Arrival of Cloud Campus Hubs

For the $8.4 Billion French business process management company Teleperformance, its India operation holds a special place. Starting from a single location in Gurugram in 2002, Teleperformance India is the company’s largest branch globally, serving over 200 clients across more than 20 countries in over 22 languages.

Overall, the India operation includes a strong team of 80,000 multicultural employees, which is 19% of the global strength of 420,000 workforces, and further plans to hire 20,000 people in the next 18 months, including from tier 2 and 3 cities, offering them the option to work from home or anywhere.

The global BPO player provides services for business optimisation, automation for frictionless interactions, urgent case management, regulatory and compliance services

Unlike the traditional BPO companies, customer support and back-office services represent only one aspect of services offered by the company in India. Instead, the company provides services for business optimisation, ranging from using automation for frictionless interactions and urgent case management to providing regulatory and compliance services.

“We also offer customer experience consulting, advanced analytics, business process optimisation, transformation solutions and trust and safety services including content moderation, and others,” says Amit Luthra, COO of Teleperformance India. The company offers comprehensive Artificial Intelligence operations, analytics and consulting services focusing on delivering tailored solutions and creating growth strategies for clients and to accelerate their digital transformation journey.

Digitally integrated business services

A key component of Teleperformance India’s operation is its digital integrated services, under which the company provides process automation, AI and predictive analytics support. “The idea is to create flexible systems that adapt quickly and can improve the consumer’s journey,” Luthra says.

He further elaborates that Lean Six Sigma, Design Thinking, and its Technology, Analytics, and Process Excellence framework is the bedrock for creating innovative solutions for clients to support the customer journey. “In technological terms, this involves methodologies such as Robotic Process Automation or Robotic Desktop Automation, chatbots integration or gamification,” he explains.

Cloud Campus hubs have been designed to recreate virtual operations floor, permanently connected with the project team, and scalable at short notice

On the analytics front, the company involves consumer sentiment analysis, recommendation engines, dynamic dashboards and reports, as well as trend identification and predictive models. It also helps companies improve their processes. “In terms of process excellence, it is important to highlight the mapping of the consumer journey, Six Sigma and Design Thinking methodologies, in continuous improvement logic. Hence we leverage innovation through robotics, AI, machine learning, and speech analytics processes to deliver customised business intelligence, desktop automation and mobility solutions.”

According to Luthra, the digitally integrated business services is aimed at enabling organisations to adapt to the latest in disruptive digital innovations and build long-term growth. “This is done by creating efficiency in complex and resource-intensive administrative processes to free up resources for better allocation. For example, in the healthcare vertical we have been able to streamline patient intake services through an automated triage, freeing up staff from administrative tasks and allowing them to focus on providing care,” he says.

Teleperformance India has also been able to help organisation’s save cost and enhance the customer interaction through its ‘High-Tech, High-Touch approach’ which ensures that customers benefit from both the speed of automation as well as the human touch.

Business after the pandemic

Like other industries, the pandemic resulted in a monumental shift in the way BPM and BPOs operate on a day-to-day basis. And while it presented significant challenges, it also brought in new opportunities, including a sudden spurt in demand for digital transformation and the adoption of cloud to keep up with the high demand for useable communication networks to support work from home.

Additionally, intelligent automation has been an extremely critical component enabling businesses to save costs and remain competitive in a post-pandemic economy.

“The increased demand for customer service across multiple digital channels means companies have to safely store a vast amount of data. This also means that there is an opportunity for organisations to better understand, manage, and meet users’ expectations and a growing appetite for personalised experiences,” Luthra elaborates.

The solution: use of advanced technologies, data security, and analytics. “This allows customer experience teams to create more human experiences. Hyper-personalisation allows businesses to use data to curate personalised customer journeys in real-time and anticipate what customers want,” he says.

Luthra further stresses that this has become more important than ever since businesses have started to revamp their IT infrastructure in the post-pandemic new normal and also to ensure that Teleperformance India continues to be in tune with the changing needs of prospective customers.

Teleperformance India is helping companies across 20 countries achieve long-term success through business-wide transformation.

In terms of internal operations, the disruption and challenges during the pandemic prompted multiple changes. “Businesses were immediately put under serious strain due to plummeting demand in some areas and work from home mandates. Teleperformance India was quick to act. We are pioneers in adopting cloud technology and offering a digital-first approach to our clients to be able to deliver seamless, omnichannel customer experience powered by robotics, AI and advanced analytics,” Luthra points out.

He further adds, “With a ‘High-Tech, High-Touch’ approach we leveraged the latest technology combined with human empathy, perfectly suited for the highly digitised post-pandemic world. Also, with work from home becoming the new normal, we utilised cloud as an effective medium for all businesses to efficiently train staff and connect to customers.”

Launch of Cloud Campus

The pandemic also saw the company launch its Teleperformance Cloud Campus TPCC, a global virtual workplace platform that enables remote teams to deliver zero-disruption services, offering an effective model for digital hiring, onboarding, training, engaging, and employee management.

Thanks to the TPCC, around 70% of Teleperformance employees worldwide are now working from home, compared to fewer than 5% before the health crisis. The TPCC is now being used in 54 countries, compared with 32 at year-end 2020.

“With Cloud Campus, our clients can rely on home-based customer service experts with the highest level of data security, best-in-class cloud infrastructure, and best talent,” Luthra explains.

Designed from the ground up to specifically support dispersed teams, the company’s digital command centres or Cloud Campus Hubs keep employees connected and engaged while providing support tools, coaching, and career advancement opportunities to enable remote teams to deliver outstanding customer experience and back-office services.

