Welcome to the first 2008 edition of the Business Process Excellence
e-bulletin from MIDAS, Manchester's Inward Investment Agency.
In this edition we bring you up to the minute news from around the region on both Shared Services and Outsourcing. Features in this edition include:
- American BPO TeleTech arrives in the city
- ITV creates a new Business Service Centre
- Manchester plays host to the National Outsourcing Association Event
- Record growth for North West Shared Services Forum
- Multilingual recruiter Euro-London will double in size
- BTEC Intermediate Certificate in Providing Shared Services Update
- Future dates for your diary
You have been sent this e-bulletin because you are a key partner in creating a centre of excellence for Business Processing here in the North West.
We hope you enjoy this edition of the e-bulletin and find the content informative. Your feedback is very welcome and should be sent, along with any news items you wish us to consider for future editions, to Rachel Green.
If you have been sent this e-mail in error or if you do not wish to receive it in the future then please accept our apologies and inform us by e-mailing. Alternatively, if you have been sent this e-bulletin by a contact or colleague and would like to subscribe to the list, please send a request via email to Rachel Green.
Thank you for taking the time to read the e-bulletin.
Latest BPE Sector News
Manchester’s outsourcing sector has been further strengthened with the arrival in the city of TeleTech, a leading American BPO. TeleTech employ 55,000 people globally with bases across Asia, North America and Europe providing a full range of front- to back-office outsourced solutions specialising in complex customer services.
In Manchester, TeleTech is initially supporting a contract with O2 around prepay customer services. The company have built an executive suite on the 19th floor of the Arndale Tower as well as taking three other floors at the top of the tower for call centre staff. The business, which already has large bases in Glasgow and Belfast, moved to the city because of the availability of quality staff and the good transport links that they found here.
The city has also become a base for many of TeleTech’s home workers, an area in which the company is a leading provider. Home working means increased flexibility for employees and attracts a range of people that many BPOs have struggled to attract. The current contract for Sky Broadband has been a fantastic success and is an area that is going to be extensively rolled out.
The new business which has launched with 200 jobs in the city centre could eventually create 700 jobs working on a variety of contracts.
To learn more about TeleTech see below for details of MIDAS’ National Outsourcing Association event in June where UK CEO Cormac Twomey will be talking.
ITV has embarked on an exciting change journey to bring together a number of key business functions within a Business Service Centre (BSC). The BSC will be located at ITV Granada, a proud landmark in the history of Manchester and the North West, and will be central in supporting the delivery of the strategic plans.
The BSC will have a strong customer focus and will deliver an exceptional service experience for both internal and external customers. The BSC team will champion continuous improvement and process efficiency initiatives to ensure that we evolve and develop their service towards being a 'best-in-breed' function.
Dan Foley, ITV Business Service Centre Director noted "I am delighted to be working with one of the iconic brands in the UK and in particular, the North West. The role of Granada in ITV can't be underestimated and the development of the BSC in Manchester is a testament to the talent within the region and specific area speciality in the Service Centre arena.
"This is an opportunity to join an industry which is at the forefront of innovation and design in its field. We hope to be able to support this continued leadership by liberating our business partners to allow them to concentrate on their roles accordingly.
"I'm also proud to be part of building something sustainable and robust in the North West. Exciting times ahead!"
Wednesday 18th June will see Manchester play host to the third National Outsourcing Association (NOA) event to showcase outsourcing best practice and opportunities in the North West region.
MIDAS is delighted to host this now annual NOA event, which will take place at the newly opened City Inn, in the heart of the city right next to Piccadilly station.
The event will include a presentation from Greg Baker, Steria’s Business Development Director on ‘Global Delivery Models to maximise efficiencies’ as he shares their experience of delivering to a wide client base, as well as the American outsourcer TeleTech’s CEO, Cormac Twomey presenting on ‘Why TeleTech has established a major new UK hub’.
