Tag: Dan Meyer

Outsourcing Tip > BPO Contract Negotiations: Learn About Both “the Big Picture” and “the Fine Print”

This is the title of a seminar I put together awhile back for small and medium-sized BPO owners, executives and managers. The objective was to address the latest business challenges in the BPO Sector as related to contract negotiations.

We engaged several practitioners to come up with an approach to empower the audience with new and innovative ways to optimize their contract negotiation process.

Here are some of the highlights:
• The biggest challenge that comes with contract negotiations is generally around money. A well thought out and detailed business proposal is key in mitigating misunderstandings and conflict around the cost of outsourcing work.
• The smoothest transitions are generally ones managed by a seasoned project manager, but if you don’t have one, we outlined what needs to be done.
• We also talked about how process mapping can lead to process improvement and how to account for that in the contract.
• Using models to show base, best and worse case scenarios is key to making sure the contract will not become a negative business hindrance to either party.
• We will discuss the importance of clearly and consistently engaging and communicating with key players both internally and with overseas partners.
• Many time negotiations begin informally and just involve the principles as they have a handshake agreement.
• Service Level Agreements and Production Quotas should either be included in the contract or in an addendum that clearly outline expected results.
• If pricing is depending on meeting certain metrics, its imperative that both the goals and how the goals will be measured and reported are included in the contract.

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At the end of the workshop, attendees should have walked away with the following items of knowledge:
1. An appreciation for all the work that needs to happen before the actual contract is signed between the business and the overseas partner.
2. Several tips on how to make sure the contract is an ironclad as possible in terms of anticipating challenges.
3. Several tools and resources to help them in preparing the BPO contract.
4. A checklist of things to not forget to account for in the actual contract language itself.

So, when it comes to setting up an outsourcing partnership, don’t fall victim to charging ahead without a clear idea of what you need to happen in the contract negotiations process to ensure success!

Analytics Outsourcing – DMAIPH has successful set up Filipino analytics teams for over a dozen U.S. based businesses. Offering both virtual and office based teams that specialize in problem solving using data, new technology and analytics techniques is our strength. Finding and empowering analytics talent is increasingly challenging, but we have it down to a science. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to learn more about how to set up an analytics-centric team in the Philippines.

Outsourcing Tip > Size the Opportunity! Not to be confused with Seizing the Opportunity.

When you have an opportunity to get involved with outsourcing, it always sounds like a good way to make some fast money.

The news has been abuzz for a while now with mounds of data and statistics about the high-speed growth in the outsourcing industry, especially here in the Philippines. Just yesterday I saw a projection that BPOs in the Philippines are expecting to see a 15% growth in revenues in 2014.

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You couple that with the fact that everyone here knows someone who is making good money as a call center agent or investing in real estate that will be used by call centers, or have a friend in the US who knows someone who wants to save money by outsourcing. It’s one of those everyone is doing it, so why can’t I kinds of things.

This is all good, but there are just as many failures as there are success stories when it comes to small and medium-sized BPOs. Ones where someone had a client, or a building, or an idea but didn’t size it right and misjudged on cost, or talent or market and had to close their doors and lost money.

So when you have an outsourcing opportunity in front of you, whether it be as provider or a client, make sure you size it right. Here are a few things to think about:

  1. Does the client already have an existing business that they want to outsource? If so, fully understand all the requirements of that job as it is currently performed.
  2. Can you find the talent in the Philippines to provide just as good if not a little better service as currently is being provided? A common mistake is thinking that cutting both cost and the level of service will be a win-win.
  3. How scalable is this project? How can both ends be managed in a way that allows for uninterrupted growth? Often things start easy when it’s a pilot, but once you get into production a host of issues can pop up to derail growth and ultimately the partnership.
  4. How stable is the client? Are they a startup that has a great idea and is underfunded? Those are plentiful. Or are they an established business with a strategic plan that includes the fortitude to successfully outsource a key piece of its business? These are hard to find.

