Answers on Offshore Outsourcing Businesses

Booming Elearning Trends in the Industry

2010-10-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

In recent years, there have been noticeable trends that have popped up during the course of improvement in the virtual learning scene. The actions taken by leading software providers have given elearning development its money’s worth.

Despite the drastic changes in the management of the learning and talent through software, the basics of the enterprise have not changed in the slightest. The core of elearning development will still rely on the quality and improvement of certain elements such as the quality of the facility, the available resources, process of the company (or the course itself) involved and as well as the value of the lecturer, if there is one present in the program.

e learning development tools

Still, there are other factors that while they may not be basic enough to set a change in the learning side of the process, they can set a trend. Here are some examples of booming learning trends in the industry:

1. Training Budget Boosts. On the business side of the process, training budget simply means more costs for the company. However, there have been reports that the corporate training budgets in America have augmented this past few years. There are certain, observable reasons as to why this is so: First, there is a surprising demand of training in many regions. The second being there has been a shortage on talent recently in all types of commerce in all parts of the country. This means that a lot of companies are going to put on a lot more focus on training individuals meet the needs of the company. An HR role is also consequently to be in demand. Ultimately, the management itself will have to produce better ways of managing new talents since the efficiency and quickness of the hiring, training and evaluating of performance will strictly be a sharp, advantageous edge for the company.

2. Enhancement of Outsourcing Services. Companies and learning institutions using virtual learning means are also cost centers. Modes and models of teaching are in demand since it will be cost effective to determine a good standard when the company is directly relying on the number of people who are trained. Leaning institutions will have to transfer its resources due to the brewing of a new economics. Special tasks require special training. This means that the quality of the work done will be based on how the training was done. This will also test the quality of delivery of the course as well as its new technology, measurement, support and content development. There will be greater needs to go outside the boundaries of the company and find outsourcers.

3. Lastly, management improvement. Since the increasing lack of talents has been revealed, leadership programs are the set of e-courses that have taken rise. This is not new. However the development of the company will rely more strongly on its managers. The better management techniques a manger has, the better system is deployed. The challenge of finding efficient managing techniques have become greater and would require the proper knowledge and technology to do so especially in an industry that always look for talents and with an ever changing workforce demographics.

Channel Partner Strategy for Cloud Solutions

2010-07-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

“Clouds”, for the last few years, has been the buzzword in the IT industry. When I say clouds, I don’t mean the fluffy white stuff in the sky that takes the shape of bunnies or babies depending on who’s looking. I think of clouds like virtual lockers that you can access anytime and anywhere you want. Clouds take the form of word processors, spread sheets, presentations, and other specialized applications.

channel sales strategy

While some of the clouds are free and open source like the Google docs that cause developers from Microsoft to gnash their teeth, most of the commercially available clouds are classified as SaaS or Software as a Service applications, meaning, instead of users paying a one time, big time fee to install the software, they pay a monthly or annual fee to keep using the application. To keep up with the evolution of clouds, do vendors and partner need to come up with new channel partner strategy?

Channel partners were at first, understandably worried about this innovation. In their minds, they were thinking, is this the end for me and my company? Who needs my services when users can directly access the application from the Internet? You see clouds are nifty in that you don’t need to install software to use it. Applications are easily accessible through browsers and all you need is a reliable internet connection and a PC or laptop and viola! You can access your files and perform transactions online. However, software vendor or in this case, cloud providers do play a vital role in educating the customers.

For VARs or Value Added Retailers, the mode of payment may change but the business just evolved to include more customers who can afford the applications they sell. Channel partner strategy for cloud products seemed to be pretty much the same as when they are selling traditional software licensing. Incentives and commissions are still there to motivate channel partners to sell not software per se but subscriptions to applications instead.

Philippine Call Center Technology Solutions

2010-07-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Declining productivity has been one of the most prevalent problems in our Philippine call center that I will not name in the interest privacy. Employees were always late, absent or just generally in a “non-working mode” as they coined it.

As a project manager, I was concerned, of course. In the long run, all of us will find ourselves unemployed when the client gets fed up and find another call center company to partner with. As any good manager would do, I turned to the Internet for solution.

There, I found out that what we lack were technological solutions and innovations that help companies increase production. The WFM or Work Force Management solution is a particular interest to me as it allows administrators to streamline their back processes like payroll, human resources, career tracks, training, scheduling and a lot more. Team leaders can now monitor the attendance of their agents and keep track of their performance. Our working environment became more efficient, needless to say.

