Technology

The joy of webinars

Posted: 09/22/2016 - 12:04

Earlier today, I had the great pleasure of hosting the seventh episode of Outsource Talks, our webinar series – for those of you not yet familiar with this especially marvellous project - that brings the time-honoured talkshow model to the international sourcing, outsourcing and business transformation community.

Advisor Roundtable: A Dizzying Pace of Change (Part 1)

Posted: 09/08/2016 - 01:27

Earlier this year, Outsource editor Jamie Liddell had the privilege of chairing a roundtable dinner hosted by Capgemini, and attended by some of the most prominent advisors in the UK outsourcing community. The evening saw a huge variety of topics covered - but took place under Chatham House Rules, meaning that the conversation did not take place "on the record".

It’s time to communicate the true meaning of ‘robotics’

Posted: 09/02/2016 - 19:55

When we talk about ‘robotics’, we are no longer talking about plugging in ‘dumb’ machines to mimic human action. Enterprise process robotics has evolved to a point where it can be integrated into existing systems, talking directly to applications with a built-in understanding of process best practice. However, despite this, perceptions often remain outdated.

oNexus Founder Interview: Tony Strong, Parseq

Posted: 08/31/2016 - 04:34

Tony Strong is the CEO of UK-based multi-channel service provider Parseq. Way back when we launched our oNexus platform, Parseq were one of the founding oNexus partners and we were promised an interview with Tony - and now our paths have finally aligned.... Outsource caught up with him at last to hear his thoughts on his new role as CEO, the invaluable importance of organisational culture - and consolidation in the customer contact industry.

Go digital to build customer trust

Posted: 08/19/2016 - 20:11

Consumers are becoming both more loyal and trusting of their banks and insurers according to a survey of 3,000 consumers in Germany, Spain and the UK. The research, titled Youbiquity Finance 3, is the latest in the BT- and Avaya-supported series begun in 2012. It finds that the increasing use of technology is coinciding with improved relations between consumers and banks and insurance companies.

Device mesh, imagination and the law

Posted: 08/13/2016 - 00:13

Only imagination limits the opportunities available from our rapidly connected world. It’s hard to think of a household product or work device that could not have some benefit from being connected to another application via the internet of things (IoT), which adapts based on data from another source. Unsurprisingly, Gartner identified that the number-one strategic technology trend for 2016 would be the so-called device mesh: the ever-expanding set of end points that people can use to find information and communicate online.

Balancing the security budget with managed services

Posted: 08/11/2016 - 01:08

Budgeting for IT has always been an uphill battle, with the boardroom tending to try and cut back on spending whenever possible, despite a driving desire for the competitive advantage strong tech investment brings. This is especially true for cybersecurity, which has always been hobbled by the difficulty in proving its day-to-day value. It’s only when an attempted attack occurs that the value of security investment overtakes the “it won’t happen to us” mentality.

Walk a mile in your BPO provider's shoes

Posted: 08/05/2016 - 19:54

Organisations that enter business process outsourcing (BPO) transactions inevitably experience challenges with BPO providers – often resulting from unmet expectations, difficult transitions and erratic steady state delivery. While it is reasonable to expect the value promised by a provider to be delivered quickly and consistently, walking a mile in a BPO provider’s shoes can help buyers understand the typical challenges BPO providers face when taking over execution of business processes from their clients.

Introducing 'Sourcing Architecture': next-generation sourcing and procurement transformation

Posted: 08/05/2016 - 19:52

Sourcing and procurement (S&P) leaders continue to reference efficiency, effectiveness and continuous improvement of operations as a high priority. Most will admit that continuous optimisation is not a destination, rather a journey that has become increasingly complex. Today, an agile S&P organisation that effectively aligns with the needs of the business is critical to establish. S&P organisations want to embrace accelerated decision-making, improve productivity and spend visibility, and implement tighter controls for supplier performance.

Live Wires #8: Late or leapfrog?

Posted: 07/29/2016 - 00:11

An almighty fight is raging for control of the RPA software market. Who is the market leader? Which is the best product? Which features really stand out? There are a number of names in the frame, but one name Daniel Dines wants you to hear is UiPath. He is its founder and CEO and he spends his day spreading the word globally about what his software can do. We caught up with Daniel, to get his perspective on RPA and the world of smart automation.

Are you ready to outsource your CIO?

Posted: 07/27/2016 - 02:34

Outsourcing has always been a key component of the technology sector; however recently it has been not just basic IT services, but key CIO roles taken on by outsiders. The term ‘virtual CIO’ (vCIO) is gaining increasing momentum, and refers to an individual or service that is charged at an hourly or flat rate fee for the provision of services that incorporate technology and business strategy. vCIOs are particularly popular with small and mid-sized businesses, because they make the strategic guidance of an expert affordable.

Sunshine, happiness and webinars

Posted: 07/21/2016 - 09:55

The summer sun blazed down upon London today, a raging nuclear inferno of staggering power – yet it was as a mere birthday-cake candle when set alongside the brilliance of the panellists on this afternoon’s Outsource Talks… Yes, today saw the fifth episode of our webinar talkshow, and if my introduction might be considered just a fractionhyperbolic we were nevertheless treated to a feast of outsourcing opinion and insight, wit and wisdom – and a few chuckles – which made for a fantastic hour’s listening and, overall, a very worthy addition

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