Buying Tech Enabled BPO - Using Agile Sourcing
Author: Clare Martin
Consulting Director
BUYING TECH ENABLED BPO
Procurement of BPO platforms and services is tricky. What comes first? – the technology or the BPO Services?
MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN PROCURING TECH-ENABLED BPO TECH & SERVICES
Sourcing Strategy
Careful consideration whether to separate the BPO services from the BPO tech is a vital first step - will you choose two suppliers, one for each priority - or will you bundle both into one supplier?
Desired Outcomes
To help with sourcing strategy - establishing your business and technology Desired Outcomes helps to create a 'north star' to assess if products and services will support your strategy and meet your requirements begin with the end in mind.
Value
Procuring tech-enabled BPO is typically no longer about saving money as a first priority. Establishing what good value looks like for your business is a critical first step alongside sourcing strategy and desired outcomes whether that be customer experience, tech capability, automation, efficiency etc.
ADVANTAGES OF AGILE SOURCING IN PROCURING TECH-ENABLED BPO TECH AND SERVICES
Agility
Using agile sourcing enables you to stay dynamic on your choice between one supplier for tech and BPO services, or two. Testing all option and enabling emerging ideas and information to inform your choice.
Collaboration
Moving away from arms-length to collaborative processes enables you to text the 'can we work with these people' question. It is vital this is part of your assessment and is so much easier to do within an agile sourcing approach. It also enables you to test the 'can these people work together' question if you choose two suppliers who need to collaborate.
Capabilities
Agile sourcing provides a real opportunity to test capabilities in real time, rather than relying on written. arms-length responses. Can the potential suppliers really do what they say?
TOP TIPS FOR PROCURING TECH-ENABLED BPO TECH AND SERVICES
Sourcing Strategy
Align the sourcing strategy for tech enabled BPO to the wider technology strategy rather than solely focusing on the functional business needs.
Two Sponsors
One for business services and one who champions the product and the technology roadmap.
To Conclude
In choosing one to or two suppliers for the BPO and the technology, focus on how your choice will achieve your Desired Outcomes and sourcing strategy and consider information from soft-market testing.
