Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/138053
Market Report Not surprisingly, clear expectations and communications can solve most of the issues outlined earlier. Enterprises can begin to leverage their talent and optimize the service of their providers by following these recommendations: 1. Manage governance organizations like business functions, with specific value goals attached. Expectations about the value outsourcing can deliver have changed. The process needs to begin by training outsourcing governance teams to focus on business issues, not merely administrative cost reductions. In far too many cases, tactically-oriented operational specialists and project management executives are left managing the relationships. Formal training programs that develop communication skills, business acumen, and goal-setting Expectations about the value that outsourcing can deliver have changed. The process needs to begin by training outsourcing governance teams to focus on business issues, not merely administrative cost reductions. capabilities, as well as their ability to align stakeholders and analyze data, are critical in moving outsourcing in the right direction. 2. Focus talent investments on enhancing core business skills, not replicating their provider's skills. This means investing in skills that will strengthen the organization's competitive may include analytical, influencing, process transformation and consulting skills. 5. Establish shared "stretch" goals that encourage the development and deployment of strategic skills on a regularly reviewed differentiation. When companies learn to leverage their service basis. Many outsourcing relationships hit a wall, plateauing at providers for operations management expertise, they stop some point. All too often, these relationships operate on the investing in duplicating these talents. According to an executive mentality of "if it's not broken, don't fix it." The problem with at a large investment bank, "The core talent is what we invest this approach is that it causes the governance staff to become in, and everything else is outsourced." The bank focused on developing investment bankers and leveraged the outsourcing provider's expertise in back-office processes. 3. Access providers' strategic talent during the selection process. Operational capabilities are now viewed as "table stakes," and complacent and lose interest in challenging its organization and provider to continue to improve performance. Continuous step change is essential for enterprises that want to leverage their talent's best capabilities, coupled with the need to focus on business issues rather than process performance metrics. so are no longer true differentiators when it comes to choosing a service provider. For example, one executive found that while his company's finance and accounting (F&A) provider offered process expertise, it lacked subject competence. Meanwhile, The picture painted by the report should be a wake-up call for everyone involved in the process of outsourcing. The research its provider on the payroll side proved to be subject matter shows that the key to HRO improvement lies in the quality of the professionals, although weaker in terms of process. While the talent pool—both within the enterprise and its service provider. F&A service provider had not differentiated itself, the investment Too many outsourcing relationships are based on the goals of in talent by the payroll service provider demonstrated higher yesterday—reduced costs, maintaining service levels. We need levels of customer value. At a time when strategic skills command a premium, quality providers make a serious investment in developing its team's industry-specific and analytic skills. 4. Re-define skills expectations for the retainer team. Rather than to make sure that our people are prepared for the challenges of today and tomorrow. With a little investment in our talent pool, outsourcing clients and providers can achieve the full potential of outsourcing. focusing on operational skill sets, successful BPO companies must redefine the job competency models of individuals managing their service providers. What's essential is a strategic view of the market forces that affect the customer experience. This Jill Goldstein is BPO offering lead for talent and human resources at Accenture. JUNE 2013 | www.hrotoday.com [15]