For more information or to register to attend this free event please contact Michelle Wilcox on 0845 050 1023 or email midasbookings@bsaclients.net
When re-launched back in November 2005, little did MIDAS realise just how popular a forum for the ever-growing, yet little known, shared services community would be.
Today, membership stands at 44 organisations spanning global brands such as Rolls-Royce, Marks and Spencer, Royal Bank of Scotland, AstraZeneca, Kellogg’s and Ciba, as well as public sector organisations such as the Department for Work & Pensions, Medical Research Council and NHS initiatives too. Varied business sectors represented include: utilities; chemicals; pharmaceuticals; logistics and distribution; outsourcing, retail and FMCG.
The North West Shared Services Forum enables members to share best practice; develop and promote industry learning through a dedicated interactive website as well as a full programme of meetings, an annual conference and social events. The Forum encourages members to join together for recruitment fairs, salary surveys and benchmarking. It also educates the business community on the work of shared service centres and the value they bring to business operations large and small. It is a prime example of a niche business community that for the first time is working cohesively both on and offline.
For more information visit www.sharedservicesforum.org.uk or contact Rachel Green at MIDAS
Euro London Appointments, the specialist multilingual recruiter, will move to larger premises in the Manchester City Centre next month. This major expansion will see staff grow from five to ten people, which is being driven by increased demand for multilingual professionals from businesses throughout the North West.
Manager Eileen Sudmann says “Manchester and the surrounding area have become increasingly attractive for the shared services sector which has resulted in an increase in demand for multilingual specialists in finance, customer services and IT. Manufacturers are another major sector of employment for multilingual staff - typically, positions are held in departments such as export, sales/account management, purchasing/buying, logistics and supply chain but also general administrative roles in order processing, sales support and finance. In Cheshire in particular, there are a number of employers in the IT sector employing language speakers in purchasing, sales, admin support and technical roles - and there are also a number of medium sized businesses providing market research, telemarketing and general outsourcing services with an increasingly European outlook.
“The North West and Manchester in particular has become increasingly attractive for foreign workers to consider as an alternative to London when moving to the UK. The cost of living is lower and there is a very good transport network including a major international airport. Consequently Manchester has seen an increase in foreign workers – particularly from the more unemployment-ridden areas across Europe.”
For more information on Euro London, who have additional offices in London, Windsor, Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Paris, Zurich and Luxembourg, visit their website www.eurolondon.com
During the past twelve months numerous organisations including the Ministry of Defence and AstraZeneca have enrolled employees onto the BTEC ‘Intermediate Certificate in Providing Shared Services’.
Consisting of two mandatory modules: Customer Service and ICT, and a choice of one of four optional modules: Payroll, Purchasing, Finance or HR, this unique qualification has received excellent feedback from both companies and candidates alike.
“The BTEC Certificate, although in its early stage within our F&A SSC, has re-energised my teams to look at this training as a key element of their business-as-usual work-life and
re-focussed our efforts in delighting and exceeding our customer expectations. The course is professionally run and well thought out and has the full backing of myself and the senior management. I am looking forward to the large number of improvements being generated by the course to be incorporated into our normal way of working and improving our overall service offering, as the largest F&A outsource supplier in Europe." Tim Lees, P2P Global Process Owner, Steria
Skills Solutions deliver the BTEC Certificate on the client’s own premises, providing
ongoing support to those undertaking the qualification throughout the programme which is delivered via a number of one or two day workshops and is achieved by successful completion of a series of assignments.
Development continues for an Advanced certificate, with plans for the new qualification to be available in September.
