subject: New Players in the BPO Sector [print this page] The success of the BPO sector has prompted many new players to throw in their hats in the ring. These players have started with call center services with practically little infrastructural back-up. In the course of time, they are hopeful about attaching proper equipment and technology and get better call center agents on board when they see some projects in the pipeline. While this may work for some call centers, on the whole and for the industry, this is not good news. The quality of work that these units produce is not really comparable with international standards.
The new players in the call center arena are known by certain ways in which they function. Generally they are heavily into telemarketing and answering service. They do not offer much of variety and concentrate on making progress in certain aspects only. That is a smart move on their part. They need to make a mark before they can expect to get a steady stream of projects. Clients will also be testing them with certain periphery projects before they hand over the crucial ones. Data shows us that the bigger projects in the BPO sector are still going to large companies that have the manpower and the technology.
By focusing on certain simple processes of call center services, they hope to gain experience and a certain reputation for doing quality work. Then they can think of offering other specialized BPO services like web marketing and software development. Clients generally do not entrust a rank newcomer with projects that have got to deal with the reputation of the company. They are more comfortable with outsourcing the non-core areas of their business to these call centers. While BPO service did start off as outsourcing the peripheral work, in the modern context these units can take care of everything related to an office. In fact, you can run a virtual office if you use the whole spectrum of services offered by the call center.
Another aspect of the new players in the BPO arena is their hunger for success. New entrants to the industry know that they have to be careful about the kind of work that they do. They know that the bigger call centers are waiting on the wings to take over their business and projects. Unless they are producing some quality call center services, they are more likely to get lost in the milieu. Work is the only way to get noticed and so is networking. To get those projects that make a difference, you have to network with the right people.
Business process outsourcing units are more aware of how important networking is in modern business. When you have an established brand presence, you are much sought after. But if you are a new player, you need to go out there and showcase what you can do. As a call center service provider, you have to convince business firms to offer you projects. You can make use of social media or other networking platforms to connect with prospective clients.