That is just a few things that come to mind when I think about sizing the opportunity. Having set up 5 teams in the past year to provide outsourcing services, I have learned a lot about making sure I get the sizing done right. Keeping a client happy is all about under promising and then over delivering when it comes to time, talent and cost.

Analytics Outsourcing – DMAIPH has successful set up Filipino analytics teams for over a dozen U.S. based businesses. Offering both virtual and office based teams that specialize in problem solving using data, new technology and analytics techniques is our strength. Finding and empowering analytics talent is increasingly challenging, but we have it down to a science. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to learn more about how to set up an analytics-centric team in the Philippines.

Being A Great Analyst > Attribute #2: Visualize Your Data

Most people learn by seeing something… that’s definitely true when it comes to using data. They not only learn more, but data visualization also a quicker sharing of information and also enhances communication.

Here’s an example. My management team was discussing how to enhance our coaching efforts with the team and since each of my direct reports has a different area of responsibility; production, quality and schedule adherence, they were having trouble agreeing on which analysts needed the most coaching. They each produced reports that were stand alone documents that would be shared via email or dropbox.

So I suggested we build a simple business dashboard. A business dashboard looks something like this:

It’s a simple collection of visuals built on top of a data file.

I created a simple Google docs spreadsheet and shared it. Each of the key performance indicators used to evaluate employee success was given a column and I put each employee a row. I then had each of my directs input the relevant data points and quickly we had a rudimentary business dashboard and I now I have a much more in synch management team.

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Simple analytics solutions like this are at the fingertips of any business. You just need to know when, where, and how best to implement them. Something so simple as a place to share data is so often overlooked by even the most successful businesses.

Analytics Culture – The key to using analytics in a business is like a secret sauce. It is a unique combination of analytics talent, technology and technique that are brought together to enrich and empower an organization. A successful analytics culture is not easy to create, but DMAIPH can show you how. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly so we can build a strategic plan to turn your company into analytics driven success story.

Being A Great Analyst > Key Attribute #1 > Know A Lot

Often you here people in business talk about how it’s more important to be either a master at one thing or a jack of all trades. When it comes to being a great analyst, you see many who are great because they have mastered their subject or a certain analytics tool. On the flip side you see many great analysts who seem to know a lot about a lot and are proficient across multiple subjects and/or can use many analytics tools. So which is better?

From both my experience and my personal perspective, analysts who know a lot about a lot are rarer and more valuable to a business. Based on both an accumulation of knowledge and the ability to work in various environments, analysts who are considered to jack of all trades kinds are in general great analysts.

IMG_6912 However, I have also found that most business actually find more value in master of certain type of analysis work or someone who is great at using a certain tool. Specialization is something that is on the surface very impressive as it shows discipline and competency in a certain subject. They know a lot about their area of expertise and are recognized as such.

Occasionally you can even come across analyst who are both knowledgeable about a lot and even more knowledgeable about a specific subject matter. Now that is a rare breed.

So, no matter what type of analyst you are or want to be, the bottom line is you need to constantly read and connect and expand your knowledge… you need to know a lot if you want to be great!

Analytics Culture – The key to using analytics in a business is like a secret sauce. It is a unique combination of analytics talent, technology and technique that are brought together to enrich and empower an organization. A successful analytics culture is not easy to create, but DMAIPH can show you how. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly so we can build a strategic plan to turn your company into analytics driven success story.

Philippines Analytics Outlook 2014 (4 of 4): Challenges of Hiring Big Data Talent

http://itstaffing.matrixresources.com/opportunities/tech-trends/challenges-hiring-big-data-talent

One of the biggest challenges I see in the Philippines right now is finding the right mix of talent and work ethic in analytics candidates. The core personality trait behind any good analyst is curiosity… the drive to find answers to business questions. The personality trait is however not one that is truly valued within the Filipino business culture. Asking questions can easily be perceived as a threat to authority and to the status quo.

When you look at the current state of things in the U.S., you can easily extrapolate that its even more severe in the Philippines. As the article in the above link demonstrates there is a significant challenge of hiring analytics talent, especially those who can manage and analyze big data.

