BPO 101: Everything You Need to Know About Business Process Outsourcing
Business process outsourcing (BPO) is the act of contracting work processes to external service providers as auxiliary – as opposed to core – business functions that can be either technical or nontechnical.
All businesses outsource services, from fledgling startups to Fortune 500 companies, and as more companies seek to get ahead of the competition, the demand for BPO has increased dramatically. Often used as alternative labor migration, BPO is an excellent way of harnessing the skills of international talent while allowing them to remain in their home countries.
Different BPO Categories
Often divided into two main types of services, BPO can be rendered for back and front-office applications. Internal business processes like purchasing fall under back-office services, while front-office services include marketing and technical support. Thanks to BPO, it’s easy to consolidate these services, so they function as one unit instead of two separate service departments.
BPO can also fall into one of three categories, and depending on where the vendor is located, the process can be offshore, nearshore, or onshore.
Offshore vendors are located outside of the organization’s home country. An excellent example of offshore vendors is a Spanish company using an offshore BPO vendor in South Africa.
Nearshore refers to BPO vendors that are in the contracting company’s neighboring country. For example, in Canada, a BPO in the United States is a nearshore option.
Onshore BPO vendors are in the same country as the contracting company, albeit they might be in another geographical area. A contractor in Seattle (U.S) might use an onshore vendor located in Texas.
In the context of BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), the increasing availability of generic pharmaceuticals like tadalafil, particularly in the United Kingdom, presents a unique opportunity for healthcare BPO services. Pharmaceutical companies in the UK are increasingly outsourcing their operations, including customer service, marketing, and technical support, to manage the growing demand for affordable medications like generic tadalafil. This shift is largely due to the need for specialized knowledge in handling medical queries and providing accurate information to consumers, while also navigating the complex regulatory landscape of pharmaceuticals. As a result, BPO services that specialize in healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are becoming essential partners for companies aiming to efficiently and effectively reach markets demanding cost-effective treatment options like generic tadalafil.
The Benefits of BPO
There are various reasons why organizations choose to outsource services. In addition to reduced taxes when dealing with offshore BPO vendors, U.S. companies also choose to outsource as a means of reducing operating costs, expand their global presence, and increase the speed and efficacy of their operations. Here’s a deeper look at the benefits of BPO.
BPO Reduces Operating Costs
There’s a substantial cost-saving factor that comes into play when businesses choose to outsource services instead of hiring full-time in-house labor. Companies can also use variable-cost models when they outsource instead of deploying fixed-cost models that must be used to retain local employees.
It Allows Businesses to Focus on Key Functions
Many businesses choose to outsource services that aren’t directly related to their core functions and processes. For example, a U.S.-based brand won’t have to monitor localization projects as closely when they choose to use a Language Service Provider that is highly experienced in the matter. Instead, the company can focus on business growth, and together with their BPO services, the company will gain a competitive advantage, increased profits, and enhance its customer satisfaction ratings.
Enables Businesses to Expand Their Global Reach
Some outsourcing companies can service customers in a plethora of languages, 365 days of the year, which relieves the contracting company of those responsibilities. Companies that outsource can strengthen their presence in multiple countries without risking having local divisions going redundant.
Enhances Flexibility
Businesses that outsource services are often better equipped to react to risks involved with launching new products and services. By outsourcing, the business can also realign its internal resources to ensure core business functions are placed on the top tier of the priority list. Since the contracting company turns to specialists for certain services, they’ll save time, improve accuracy, and increase their capacity all at the same time.
What Types of Services Can Businesses Outsource?
There are several services that BPO providers now offer in an attempt to help fill gaps within organizations. Some industries that participate in BPO initiatives include business services, language services, retail and e-commerce, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, automotive, telecom, banking, supply chain, capacity solutions, and asset management, to name but a few. Thanks to the rising popularity of BPO, many subspecialties have emerged. These include:
ITES
ITES – or information technology-enabled services – BPO delivers IT services through the internet. These services typically include the likes of IT analysts and service desk analyst roles.
KPO
Knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) BPO focuses on research, analysis, and data processing services. In many instances, KPO services form part of core business functions which enables them to make low-level business decisions at times. These services are often also linked to the vendor’s value chain since the sourcing business hires talent experienced in specific fields.
LPO (legal process outsourcing) also forms part of KPO, and it’s a subset that comprises higher-level legal work that goes above legal transcription. Research process outsourcing (RPO) also forms part of KPOs and mainly focuses on research and analysis that supports marketing, biotech, investment, and business firms.
Travel
As the name implies, this type of BPO pertains to all operations a business relies on for its travel logistics, such as car rentals and hotel reservations. Many airline companies engage in BPO to help streamline front- or back-office processes.
In general, BPOs specialize in specific services, and as such, they can be grouped into the following major sectors:
- Customer Interaction Services
- Back-Office Transactions
- IT and Software Services
- Finance and Accounting Services
- Human Resources
- Knowledge Services
Ready to Thrive With a BPO Strategy?
It’s estimated that the global BPO sector is worth more than $300 billion. In India alone, BPO vendors employ more than 3 million people. Although BPO vendors are located worldwide, they focus on developing nations where income tax is lower. A good example of such a country is South Africa, where the BPO market in call centers is flourishing.
Due to recent shifts in consumer behavior and a higher demand for multichannel communication, the BPO industry has grown exponentially over the last few years. With more companies relying on cloud technologies, technical services like HR, web design, and accounting are at the forefront of the BPO industry’s focus.
Business transformation outsourcing (BTO) has also been on the rise as it gives organizations access to consulting services that offer traditional supportive functions and the capability to revamp their processes to increase overall business growth.
Day Translations has more than 12 years of experience in helping businesses thrive beyond borders, and we now offer a culturally sensitive, cost-effective multilingual BPO solution that covers everything and anything from omnichannel customer management to back-office collections. To learn more about our global outsourced business services, get in touch with our team of experts today!