The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the traditional BPO model worldwide. With lockdowns and disrupted business operations, organizations have explored the possibilities of long-term work-from-home setups. However, remote working in BPO is not new. Global BPO service providers like Fusion CX have been supporting millions of customers daily, with agents working from different centers across various locations. In this article, we explore some of the post-pandemic BPO strategies.
As the virus spread, China became the first nation to shut down offices and mandate remote work, with other countries following suit to control the disease. While a return to pre-pandemic normalcy is still distant, adapting to new working environments and functions is key to success. This crisis has taught BPOs several lessons, making the future of business process outsourcing more promising with greater opportunities. From customer service to business risk analysis and mitigation, the scope of inbound and outbound call center services has expanded significantly.
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Post-Pandemic BPO Strategies
Increased Potential to Tap into a Skilled Workforce
One reason companies outsource business functions is to access a skilled workforce from diverse countries, demographics, and cultures. However, remote operations come with risks, such as losing control over performance tracking. This risk is mitigated by omnichannel call center operations equipped with workforce management systems and CRM tools that track individual performances and send reports to clients as per SLAs.
While cost-benefit remains a key reason for customer service outsourcing, the focus on skilled staffing and flexible resources offers additional advantages. In the future, organizations will emphasize dedicated hires for critical functions and seek partnerships with industry-specific call centers like healthcare BPO. Previously, most healthcare-related functions were handled in-house, but nearshore call centers now facilitate easier onsite training for domain-centric processes.
Greater Investment in Automation
Expect a shift towards automation to reduce labor-intensive and repetitive tasks. Automation in inbound and outbound call center services is already common practice, with chatbots, canned messages, IVR systems, and AI-powered voice process services becoming prevalent. Increased automation is a response to remote operations and the scaling down of in-house resources to manage economic downturns. Post-COVID, there will likely be a rush towards cloud migration to handle external market shocks like pandemics.
Lead Generation with Digital Services – A necessity in the Post Pandemic World
Previously, BPOs primarily used voice process services for lead generation. The pandemic has opened new opportunities to tap into larger markets with a multichannel approach. Today, global leaders like Fusion CX offer digital services under BPO services. These include Facebook lead generation, LinkedIn lead generation, PPC, and co-reg lead generation services alongside voice and non-voice support. Organizations now prefer outsourcing to BPOs that provide a wide range of services, from telecommunication call center support to digital marketing.
Fusion CX anticipated future clients’ needs by incorporating digital services, social media support, and online reputation management into its existing BPO services.
Moving Away from the Single-Source Model
In 2024 and beyond, BPOs will shift from the single-source model due to the demand for critical functions that require multi-sourced agents from various locations. If one agent cannot perform, another can step in, reducing the risk of information-sharing interruptions and dependency on a single team or individual. The COVID-19 crisis highlighted organizational vulnerabilities, such as opaque supply chains and resource shortages. Adopting a multi-source model can better prepare eCommerce call center providers for black swan events.
Disaster Backup Planning and Business Continuity
Business continuity planning (BCP) theoretically requires more than two backup actions and physical sites that can be quickly deployed during unforeseen crises. Fusion CX operates in 9 countries and 18 locations, ensuring business continuity for clients worldwide through omnichannel operations. Contact us to learn about our latest add-ons and how our BPO services ensure business continuity post-COVID.
Discover how Fusion CX can help you navigate the new normal with focused post-pandemic BPO Strategies. Contact us today to get a free quote and learn more about our solutions.
