Industry news

  • 4 Jan 2017 12:00 AM | Anonymous

    High street retailer Next has warned of a difficult year ahead after sales fell in the pre-Christmas period. The retail industry is likely to face continued pressure in 2017 as prices rise, putting pressure on consumer spending. The BRC (British Retail Consortium) has warned that the industry could face tough challenges in 2017 after noting the start in an upward trend in prices in the final months of 2016. Many in the industry may use innovation and digital technology to cut costs and increase output.

    To read more from the BRC, click here.

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  • 4 Jan 2017 12:00 AM | Anonymous

    According to Gary Shapiro, attending the CES tech show, the UK governments support for tech start-ups is embarrassing, trailing France and the Netherlands. Many countries set up stalls to advertise tech start-ups from their countries at the well-attended event however the UK was not among them. UK companies have complained before about the UK’s lack of investment and support for start-up tech firms and many hope that change is on the way. To illustrate the point, 55 UK companies are attending CES, France has 248.

    To find out more, click here.

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  • 19 Dec 2016 12:00 AM | Anonymous

    In the Economist this week is an interesting article about the effect of Brexit on the regulations that effect British industry and procurement. The red tape that surrounds much of the EU has of course spilled over into and untangling the web would be a daunting challenge. Areas such as manufacturing, regulatory bodies and public procurement will all face change as the UK leaves the European Union. You can read the article here.

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  • 19 Dec 2016 12:00 AM | Anonymous

    The BBC is reporting that insurance claims for data breaches are being made at a rate of more than one a day. The figures come from CFC Underwriting which says it dealt with over 400 claims cyber-breach policies in the year of 2016. The main focus of the attacks was to steal data or cash according to the firm. “Cyber-insurance was becoming necessary to help firms cope with the volume of attacks they faced everyday” said Graeme Newman, chief innovation officer at CFC Underwriting. For more on the story, click here.

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  • 19 Dec 2016 12:00 AM | Anonymous

    Britain's intelligence agencies need to do more to help regulators protect the financial services industry from cyber-crime, the head of an influential parliamentary committee said on Monday according to Reuters. "It is essential that the intelligence community gives the regulators the technical and practical support they need to do their job. This means making sure that financial cyber-crime has a high priority, and is not subordinate to other work," said Andrew Tyrie, a lawmaker in the ruling Conservative Party. To learn more, click here.

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  • 15 Dec 2016 12:00 AM | Anonymous

    HfS has released their 2016 RPA Premier League table, providing a list of the big players in the industry as we move into 2017. The table assessors the competitive landscape of service providers in two categories: Transformation Enablers and Automation Pure Plays. The report focuses on implementations not just broader advisory services or tool selection projects. This is fascinating report for the end of 2016 with the changes predicted for the coming year. You can learn more by clicking here.

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    More news about HfS from sourcingfocus.com: HfS Research & GSA Announce Global Partnership

  • 14 Dec 2016 12:00 AM | Anonymous

    South Africa is steadily asserting itself as a key global hub for the BPO, LPO and call centre services sectors in 2017 and beyond.

    Ranked 74th on the World Bank's ‘Ease of doing business report’, it is placed well above those regions it views as being its main competitors - India (130) and the Philippines (99) - scoring highly in topics such as protection of minority investors, obtaining credit and paying taxes. What’s more, The World Economic Forum ranked South Africa among the top 50 countries, noting its innovation investment (making South Africa the region’s most innovative economy), its efficient financial markets (placing among the top 15 in the world) and its strong institutions and robust legal framework. Plus, of course, South Africa recently won the ‘Outsourcing Destination of the Year 2016’ at the GSA UK Awards, it’s third victory in the category in five years.

    The sourcing delivery destination has been working hard to continuously improve the business environment that the country can offer. The first world infrastructure is a particular draw for service providers, with world class airports, good road systems and a capable digital infrastructure. With such a robust telecoms and transport infrastructure already in place and well established, the cost of operating a business in the country has been rapidly falling, making it an attractive competitor for business investment. Thanks to time zone similarities (South Africa is two hours ahead of the UK) and direct flights from London airports, South Africa also claims an advantage over its competitors with ease of access.

    The highly skilled and English speaking workforce is also comparatively cheap, with wages roughly half that of the equivalent UK worker. South Africa’s strong higher education system provides plenty of graduates with perfect English language skills. Alongside this, many South African companies have been using impact sourcing, a practice supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, designed to reduce poverty by offering career development opportunities to people who otherwise would have limited prospects for formal employment due to poverty.

    Many large organisations have already set up operations in South Africa including Amazon.com, Bloomberg, TalkTalk, Lufthansa and British Gas. Four of the leading six UK contact centre service providers have operations in the country including Capita and Serco, and organisations such as State Street, Old Mutual and Prudential also leverage South Africa’s robust legal and financial services systems as well as its pool of talented graduates. Further, numerous leading law firms already have operations there, including Eversheds, Hogan Lovells and Pinsent Masons.

    Summary

    Thanks to low comparative costs, the high standard of living and the comparatively low risk stability of South Africa in the region, many will consider South Africa a great option for shared services and contact centre services. Boasting a vibrant and dynamic democracy with a credible opposition, the South African economy and business future will continue to offer great potential for a wide variety of services. The OECD predicts economic growth to strengthen in 2017 and 2018 thanks in part to continuing infrastructure improvements, consumption and investment.

    Although the South African government needs to stick to its consolidation path to maintain its competitive business environment, the region has undoubtedly risen above its competitors for the past decade and will remain a key market for BPO, LPO and call centre services sectors for the foreseeable future

  • 13 Dec 2016 12:00 AM | Anonymous

    UK inflation rose to 1.2% in November, the highest figure since October 2014. Clothing, restaurants and fuel were responsible for most of the rise with falls in air fares, non-alcoholic drinks and food. Many expect the weaker pound to push up prices over the coming years. For more information, click here.

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  • 13 Dec 2016 12:00 AM | Anonymous

    Microsoft has awarded Accenture a seven-year contract extension to continue providing finance and accounting and procurement business process services. Accenture will leverage artificial intelligence, automation and analytics capabilities to deliver better business insights and help Microsoft increase productivity and efficiency. Sean McNamara, managing director for Accenture’s Communications, Media & Technology business, said, “Our relationship with Microsoft is one of the industry’s great examples of what two organizations can achieve in a long-term, sustained collaboration that’s focused on driving business outcomes.”

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  • 13 Dec 2016 12:00 AM | Anonymous

    According to ComputerWeekly.com, KPMG has warned British business not to be complacent over GDPR requirements because of Brexit. Despite uncertainty as to the future of Brexit negotiations, GFPR requirements will still be followed to trade in the Euro Zone. GDPR regulation will attempt to unify data protection rules from across the continent. To read more about GDPR requirements, click here.

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