If you are interested in learning more about this qualification, please contact Janet Glynn, Shared Services Development Manager on 0161 233 2663 or alternatively e-mail janet.glynn@skillssolutions.co.uk
Future dates for your diary
IQPC 8th Annual Shared Services Week
Monday 19th May to Thursday 22nd May, Meli Gran Sitges, Barcelona, Spain
Last few days to book for this major shared service conference which brings together over 500 professionals and will include the Gala Awards dinner. For more information www.iqpc.co.uk
Gartner Outsourcing and IT Services Summit
Monday 2nd to Wednesday 4th June, Royal Lancaster Hotel, London
Outsourcing using several suppliers is a model that is increasingly being used by many organisations to enhance performance and improve competitiveness. Analysts will present the latest research and advice on how to make the multisourced environment operate at peak performance. To find out more information please visit www.gartner.com
PwC Finance Excellence Breakfast Briefing - Process Improvement, Lean Finance
8am – 10am Thursday 5th June, PwC, 101 Barbarolli Square, Manchester
Early morning session aimed at Finance Directors, Financial Controllers and Shared Service Centre Directors looking at issues driving the need for process improvement within the finance function to discuss how Lean is becoming established as the way to deliver step change improvement. For more information or to reserve your place please contact Anthea Nother on 0113 288 2484 or anthea.r.nother@uk.pwc.com
Shared Service Link – Toning up Purchase to Pay to Attain Touchless Purchasing
Wednesday 18th to Friday 20th June, The Millenium Knightsbridge, London
The P2P process is one of the most costly parts of the finance function with the gulf between world class finance organisations and the rest being staggering, this event looks in detail at how massive savings can be delivered through driving first time match to over 85%. To find out more information please visit www.sharedserviceslink.com
NOA 3rd Annual Manchester Event - On-Shore Update and Future Markets across
the North
Wednesday 18th June, City Inn, Manchester
Hear great case studies from the well established Steria, who will be sharing their experience of delivering to a wide client base which includes the BBC, themselves moving North bringing new business opportunities to the region and also from the American outsourcer TeleTech as they launch their new facility in the city. For more information or to register to attend this free event please contact Michelle Wilcox on 0845 050 1023 or email midasbookings@bsaclients.net
EMRG's 8th Annual BPO Conference – Global Sourcing Transformation, Innovation and Change
Thursday 26th June, Sheraton Hotel, Park Lane, London
Combining onshore, nearshore and offshore resources to radically transform the corporate back and front office. Join over 180 senior executives to hear cutting edge case studies, join in interactive panel sessions and a host of networking activities. To find out more information please visit www.emrgind.com
IQPC Driving Public Sector Efficiency through Transformation & Shared Services
Tuesday 24th to Wednesday 25th June, The Café Royal, London
With The Comprehensive Spending Review now outlining public authorities must show 3% year on year savings, as well as a drive to show improved customer service, more joined up methods of working and on-going process reengineering, shared services in the wider public sector has never been of more interest. To find out more information please visit www.iqpc.com
IQPC 8th Annual HR Transformation: Outsourcing and Shared Services Forum
Thursday 11th to Friday 12th September, The Cafe Royal, London
This event will give valuable insight into how HR functions can deliver continuous improvement to the business at the bottom line, showcasing the secrets of best practice from 16 World Class mature HR functions. To find out more information please visit www.iqpc.com
IQPC Planning and Implementing New Shared Services
Tuesday 23rd to Thursday 25th September, Thistle Marble Arch, London
The only event to focus specifically on the planning, start-up and early phase of shared services. Whether you are looking into the benefits of setting up or in the early stages of implementing, this unique event will give inside information on the hidden dangers that lurk, and offer first-rate tips on a successful set-up. Come along to the MIDAS stand and meet the team to learn the many ways we may be able to support your new initiative. To find out more information please visit www.iqpc.co.uk
About MIDAS
MIDAS, Manchester's Inward Investment Agency, provides free expert advice on relocating and expanding your business in the Manchester City Region. We have enjoyed considerable success in attracting Shared Service Centres and Outsourcers and have a proven track record in supporting and sustaining high quality facilities in the region.
Working in partnership with a large community of organisations, we can act as an advisor, help you network with other shared service and outsourcing practitioners, share a wealth of knowledge and provide a range of information about Greater Manchester as a Business Process Excellence location.
To unsubscribe from this e-bulletin for any reason, please click this link
Alternatively, if you have been sent this e-bulletin by a contact or colleague and would like to