SIG Sound Bytes: TPI, MindTree, China and the Next SIG Event
April 2nd, 2010By Kirk Laughlin
Adjusting to the ‘new normal’, vendor management transformation in a post-recessionary environment, managing procurement vs. finance corporate showdowns and making sourcing relationships really work – these were just a few of the top level themes dominating the top flight S.I.G. event that just wrapped up yesterday in Savannah, Georgia.
Some key takeaways and insider news items that we picked up during the event:
China Meltdown: The Google-China clash of recent weeks, and other troubling signs of favoritism shown to domestic service providers and industry, are causing many to believe that the ‘open door’ policy of the last ten years is suddenly get slammed shut. On stage and in offline meetings, leading consulting firms and players in the market are quick to say that the political risk in China is something to take very seriously. It’s as if China has suddenly spiked on the risk scale and those with investments there need to take a hard look at diversification outside of the country. Even a China-based consultancy – which aims to play on the same field as IBM and Accenture one day – has representatives at the SIG event. When asked about the intensifying problems, the consultant said – “It’s all real.” By the way, Business Week has been doing a strong job covering this story and the implications for U.S. companies struggling to deal with the loss of access and eminence they once enjoyed.
MindTree Returns to the Nearshore: Insiders tell Nearshore Americas that India-based IT Solutions Provider MindTree which established a delivery center in Mexico in 2008, but quietly shut it down sometime after that – will be re-establishing a center in Mexico sometime in the second quarter of this year. The motivation to re-initiate a center is driven by the need to service a particular customer, sources said. MindTree spoke at the SIG event along with one of its customers, Avis Budget Group.
Nearshore Americas will be on site and blogging live from the prestigious Sourcing Interests Group Global Sourcing Summit this week in Savannah.
We look forward to deeper conversations about the growing appeal of Latin America outsourcing as part of a larger global sourcing portfolio strategy. The folks at SIG work hard to create a ‘non-commercial’ atmosphere at the SIG event, which is a polite way of saying that content, networking and education geared to attendees’ real needs are what will dominate the conference.
Sourcing Interests Group members are senior-level executives at Global 1000 companies. Member titles include CEOs, CFOs, CPOs, COOs, CIOs, presidents, vice presidents, directors, and senior analysts and managers. It’s not too late to register for the event.
Are you a regular reader of Nearshore Americas and planning to attend? Let us know and drop a line to: kirk@nextcoastmedia.com
Nearshore Americas Hits the Road in Early March
February 26th, 2010
Nearshore Americas is on a two week mission in March to travel in-region and meet many new friends, colleagues and partners who are part of this vibrant and fast-growing community of outsourcing professionals.
I will be traveling to Guatemala City later next week to check in with Invest in Guatemala, the Ministry of Economics and about a half dozen key BPO and pro services leaders. I am always fond of returning to Guatemala where, during last Spring’s IAOP chapter meeting, the folks there were very enthusiastic about the early development of Nearshore Americas and our commitment to being a reliable online voice and platform for the Nearshore community.
After Guatemala, I will head to Mexico City to be part of a newly reformed BPO event organized by the Mexico’s call center promotion agency IMT and titled: First Annual Global Contact Center Forum. I will be speaking on one subject near to my heart: Why American Companies Don’t Do Nearshoring and Why. (Follow ups will be posted later in Nearshore Americas.) I will also be moderating a panel discussion on Trends Around Nearshore/ Offshoring/Multishoring. Among the panelists are two gentlemen whose insights are consistently sharp and well-grounded: Anupam Govil, CEO Global Equations and Ruben Sorto, marketing director at Altia Business Park in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
Blogging Live Brazil ITO-BPO: New Delivery Models, Tax Burdens and Competing with India Inc.
November 10th, 2009The US-Brazil IT-BPO Summit (sponsored by the Brazil-American Chamber of Commerce) kicked off this morning at the W Hotel in Midtown, Manhattan
US-Brazil ITO-BPO Summit Comes to New York City on Tuesday
November 8th, 2009The Brazilian Association of Information Technology and Communication Companies (Brasscom) invites you to attend the US- Brazil IT-BPO Conference, organized in partnership with Apex-Brazil – the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency and the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce of NY.
The summit will focus on Brazil’s rise as an economic powerhouse with growth projections tied closely to ICT advances and government investments in education, infrastructure and technology. The combination of market maturity, political stability, cultural affinity and highly qualified professional result in Brazil being able to offer outstanding opportunities for business development at a competitive cost.
When: November, 10, 2009 8:00 am – 2:00pm
Where: W Hotel, 541 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
About the Event: The Brazilian IT-BPO market is among the strongest and most mature in the world, having evolved in size, coverage and complexity over the past few decades. Brazil’s cultural affinity to the U.S. and overall market strength …
Blogging Live at Two Key Sourcing Events in NYC
November 4th, 2009Nearshore Americas will be actively covering two major conferences this week in New York City – the US-Brazil ITO BPO Summit at the W Hotel on Tuesday and the Global Sourcing Forum and Expo on Wednesday and Thursday. This is a great chance to connect and share feedback and ideas about our growing online brand.
Kraft’s Coulter Says Don’t Expect BPO Partners to be Innovation Leaders
September 30th, 2009Blogging Live – Chicago, Shared Services Outsourcing Network Summit:
Ever wonder why you’re not getting the innovative spirit you had hoped for in your BPO services provider?
The common compliant among countless outsourcing clients is that after years of engaging with services providers, they end up with far less strategic input than they expected at the outset. Tackling complexities around pricing, contracts and the shared responsibility of stimulating more contributions from suppliers was the topic of a breakout session at today’s SSON Summit in Chicago.
“Innovation in its truest sense is intended to create a better business result,” said Lee Coulter, SVP Shared Services at Kraft Foods, who insisted that to get what you really want
Smile for the Camera at IAOP Central America!
April 26th, 2009[slideshow id=3026418949609136287&w=426&h=320]
