of economic/financial concerns.

While the primary value propositions for outsourcing call center operations have typically focused on decreasing costs, taking advantage of new technologies, reducing capital investments, employing scalable infrastructures and gaining access to best practices; the revenue side is emerging as a prime consideration. Also, despite the stressful environment in which many companies are operating in, the decision making process on whether to outsource is being conducted in more methodical and strategic ways compared to previous periods where a singular justification such as projected costs savings carried overwhelming weight.

In order to take advantage of a fertile market, call center service providers face several challenges:
•  Addressing inherent concerns such as performance quality measurements, customer data security and even government regulations.
•  Developing new delivery models that recognize the increasing complex nature of customer interactions and integration with a multitude of business processes.
•  Moving from a transaction mentality to a strategic partnership mindset driven by continuous improvements in business processes for both the call center and the client.

In general, the perceived loss of control is the challenge outsourcing needs to address, says the FFP Global analysis. "I've been on both sides of the equation, and would say that outsourcing call center operations is comparable to the first instance you hand over your child to somebody for an extended period of time.  No matter how diligent your review, there's always going to be questions whether you made the right decision," said Joe Sarno, Vice President of Sales at FFP Global.