Another innovation we had implemented was the transition from traditional telephone to VoIP or Voice over the Internet Protocol. The company saved a lot of money with the move as we only have to pay a fraction of what we usually pay the telephone company. With this transition, we used the soft phone technology that combines various technologies in one telephony system.

Our inbound calls were made more efficient with the IVR or the Interactive Voice Response included in the software. This freed some of our agents from unnecessary calls from clients that are asking for FAQs or Frequently Asked Questions. The Automatic Call Distribution or ACD automatically distributes incoming calls to agents the moment they are free.

Philippine call center

As our operations also include a telemarketing service, the predictive dialing of the system became a most valued tool to stop agents from idling in between calls. The productivity was so impressively high and our clients were very happy with the improvement that they renewed their contracts with us.

I think our story proved that Philippine call center having trouble with productivity issues need only to research solutions for their issues. There are all these technological innovations available for every call center and it’s never too late to update their processes.

Partner Portal Solution for Start Ups and Multinationals

2010-06-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

Partner portal strategies were developed in order to address the continued globalization of big and small industries. What is a partner portal, exactly and how do companies utilize this tool?

Partner portal are usually web-based applications. They are separate modules integrated with the company’s official website to serve as a platform where vendors and their channel partners communicate and interact. Partners register to use the application. They log in and create customer databases, register leads, access marketing information, generate sales reports, etc. This is the hub of sales activities for channel partners.

partner channel

Initially, smaller manufacturing companies are the niche markets who use the technology in order to compete with their leading competitors which are the multinational companies. The portal allows them to recruit partners from anywhere in the world because of the ease in communication wherein travel is rendered unnecessary in transactions. Multinationals have now joined the bandwagon and they encourage their existing channel partners to register in their portals.

There are some detractors that argue the necessity of partner portals. One argument is that there is a lack of control from vendors or parent companies over their partners. The information disseminated through the portal is not enough for resellers to close deals. This is easily remedied because the portal is highly customizable. And in sales of high value or sales for vertical markets, the portal is, of course, not enough. Training is still necessary but it does not mean that the portal does not help. The lead registry function alone increases productivity and decrease conflict. This is companies turn to this technology to increase their revenue by streamlining their sales processes.

Another argument is that the technology is just another drain on the company’s coffers and that the return on investment will not justify the cost. The web based application is indeed a significant investment especially for start up businesses. But in the long run, the portal will save the company a lot of head aches when it comes to conflict and will expand their reach because they can hire partners from around the globe.

Review of My Stay in the St. James Apartment Hotel in Barbados

2010-02-24T23:16:00.000-08:00

I’ve gone to the Caribbean twice before, and for those two times, I opted to rent and book my stay in a villa and a luxury hotel in Barbados. I must say that both experiences were memorable because both accommodations were as comfortable as they were opulent. They only differed in prices, the hotel being the costlier (exceedingly) of the two.

A few weeks back, I was given the opportunity to go back to Barbados for a vacation. However, I decided to enjoy my trip differently. I discovered from a friend that there are cheaper places that are less luxurious, but are just as comfortable and enjoyable. These places are called apartment hotels, and the one I stayed in was called the St. James Apartment Hotel.

hotel in Barbados

I immediately thought that it was an establishment of high quality upon my arrival. Both the exteriors and interiors of the place were splendid and boasted of a quiet elegance that a lot of other places fail to achieve. The atmosphere was comfortably warm and welcoming. I felt right at home, and this feeling was doubled as the staff showed me the utmost congeniality and hospitability.

My apartment was fully equipped with an Italian made open plan kitchen. It was spacious enough for more than five people! I thought that I was going to have a problem with food because there was no restaurant or bar there, but you can only imagine my surprise and delight when I found out that they can supply me with a cook who can take care of my dining requirements!

St. James is fortunately situated on the renowned Gold Coast. I was able to enjoy the gorgeous stretch of sand, and a panoramic view of the vast azure waters of the Caribbean Sea. It was breathtaking—I fell in love with the place right then and there.
I really recommend this place for other people who decide to save a lot on money on a trip to these islands. I guarantee that you can still have an amazing, relaxing vacation and still enjoy all the comfort and luxury of each and every hotel in Barbados at a lesser expense.

Social Media is the Future of Partner Relations Management

2010-02-10T01:15:00.000-08:00

I can’t imagine how people were able to survive the world without social media. I mean, yeah, at a certain point, majority of the population didn’t know what they were, or how to use them. But now, it definitely is a relevant part of society. So relevant, in fact, that its disappearance would cause an almost irreparable disruption in the workplace, school and home.