“Over 300 professionals at the IT executive, director and management levels pinpoints what employers endure while trying to execute big data initiatives and recruit the IT talent needed to handle these initiatives.
• 88% of companies say they are facing a shortage of IT talent able to successfully execute big data initiatives.
• 39% say a lack of available IT talent is negatively affecting their ability to make data-driven decisions, while
• 36% are falling behind in their big data initiatives
• 35% have people in place who are unqualified for the job.
• Only 4% of companies rate the alignment of existing IT employees’ skill sets with big data initiatives as excellent
• while 56% rate them as fair or poor.”

In order to overcome these challenges business are taking steps to recruit new talent or retain existing talent for big data initiatives. The most common solution is to send current employees to external training programs.

External training is easier to implement than starting up internal cross training with other departments or search other departments within the organization for talent. This leads to pirating talent from competitors, which is very unhealthy for the industry as a whole.

So, it you want to stay ahead of the game and find talent that can keep you on the forefront of analytics, the best solution is to engage DMAI to either come in and train your team or send them to one of the DMAI public trainings coming soon.

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Philippines Analytics Outlook 2014 (3 of 4): Most In-Demand IT Skills

http://itstaffing.matrixresources.com/opportunities/tech-trends/most-demand-it-skills

Date: 12/10/2013
Source: Wanted Analytics

The most jobs in demand right now fall under information technology. Wanted Analytics found the most commonly advertised IT skills in this category to see which abilities candidates need to posses to help businesses close gaps.

There are many options for technical training in the Philippines and many schools specialize in producing grads trained in certain applications and programming languages. However, many times they fall short in teaching soft skills.

See my notes on how DMAI can address five of these soft skills needs for businesses operating in the Philippines by our innovative training offerings.

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Most In-Demand IT Skills
1.Oral and Written Communication > This is Key! So many good analysts have great tech skills, but lack the people skills to be great analysts. This is where my training makes the biggest difference.
2.Software Development
3.Troubleshooting > A lot of times you find that analysis work is more about helping someone understand why things are based on the data. I teach my trainees who to look be a troubleshooter and not just a process follower .
4.Java
5.Project Management
6.Structured Query Language (SQL)
7.Problem Solving > Another weakness of many fresh grads is that they can fix things that make sense, but when faced with unexpected or challenging issues, they lack the confidence to solve problems. I can empower that missing self-confidence.
8.Linux
9.Oracle
10.UNIX
11.JavaScript
12.Quality Assurance (QA)
13.Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
14.Microsoft SQL Server (MS SQL)
15.Microsoft Office
16.Business Requirements Gathering > Knowing what the problem is, communicating it and reporting on it, making sure communication lines are open, involving all stakeholders in requirements gathering, good end-user design, knowing where data lives and how to unlock it… all things we work on through hands on exercises in my trainings.
17.Detail Oriented
18.Self-starting / Self-motivated > Being able to identify a business need or issue and bring it to management before something blows up, is another strength that separates good from great analysts. My trainees are encouraged to do this and taught how to do it a way that is down right enchanting.
19.Application Development
20.Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

One of my favorite blog posts from the past year! Know the Difference Between Your Data and Your Metrics

http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/03/know-the-difference-between-yo/

Know the Difference Between Your Data and Your Metrics

How many views make a YouTube video a success? How about 1.5 million? That’s how many views a video our organization, DoSomething.org, posted in 2011 got. It featured some well-known YouTube celebrities, who asked young people to donate their used sports equipment to youth in need. It was twice as popular as any video Dosomething.org had posted to date. Success! Then came the data report: only eight viewers had signed up to donate equipment, and zero actually donated.

Zero donations. From 1.5 million views. Suddenly, it was clear that for DoSomething.org, views did not equal success. In terms of donations, the video was a complete failure.

What happened? We were concerned with the wrong metric. A metric contains a single type of data, e.g., video views or equipment donations. A successful organization can only measure so many things well and what it measures ties to its definition of success. For DoSomething.org, that’s social change. In the case above, success meant donations, not video views. As we learned, there is a difference between numbers and numbers that matter. This is what separates data from metrics.

