by Shane Henson — January 4, 2012—Professionals working in the outsourcing industry will need to remain flexible as the year 2012 promises to bring new business realities, delivery models, destinations and technologies, according to the fifth annual trend predictions just released by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP).
While the uncertain economy and the elections will impact the industry, the winners will be: locations in the United States and near shore as well as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China); collaborative delivery models; and companies using converging technologies, IAOP’s thought leaders say.
Trends to watch and prepare for:
- Sourcing Close to Home: Higher unemployment, economically blighted urban areas, and local government incentives will drive more companies to look to stay on shore, especially in the United States. Nearshoring, rural sourcing and domestic sourcing will be on the rise.
- BRIC Surge: Look for the BRIC countries—Brazil, Russia, India and China—to surge as outsourcing destinations in the coming year. Hosting both the 2012 World Cup and the Olympics will bring tremendous visibility to Brazil, making it a strong Latin American country in the coming year.
- Collaborative and Strategic: Models where customers and service providers work collaboratively to develop performance-based partnership will be increasingly used by companies. Customers will move outsourcing out of the back-office and into more customer-facing processes and more strategic opportunities.
- M&As: Expect to see more consolidation as providers struggle with tight access to capital and to meet growth expectations given the uncertain economic and political situation worldwide.
- Technology Convergence: The convergence of social networking, collaboration and mobility platforms will create a significant demand for value-added outsourcing services. Companies will increase their emphasis on social media to source talent globally, position their products and services, and collect intelligence around their end users that goes significantly beyond search engine optimization (SEO).
- Cloud Concerns: As cloud computing solutions continue to proliferate worldwide, customers and suppliers will continue to struggle to comply with increased government regulations, the real risks of cyber-security, and threats of eco-terrorism.
- BRIC Surge: Look for the BRIC countries—Brazil, Russia, India and China—to surge as outsourcing destinations in the coming year. Hosting both the 2012 World Cup and the Olympics will bring tremendous visibility to Brazil, making it a strong Latin American country in the coming year.
