Have you and your business been benefiting from business process outsourcing (BPO) for a while now? If so, you might wonder what the next year will bring in terms of outsourcing trends. After all, the BP outsourcing industry experiences changes year-to-year like any other industry. And while the functions of BPO providers will largely stay the same, there are many nuances we’re predicting will be the new norm in the coming year.
So… what does 2019 have in store? Here are our best bets, in case it may impact you.
1. More companies begin outsourcing.
According to the GSA, 70 percent of companies in a recent survey said they’re going to outsource more in upcoming years, with 35 percent of them planning to do so significantly. Many sources believe that outsourcing is going to become not only more prevalent but actually indispensable, to most companies in the near future.
This begs the question of why. For one, it appears there may be a talent shortage in certain fields in which BPO providers excel – such as IT, technical support, customer service, and more. In fact, more than 70 percent of technology employers in the UK expect to face a talent shortage in 2019. Whenever businesses face in-house skill gaps, they must engage with a qualified partner who can fill those gaps, which is usually when they turn to BPO providers.
Furthermore, many contact centers around the world have suffered from a lack of staffing in general in recent years, and are largely seen as losing their businesses money. These companies are likely to turn to businesses like Conectys who know how to run profitable, cost-effective, adequately-staffed call centers to meet their needs. All of these reasons make it clear that outsourcing will be a go-to business choice in the next year.
2. Intelligent technology becomes the status quo.
No one is surprised by technology continuing to be on the rise. But specifically within outsourcing, the big players to watch are chatbots, process automation, and predictive analytics.
So far, there’s been an increase in the number of contact centers that have installed virtual assistants, also known as chatbots, and 24.9 percent of contact centers have this tech on their wish lists. What’s more, 40 percent of them say that live chat is the next channel they’ll adopt. And when it comes to process automation, there’s even greater demand, with 35 percent of contact centers hoping to implement these solutions as soon as budget allows.
So in the next year, expect to see the live chat on the vast majority of websites, and more streamlined experiences thanks to process automation. Companies that partner with BPO providers like Conectys can also look forward to better customer service and management, thanks to the insights predictive analytics can provide.
3. A shift to singular providers and integrated systems.
Did you know that less than ten percent of contact centers integrate all of their channels, while almost four times that number doesn’t integrate any? A lack of integrated systems, and relying on separate service providers for separate business processes, can result in decreased productivity, lack of insight, and mayhem. We’ve been hearing from customers that they’re desperate for singular providers who can offer integrated solutions as we do, and it makes so much sense. We have no doubt this ideal will be at the top of most business’ lists in the New Year.
So… these are the first three of the seven outsourcing trends we’re counting on seeing in 2019. Check back soon for the second part of this post, which will cover the remaining four trends we’re expecting in the new year. And as always, contact us any time to learn more about our BPO services.
