Over the last five-10 years, though, things have changed dramatically. Buyers want more from their vendors. Technology is everywhere, and sometimes it’s hard to vet. Is this new shiny thing good or fast or will it work properly for my end users? While a buyer needs to be aware of the cost, cost-only evaluations can be a race to the bottom. Where’s the quality in the end product and consultation, services, proprietary elements, reach, scale, involvement of tech, etc.?

It’s a much bigger picture in BPO these days. And into that bigger picture in the last five years, you’ve increasingly seen Robotic Process Automation (RPA) enter, and companies that develop those solutions get investor windfalls. It’s become a big chunk of business globally, but definitely within BPO.

So what exactly is RPA, and how can you think about it around cost?