[kictanet] develop the LOCAL outsourcing market

[Marcel Werner]

We are encouraged by the developments in the BPO Sector. The recent meeting
between Kenya BPO & Contact Center Society and the ICT Board revealed steps
in the right direction as regards engagement by local entities and more
specifically, Government, in taking the lead in outsourcing. The positive
engagement between the BPO Society and The Ministry of Special Projects in
establishing a call/contact center facility for the easy access by the
displaced and other dis-enfranchised Kenyans following the recent sad events
is a commendable effort.

I am informed that the Kenya Police was severely constrained and could
hardly cope with the numerous distress calls that it received because of
inadequate technological systems. They may also similarly be looking to
enhance their capability.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is a healthy practice and common business
sense that helps improve efficiency. Farming out non-mission-critical tasks
to specialised service providers creates jobs. Not only if the client is
off-shore, but also if the client is local and now more focused on its core
business, thereby becoming more competitive and cost-effective. We have not
seen much evidence that we are scouting around at home for BPO
opportunities, more urgent now that the country's international image has
taken a beating during the past few weeks. Those locally based companies
that have capabilities to offer BPO services should be given more support,
also from locally based clients. This is good for the economy, and good for
the BPO industry.

Positive steps being taken by the Kenya ICT Board in promoting Kenya as an
Outsource destination should be fully supported. More should also be done by
the local business that should equally be encouraged to outsource. Some,
like Safaricom, had made some indications towards outsourcing and nobody
knows where this process ended. The Kenya ICT Board, The Ministry of ICT and
other ICT Sector Associations should be urged to lobby for such
opportunities to be given to local BPO Operators, not only because it
enables job creation in these hard times, but also because it helps
establish a local competence and capability that we need before we embark on
the international leg of selling Kenya as an outsource destination.

What are the industry players doing in encouraging this? Over to you….

Marcel Werner, chairman Kenya ICT Federation - www.kif.or.ke

please send any office correspondence to: marcelwerner at innovation-africa.net
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