What is a Call center, What is a ITES, What is BPO?

What is an IT Enabled Service?
IT Enabled Services are functions and services provided from a country different from the one where the end products are delivered. These services are delivered over telecommunication or data network lines.

Spectrum of IT Enabled Services

• Call centers

• Medical Transcription

• Back Office Transactions, Revenue accounting,

• Insurance claims processing

• Legal databases

• Content Development/Animation

• Payroll

• Logistics Management
  
  

How does a Call Center Function?
A typical call center functions as follows - A caller uses a toll free number that is connected to a customer support center. When the call reaches the call center, a trained consultant with access to a wide database of information, answers the call. The dedicated telecommunication links connect a remote call center to the parent organisation through voice links and online database access. There for a caller maybe calling a local number in USA, but the call maybe answered in India without any time delay and the caller is oblivious of where the call is being answered. These services are very popular in countries such as USA, Europe, Japan and Australia.

Types of a Call Centers.

There are two types of a Call Center, an Outbound Call Center and an Inbound Call center.

Key Responsibilities of an Outbound Call Center Personnel

• Make outgoing calls to follow up on overdue account holders worldwide, offer solutions

• Update the relevant information in the database

• Adhere to highest standard of quality and compliance

• Be customer friendly and extremely courteous

Key Responsibilities of an Inbound Call Center Personnel

• Handle inbound calls relating to customer queries on a product or service

• Update databases

• Adhere to highest standard of quality and compliance

• Be customer friendly and extremely courteous

Application Areas of a Call Center.
Sales Support

Complaint Handling

Technical queries

Relationship and Accounts Management

Lead generation and follow up

Telemarketing

Credit and Billing problems

Market Research

Database Development

Call centers are operated by large airlines, banks, mutual funds, telecom services, IT product companies among others.

Data Processing and Back Office Operations

What is data processing?

Data Processing is a category of IT Enabled Services that pertains to collecting, digitising and processing data that come from various sources. Most organisations like banks, financial institutions , airlines need large scale data entry and accounting work. The raw data is sent to remote locations where the data is processed and reconciliation's are done. The data processing services comprise of data entry from various forms or publications, documents, images, sound and video, preparing databases and integrating them.

The range of services would include the following:

• Document Preparation

• Data Entry

• Image capturing

• Image keying

• OCR and ICR Processing

• Image store and retrieval

• Data entry front end edits

• Statistical Analysis
  
  

Which industries would require data processing and back office operation?

• Insurance

• Banking

• Public utilities

• Telecom

• Legal

• Transportation

• Manufacturing

• Publishing

Insurance Claims Processing

Large insurance companies get a number of claims every day. These claims need to be processed based on set rules and regulations and can be done remotely. To save costs a large number of insurance companies are outsourcing the work. This is another service that is provided by the IT Enabled Sector

Legal databases

Lawyers need a steady flow of information on rulings, relevant laws and precedents to build up their case. A lot of legal firms have started outsourcing the work of creating a ready database/source of well managed and intelligent information.

The job comprises of:

• Create database of existing records

• Keeping track of new documents

• Creating an index of the records

• Incorporate the changes in the database as per established parameters

Lawyers can then use their computers to gather any information they need.

Employment Opportunities.
According to a survey there are more than 100,000 call centers worldwide and is expected to grow to 300,000 by 2002, employing around 18 million people. As per a survey, Customer Interaction Services including call centers in India employed about 8,600 people as on July 30, 2000. This segment will create employment for 2,70,000 people by year 2008.

Estimated Manpower figure by year 2005

The estimated manpower figures in the IT Enabled Services Industry by 2005 are as follows:
Back office operations-accounting, data entry, data conversion 150,000
Medical Transcriptions and Insurance Claims Processing 100,000
Call Centers 125,000
Database services 50,000
Web Based Help Desks 200,000
The above estimates are based on industry surveys conducted by leading Consultants.


The positives and negatives of working for the IT Enabled Service Industry.
The positives of working for the IT Enabled Service Industry

• Working for a reputed Multinational company

• Young energetic and enthusiastic colleagues

• Fun filled environment

• Top-of the line communication equipment

• Good performance rewards

The negatives of working for the IT Enabled Service Industry

• Night shifts

• Monotonous

• Short Career span
  

What are the Generic skill sets required.

• Fluency in written and spoken English

• PC Skills

• Ability to work in teams

• Listening skills

• Analytical skills

• Customer focus

• Be a graduate