Business process outsourcing has changed, advanced, and grown this year, and 2021 is already rapidly approaching. BPO companies should take note of the expected top BPO trends for 2021 to adapt successfully. The top BPO trends for 2021 are as follows:
- Emerging Technology
- Social Media Management
- Cloud Computing Investments
- Advanced Skills for BPO Professionals
- Startups as BPO Customers
- Omnichannel Communication
- Transparency
- Continued Growth in India, Malaysia, &The Philippines
- The emergence of BPO In Bulgaria, Romania, Egypt, Mexica, & Colombia
These are the main BPO trends that are predicted to take shape in 2021. BPO companies that take an active approach to these top BPO trends for 2021 will have a significant competitive advantage. We will explain each trend in more detail below.
Emerging BPO Technology: Robotic Process Automation
BPO is heavily dependent on cutting-edge technology to accomplish processes efficiently and accurately. Because of this, BPO companies are continually adapting to utilize emerging technology. One of the top BPO trends for 2021 in the tech category is the use of robotic process automation or RPA.
RPA refers to the use of automated systems and robots to accomplish repetitive and tedious business processes. RPA allows BPO companies to achieve more work at a faster rate for a fraction of the price.
There are several different RPA software choices and technology to choose from, depending on your company's needs. One of the great things about RPA is that it can be easily integrated into your workforce's existing technology without disruption or invasion.
RPA is crucial for BPO companies to implement if they want to increase their efficiency, profit, and capacity. Because of this, RPA stands out as the leader in emerging BPO technology and one of the top BPO trends for 2021.
BPO's New Use of Social Media Management
Social media stands out as one of the most lucrative and influential business tools. Social media offers invaluable consumer data and insight to understand how people engage with your brand.
Creating a distinct and eye-catching presence on social media is a large undertaking and hiring experienced social media experts is not cheap. However, BPO has recently started to offer social media management, which gives businesses a more cost-efficient and effective way to improve social media use.
Business process outsourcing has been serving the customer service industry since its inception. In the past, BPO has served this sector mainly through call centers. BPO has recently adopted social media management tools and capabilities to help companies properly utilize social media at a low cost.
Social media management is a brand-new area of BPO that both BPO service providers and BPO customers should take advantage of in 2021. As technology continues to advance and provide valuable consumer insights, BPO companies should offer a range of services in social media, including but not limited to:
- Interactive Voice Response/Live Chatting
- Social Media Monitoring
- Business Intelligence
- Consumer Insights
- Customer Service Responses
- Online Review Management
BPO companies that offer social media management can provide their clients with more comprehensive services and solutions in BPO. Fortunately, social media platforms are designed for easy usability, which means that BPO companies can quickly and easily learn the ins and outs of social media.
More Investing in Cloud Computing
Cloud computing refers to using the internet for computing resources, like databases, networking, storage, servers, and more. Cloud infrastructure allows businesses to carry out critical functions like data management and communication entirely online.
Cloud computing allows BPO service providers to maximize speed, efficiency, security, flexibility, and accessibility. Consequently, companies have increased their cloud computing investments in recent years, which is expected to continue in 2021.
Advancing Skills for BPO Professionals
As BPO services are advancing, BPO professionals are doing the same. BPO professionals must be highly trained and adept at carrying out a wide range of business processes to succeed in the industry.
BPO professionals that can effectively and efficiently learn new skills will stand out in the hiring and promotion processes. The three top BPO skills that will be in high demand for BPO companies in 2021 are:
- Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
- Big Data Analytics
- Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
Experience in these areas is a huge asset for any BPO professional. With this experience and expertise, BPO professionals can make significant contributions to the BPO company that they work for, and they can take on leadership roles.
Startup Companies: The New BPO Customer
Creating a new business is not an easy feat. Startup companies have countless decisions to make about how to operate, function, and profit. Fortunately, business process outsourcing offers several significant opportunities for startup companies to take advantage of.
When startup companies utilize BPO services, they can focus on core business functions, while expert professionals take care of non-core business functions. This partnership allows startups to delegate tasks, consult different perspectives, expand their network, and, most importantly, save money.
2020 has been a roller coaster of an economic year, and startups are at risk in the future. BPO offers startups an affordable way to execute all operations without wasting any time, money, energy, or resources.
Stronger Communication Tools & Omnichannel Communication
Additionally, one of the top BPO trends for 2021 is stronger communication tools, including omnichannel communication. Omnichannel communication technology allows for unified communication across all channels.
The utilization of omnichannel communication benefits both employees and consumers, as they have a singular and seamless communication experience. BPO companies can utilize omnichannel communication for their company's work as well as offer omnichannel communication to clients and consumers to improve the user experience.
The Importance of Transparency in BPO Relations
Transparency in business has become quite the buzzword. Consumers and corporations crave transparency from every purchase, negotiation, and partnership, and the BPO industry follows suit.
Transparency is one of the top BPO trends for 2021 concerning pricing, policies, and contracts. BPO service providers must be transparent with their clients to gain their trust and ensure satisfaction.
BPO is all about trust. As outsourcing involves bringing a third-party organization into your business's crucial matters, companies only want to work with BPO companies that they can trust. One of the best ways to gain trust is to be transparent and up-front from the start. BPO companies that are transparent will be successful in 2021.
Continued Growth in India, Malaysia, & The Philippines
India has been at the center of outsourcing since it began as an industry. According to the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), 40% of India's BPO workforce, mainly in IT, will upgrade their skills as BPO continues to grow in the next 5 years.
Malaysia is also expected to continue growing in the BPO industry, as it boasts an extremely stable business environment, especially compared to India and China. This makes Malaysia a desirable and competitive country for BPO services, and their success is predicted to continue in 2021.
The Philippines' growth is also one of the top BPO trends for 2021. In the Philippines, BPO services are predicted to cover 15% of the global outsourcing market by 2022. India, Malaysia, and the Philippines have been outsourcing powerhouses for a while now, and their growth should continue as one of the top BPO trends for 2021.
Emerging Companies for BPO Success: Bulgaria, Romania, Egypt, Mexico, & Colombia
In addition to the continued growth in established BPO countries, new countries are emerging with BPO services each day. Bulgaria, Romania, Egypt, Mexico, and Colombia are advancing and growing in the BPO industry.
Bulgaria and Romania stand out from other outsourcing destinations because they are part of the EU, which means most professionals speak all major European languages and have technical expertise.
In Latin America, internet usage has soared exponentially in the past two decades, which has unveiled considerable talent. Mexico’s political and economic stability has caused over 500,000 people to become professionals in the BPO sector. Additionally, Colombia’s government sponsors technical training, which is a huge asset.
About Us - Rely Services
Rely Services is a global business process outsourcing company. We are passionate about helping businesses grow sustainably with the exceptional services that we offer.
As a company, we have been in the BPO industry for over 20 years, and we look forward to the future of BPO. Contact Us Hereto learn even more about the top BPO trends for 2021!