Guest Blog: How Does HR Use Social Media? (Infographic)

http://www.socialtalent.co/blog/how-does-hr-use-social-media-infographic

Home » Blog » How Does HR Use Social Media? (Infographic)

How Does HR Use Social Media? (Infographic)

social-media-2013-survey

Posted by Siofra Pratt, December 19th 2013

Over the past year we’ve heard all about how recruiters use social media to bolster their sourcing efforts, now it’s HR’s turn! – See more at: http://www.socialtalent.co/blog/how-does-hr-use-social-media-infographic#sthash.XybotY5m.dpuf

Philippines Analytics Outlook 2014 (2 of 4): Top Skills in Demand

LinkedIn recently came out with the 25 hottest skills from 2013 based on their 259+ million member profiles. As you can see below, this list of skills in demand is dominated by technology skills. Business growth and development also tops the chart, showing growth in next year’s forecast. http://itstaffing.matrixresources.com/opportunities/tech-trends/top-25-skills-linkedin-2013

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So what does this mean for us in 2014 and for us going to school or working and doing business in the Philippines?

•Technology skills are highly valued. It’s almost 2014. This shouldn’t come as a big surprise, but if it isn’t already painfully clear why Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education is a top priority for many of the world’s governments, now you know. However in the Philippines, we are still producing more nurses and accountants then we are analysts. So training classes like our are going to be in an ever increasing demand.

•We live in a data-driven world. Cloud and distributed computing (#3), data mining (#5), and data engineering (#12) being highly ranked on our list paints a picture of a world overwhelmed with information, with businesses scrambling to store, retrieve, and make sense of it all. HP and IBM know this and are pushing training into the schools. BPAP knows this has partnered with a number of schools. But in the next 3-5 years its still going to be primarily people like DMAI up training folks to plug the gaps. This gets back to the consistent increase in jobstreet postings for analytics talent.. up 33% from a year ago.

•Businesses are looking to grow. Recruiting (#8), business development (#9), and strategic planning (#24) are all skills that help businesses hire more employees and find new sources of revenue. Expectations of 20% growth in the BPO industry in the Philippines is being lead by “up the value chain” type jobs and many of them require the analytics and data interpretation skills we specialize in.

So, with 2014 fast approaching, its time to think about how to get more training in analytics or how to get more trained analysts in your business. These are high demand, limited supply needs that will only get more extreme in the next few years.

Follow our blog to find out when the next DMAI analytics training is coming.

A Really Big Data Creation Project

About a week ago I got a random e-mail from a strategic research company based in India asking me if I could help them find some information on the domestic remittance market in the Philippines. They specialize ins preparing research for various financial and banking segments and are looking to put together a paper on this topic. From my experience with Wells Fargo and having set up a business in the Philippines, I’ve managed to make a lot of connections that would undoubtedly help find them some of the data they need.

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First off though, I told them up front… there is no where you are just going to find the data they are looking for in one or two places. Most of the data on this topics is going to be unstructured… and what is available is going to be with a narrow focus and incomplete.

And this is something I am very good at… creating data. Taking a diverse collection of sources and using them to create a landscape of information. Data creation definitely falls more into the art side of analytics, because it’s all about networking and connecting the dots and taking educated guesses… not a lot of hard science!

This kind of analytics is very hard because most analysts are only comfortable working with data that’s been validated, is housed with a structured architecture and can be easily queried. They like playing with big data when it’s in a defined sandbox. The data needed for this project is scattered all over the place and in many cases hasn’t even been sourced yet.

So looking at some of the requirements; (1) domestic remittance transaction counts and peso volumes, (2) top remittance corridors, (3) major players in the market, and (4) channel used for transfers… its pretty clear we’ll need to lean on the Central Bank, and several other financial services providers to get data. We also need some demographics on the people doing the transfers and look at recent trends… and in addition, the client wants to include bill payments. It’s an extremely ambitious project.

Stay tuned to see how it ends up.