Date:24/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/08/24/stories/2004082402260700.htm

Back `Manpower management is big challenge for BPO units'

Our Bureau

Kolkata , Aug 23

APPROPRIATE manpower management will increasingly emerge as a major challenge in a scenario where the business process outsourcing (BPO) segment is growing at a very fast rate, according to Mr Roopen Roy, Managing Director of PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt Ltd.

Addressing a workshop on `Business process outsourcing - opportunities & challenges' organised here by The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr Roy said that, last year, the BPO industry in India had recorded a growth of 50 per cent over the previous year. Companies will continue to outsource non-core activities to BPO companies. As such, it will be important to give due importance to supply-side manpower management to improve the quality of people deployed in the sector.

Mr Roy said emphasis should also be laid on the security aspects and BPO companies must develop trust with their clients on this score. While earlier there were varying quality standards on security aspects, the need of the hour is to focus on standardisation of security , such as data and IP security.In his remarks at the workshop, Mr Joydeep Datta Gupta, Head of the Information Technology Sub-Committee of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said that as the BPO industry in Kolkata scales up, there would be pressure on local companies to retain and attract specialised manpower in areas such as finance and human resources.

"With the likes of Wipro, IBM, HSBC and others setting up BPO operations here, it is estimated that an additional 5,000-10,000 trained people would be required by the BPO industry in the next two years. The big players will attract talent from local companies and, hence, the latter need to draw up contingency plans to tackle the eventuality," he said.