Partner Relations Management is even utilizing social media via web 2.0 communities. It’s a growing trend amongst partners within a channel, and it truly appeals to end consumers because of its ease, convenience, interconnectivity and accessibility. Through social media and corresponding networking sites, customers are able to browse through the goods and services that they want without having to go through the hassle of web 1.0 sites that are mainly comprised of frames and links for form downloading.

There has been an issue that talks about the difficulty that resellers are facing because of their lack of involvement with social media and web 2.0. Vendors, on the other hand, they have been more in tune with the customer’s preference for web 2.0, and have used it to attract end consumers and thus increase their performance significantly. If resellers do not update themselves and join the social media bandwagon, they will be left behind, and the channel will suffer as an unfortunate consequence.

The development of social media is inevitable because of the evolution of society. Things change as time progresses because a variety of needs and problems arise which developers need to keep up with. Technology was invented to make things more convenient for a person, that’s why it is important that people update themselves with processes that are definitive of this generation. Social media answers the need for efficiency and real-time interaction. With social media, collaboration and communication is made easier, and has even transcended into online learning, workplace training and so on.

I think that the role of social media would even increase in the coming years, and it would continue to develop beyond imagination. And when the time comes that it does reach that pinnacle, Partner Relationship Management Software would not be the only one that will benefit from it. Social Media is the future, and everyone must pay close attention to it.

Benefits of SEO Outsourcing

2009-12-02T22:05:00.000-08:00

SEO outsourcin g has been the most preferred Internet marketing approach for most companies in the recent years. Gone are the days when call center philippines and SEO outsourcing is solely for the big boys in the business arena. Now, even startup site owners and businesses are already seeing the big potentials of outsourcing this service to optimize their sites.

So what has pushed so many of these companies to go for SEO outsourcing? One is cost-effectiveness. Running an in-house search engine optimization team would cost a lot for companies most especially if they have other business functions to attend to. Outsourcing it would prove to be more effective since rates are more competitive and the quality of outputs cannot be undermined. There are a lot of these SEO companies from the Philippines, India, and other parts of Asia that offer topnotch service that has given so many site owners the rankings they are looking for.

Aside from cost-effectiveness, another good characteristic of SEO outsourcing is the luxury of choice. These SEO outsourcing companies offer a good range of alternatives and services to their clients and you can either pay for the quantity of back links or the number of billable hours you want your SEO team to render for you. You can then tailor the amounts of back links coming in for your site depending on how much your budget is and how much SEO work you can pay for. You also have the advantage of a professional workforce since your outsourced SEO services are done by skilled and experienced professionals in the industry.

SEO outsourcing is definitely the way to go in order to achieve the rankings that you are gunning for. Instead of running the risk of tainting the reputation of your site by dabbling on optimizing your site on your own, it is better to entrust this important task in the hands of professionals who do not only have the skills and knowledge, but also the experience in running the search engine race for you.

The Danger of Academic Elearning Tools

2009-11-25T20:02:00.000-08:00

Elearning tools for academic education can really be helpful but I find that relying on them too much could be dangerous. What I am referring to are those software or web based modules. I am a teacher and so I recognize the importance teaching face to face versus simply relying on elearning. This is perhaps, especially true depending on the age of the learner as well as his or her thinking level and capabilities.

There are some people who can really learn a lot from elearning. You see elearning tools are just like learning manuals or textbooks only a lot more interactive. Therefore, it can really be so very useful. However, if one relies solely on these things, then there can be a lot of things missed. Some students are able to learn from a textbook. Some teachers are lazy enough to actually just tell the class to read the textbook. Their job just falls down to filling in a few things that are missing from the text or checking the student’s knowledge by creating a quiz or by recitation. But a true teacher will discuss the subject with so much gusto and will look into the students to see how they are doing. The students themselves will also be able to ask question in the middle of the lecture and may be able to contribute a few things as well. That is the model of learning we are all accustomed to.

So as a teacher, the best thing is to treat academic elearning tools as a convenience and not an absolute substitute. At the least, it can be given to students who are driven and who will fill in the gaps on their own through other sources. At best, it should be treated like textbook courses and a human teacher must still be present somewhere to monitor and to guide.

