Re-Inventing Global Sourcing – The World BPO/ITO Forum 2014
New York, NY (PRWEB) June 30, 2014
For business and IT executives planning their strategies… the 7th Annual World BPO/ITO Forum, http://www.worldbpoforum.com, held June 2-3, 2014 in New York, gave some key insights and best practices on how to drive innovation and growth through latest technology trends such as cloud, mobile and social.
“We are living through a sea of change in sourcing strategy”, says Jim Noble, Principal of The Advisory Council and Chairman of The World BPO/ITO Forum. “Businesses have matured beyond mere cost arbitrage, and have recognized the benefits of agility and time-to-market offered by a services-oriented approach. These benefits offer a much bigger prize than the simplification agenda, but only if sourcing becomes a core competency of that client company. Noble adds “This is where The World BPO/ITO Forum made a real difference — by enabling buyers and sellers of services to meet each other, and by encouraging experts to share insights in a friendly environment”.
Themed “Re-Inventing Global Sourcing: Cloud, Mobile and Social ” the Forum provided a peer-to-peer group learning and influential networking atmosphere for 250+ senior IT executives currently using or evaluating BPO (business processing outsourcing) and/or ITO (IT outsourcing) services. With a roster of 55+ global thought-leaders and forward-thinkers as speakers. “The conference provided invaluable insight into how globalization and disruptive technological changes are making the old multinational structure obsolete” says Kartik Kilachand, CEO & Co-Founder, The World BPO/ITO Forum.
Marv Adams, COO, TD Ameritrade Holding Corp, as opening keynote speaker, described the tremendous challenge of the new disruptive forces of SMAC.
“Interdependency, emerging from dense and global interconnectedness has created many opportunities, but has also been at the core of a whole new set of management and leadership challenges. Those who transition well will thrive and those who are slow to change will miss most of the opportunities.”
Topics discussed included leveraging cloud computing and mobility, unlocking innovation, multi-vendor approaches, managing risk, and the economic and social impact of global sourcing, among other issues.
Additional highlighted speakers included:
Anil Bajpai, SVP and Global Head of BPO, IGATE
Robert Dunigan, SVP, Shared Services, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Tanvir Khan, VP and Global Head of BPO, Dell
Chris Lord, SVP, Global Growth Strategy and Marketing, Hinduja Global Solutions
Lee Coulter, CEO Shared Services Organisation, Ascension Health
Michael Peters, Global Director of Corporate Strategy, Leo Burnett Worldwide
Filippo Passerini, as closing keynote of the first day, clearly emphasized that “The BPO landscape is changing fast, driven by new technology and innovative business models. Strategic partnerships are as critical as ever, but the ‘how’ for partnership value creation is changing significantly. The World BPO/ITO Forum provided strategic insight into three key considerations – innovators, relationships and agreements – that will help determine the future of BPO.”
As an indication of how technology is transforming outsourcing and offshoring, the Forum was sponsored by global service providers such as IGATE, Dell, Sutherland, Accenture, Cozen O’Conner, as well as, by emerging offshore country delegations such as Argentina, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nova Scotia, Poland, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago,
Tanvir Khan, Global Head, Dell BPO states “This was Dell’s second year as a sponsor of The World BPO/ITO Forum. Besides carefully crafted content, peer networking and building awareness amongst buyers, I value the access to the Forum’s core team”.
“Companies are re-thinking their offshoring strategies – as the global cost labor arbitrageis narrowing” says Kartik Kilachand. Outsourcing is no doubt a contentious issue, particularly in light of the struggling U.S. economy. “American jobs going overseas is still an emotive subject,” says Mr. Kilachand. “Like it or not, the phenomenon of global sourcing is here to stay. The challenge now is how best to manage it”.
Chris Lord, SVP, Hinduja Global Services expressed his sentiments on the two-day Forum “… it provided thought-provoking insights into the new directions companies need to consider in a social, mobile, and cloud enabled world where growth requires innovation and cost savings require new approaches to automation.”
“Global sourcing has become a transformational lever that empowers businesses to take on new competition. This exclusive Forum provided opportunities to interact, learn & share issues, challenges and solutions from some of the world’s leading thought-leaders on the economic, political & technical impact of global sourcing.” further explains Mr. Noble.
To that end, The World BPO/ITO Forum has become the leading C-level executive event of its kind. “With a strong roster of speakers, practitioners and service providers participating in the discussion this year, I believe we are well on our way to become the ‘Davos’ for strategic sourcing,” says Mr. Kilachand.
The eighth annual World BPO/ITO Forum is scheduled for June 16-17, 2015.
About The World BPO/ITO Forum, Inc.
The World BPO/ITO Forum conference is in its seventh year, and getting close to its aspirations to become the “Davos” of offshoring. The conference offers a “one stop shop” for senior executives at mid- to large-sized companies to hear from speakers who can offer best practices in global sourcing, to meet with representatives from top service providers as well as from many leading and emerging country delegations. The conference further promotes the transformational possibilities of the synergies between BPO and ITO.
Media Contact: Kartik Kilachand – CEO; kartik(at)worldbpoforum(dot)com