Offshore Outsourcing Business

2009-04-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Listen to these new and scary developments for the world of offshore outsourcing businesses. There are big wage increases in the countries of China and India. This means a big increase for the cost of running offshore outsourcing businesses in the third world. Perhaps there will be some jobs to return in the United States because of this. To understand all the complex details and the whole picture, click the video above and listen carefully.

Offshore Outsourcing Company

2008-07-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

What is the future of our globalized world? Is an offshore outsourcing company to blame for all the jobs that are lost in America? What does outsourcing the jobs from USA going to amount to in the long run? The following video from discovery channel and the new york times. This documentary was made by a very talented multi pulitzer award winning journalist Thomas Friedman. It's called: "The Other
Side of Outsourcing."

Obviously, each offshore Outsourcing company all over the world makes up the new and inevitable force of globalization. For more information, visit this offshore outsourcing company site.

Why Choose Offshore Outsourcing Consulting?

2008-05-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

By Donna Manio

If you want the advantage of having experienced personnel help you make the right decisions for your firm without the hassle of paying an exuberant amount of money, offshore outsourcing consulting might just be the solution for you.

In India alone, several offshore outsourcing consulting firms are highly flexible to meet the demands of their clients. They are also able to pass on local knowledge, best practices, and information to companies in order to meet client standards. This, in effect, turns the system of off shoring consulting into a reliable way of communicating for front line workers, customers, and company heads as well.

These offshore outsourcing consulting firms can also take care of everything, making it a one stop shop for an entire project management scheme.

The competitiveness of such companies enabled them to adapt to the various changes in the business world. Aside from merely being outsourcing consulting firms, they are able to do the following:

- Act as reliable facilitators and seasoned practitioners who contribute local knowledge to their clients. This will trigger a more active response from an offshore working group in terms of decision making, ensuring the speediness of project outcomes.

- Contribute to the company as a highly participative team or group member. Outsourcing consulting firms are rarely biased and could give the best possible solutions to its client.

- Act as consultants by being able to impart expert know-how of performance levels of similar processes and organizations. Aside from this, outsourcing consulting firms can carry out specialized tasked for the client.

Obviously, these strengths are just a few points to look at when considering working with an offshore outsourcing consulting firm.

Outsourcing Jobs to the Global Community - Offshore Outsourcing

2008-05-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

by Carlos Antonio M. Cruz

What exactly is Offshore Outsourcing?

Outsourcing jobs is the act of subcontracting a procedure or function to another company. In today’s business world, most companies do some outsourcing in one way or another. For example, some company’s outsource work such as the maintenance or gardening of their office grounds. Instead of being thought of as outsourcing companies, these third-party companies are now frequently called service providers.

Thus, the concept outsourcing has existed for a very long time. Firms have started using this method for processes such as billing, data entry, and content editing since other firms are more equipped to accomplish these tasks quickly, proficiently, and at a lower rate of expenditure.

At the dawn of globalization, companies started to realize that taking their business to other parts of the world would help them achieve more for less. Outsourcing some of their business processes to third-party companies in other countries is now cost-effective especially after the boom in information technology. This is what’s called offshore outsourcing. This is not to be confused with Offshoring which is the process of moving a business function to other countries not by an external third-party company but by a foreign subsidiary.

Why do Offshore Outsourcing?

The primary reason for outsourcing jobs is because it is especially cost-efficient; this is especially true for offshore outsourcing. Contracting third-party companies to perform business processes in another country is most often more productive due to the fact that third party companies boast specialization and lower expenses. Many customer services such as computer programming, customer assistance, and even content development are made readily available for information technology. Outsourcing offshore gives the edge to companies in this aspect.

The prevalence of the internet helped small companies to contract freelancers from anywhere in the world in order to accomplish work at lower costs. There are also crowdsourcing systems which enabled companies to outsource I.T. jobs to hundreds of employees. This model is similar to how big firms do Offshoring. As a result, internet freelancing and offshore outsourcing helps smaller companies compete with giant companies.

Smart and agile companies with projects with early deadlines and high expenses utilize external third-party companies along with internal teams in order to boost the start of their projects. Some employ a multitude of outsourcing companies in order to deal with virtually all facets of the project. This saves them so much time and resources.

In order to outsource, a company first needs to think of what facets or tasks of its business needs to be outsourced and how this would affect the company in general. Then, the company needs to assess which third-party service provider would best accomplish the named tasks. Thirdly, the company needs to draw up a contract by determining price and service specifications. Lastly, the communication and management between the three parties (namely the client, the outsourcing jobs provider, and the company itself) needs to be established and worked out as the project moves along.