Points out Luthra: “The Cloud Campus hubs have been designed to recreate a virtual operations floor, permanently connected with the project team and it can scale capacity at short notice. Having all supporting teams connected in real-time nurtures relationships and trust for those who may have otherwise felt isolated working from home. As a people-focused company, Teleperformance is leveraging gamification to recover socialness and camaraderie and to boost employee wellbeing, resulting in consistent customer service for our clients.”

Employee-first and diversity approach

For a company that focuses on people’s first approach and diversity, TPCC proved to be a very efficient and effective model for hiring, training and managing remote teams while ensuring exceptional, consistent customer experiences.

It also uses predictive analytics and AI-driven interventions throughout the ‘Hire to Retire’ process to ensure that the right talent is recruited and supported with a seamless experience during their stint with the company. For example, it uses an analytics-led candidate shortlisting approach followed by an AI-powered skills assessment and automated rollout of offer letters. It has also automated the full and final settlement process, including the release of experience letters.

The company focuses on gender diversity from the initial hiring stage and includes professional mentorship programmes to address career and related growth challenges. Besides, a mix of programmes like Crucial Conversations, Leading with Emotional Intelligence and Design Thinking has further strengthened the initiative.

The company also runs some of the most impactful initiatives to make workplaces wholesome and promote diversity and inclusion. These include specialised forums like the TP Women for engaging with women employees and creating a work environment conducive to growth, work-life balance and additional support for sustainable professional life. The TP Women forum is based on three key elements: collaboration, gender equality, and empowerment of women.

While 39% of Teleperformance India’s present workforce is women, the diversity and empowerment of women employees go beyond the social cause for the company; it also has a strong business case driven by the need for human empathy in providing the best customer service. With a majority of the trillions of dollars of consumer spending globally being influenced by women, the company strongly believes that women employees are better placed to understand customer needs and provide solutions.

Gearing up for Services 4.0

With the world moving towards massive automation and Industry 4.0 and the pandemic leading to the urgency of going digital, including massive process and business transformation, and automation, Teleperformance India also quickly switched gear and move towards the Service 4.0 era.

According to Krishna Baidya, Director, Information and Communication Technology at Frost and Sullivan, the company’s High-tech, High-touch approach delivers a combination of technology and human empathy through NLP, automation, voice assistants, chatbots, self-service, and AI. In addition, it has integrated its CX services with DIBS – Digital Integrated Business Services – to offer digital solutions, high-value-added BPM services, and consulting services.

Thriving on its TAP framework and the ‘High-Tech, High-Touch’ approach, the company has witnessed unprecedented growth in the first half of 2022. “We have new business from leading brands from different industry verticals ranging from business and finance services, travel, retail and new technology to app-based start-ups and niche crypto players,” Luthra informs.

“This year we have added many amazing brands to our clientele and new lines of business for existing clients and over 49% of revenue is contributed by digital channels. We are committed to enabling businesses to adapt to today’s disruptive digital innovations, enhance customer experience, and build long-term growth,” he says.

According to the COO, taking advantage of emerging technologies has been critical to the post-pandemic business response, including RPA, advanced analytics and process excellence. “0need for business services including consumer experience, back-office and transformation solutions,” Luthra says.

Cloud Campus hubs have been designed to recreate virtual operations floor, permanently connected with the project team, and scalable at short notice

And the half-yearly numbers confer his claims. According to the recently announced consolidated financial statements for the six months ended 30 June 2022, operations in India generated revenues of €264 Million, a jump of 18% like-for-like from the previous-year period and a 24.8% growth, considering the appreciation of the Indian Rupee against the Euro. The report also indicates 18.9% like-for-like revenue growth in the second quarter for Teleperformance India.

The report also points out that overall, the earnings before interest, taxes, and amortisation EBITA before non-recurring items in the India region rose to €46 Million in first-half 2022 from €35 Million the year before, while the EBITA margin rose to 17.5% from 16.7% in first-half 2021. The increase was primarily attributable to the rapid growth in the highly profitable offshore activity.

Also, offshore activities which constitute the region’s main source of revenue and include high value-added solutions continued to grow rapidly and benefit from the dynamism of the group’s client base of global leaders in the travel, consumer electronics, healthcare, internet, online entertainment and e-tailing sectors. Revenue in the automotive sector also grew rapidly during the period.

Strategic initiatives

Scaling up proprietary digital platforms that enable transformations, including TP client omnichannel and workforce management, TP RPA intelligent automation, including cognitive automation, TP Recommender predictive analytics, and TP Interact text and speech, customer sentiment analytics.
Developing multilingual hubs to serve pan-Asian and pan-European and programs, enabling the company to nurture long-term client relationships.
Adopting people-first strategy and High-Tech, High-Touch mantra that enables the company to approach digital solutions with an emphasis on the human touch.
Supporting clients from a wide range of industry verticals, including telecom, automotive, banking and financial services, healthcare, and the digital economy.

Technology initiatives

A key component of Teleperformance India’s operation is its digital integrated services, under which the company provides process automation, AI and predictive analytics support.
Lean Six Sigma, Design Thinking, and Technology, Analytics, and Process Excellence TAP framework enables the company to create customer support solutions.
The Teleperformance Cloud Campus enables remote teams in digital hiring, onboarding, training, engaging, and employee management.
On the analytics front, the company involves consumer sentiment analysis, recommendation engines, dynamic dashboards and reports, as well as trend identification and predictive models.
Teleperformance has also integrated the CX services with Digital Integrated Business Services to offer digital solutions, high-value-added BPM services, and consulting services.

Cloud Campus Hubs from Teleperformance

Global virtual workplaces to deliver zero-disruption services.
In use across 54 countries compared with 32 at year-end 2020.
Built with data security, cloud infrastructure, specialised talent.
A virtual operations floor connected with the project team.
Supporting teams are connected in real-time nurturing trust.
Designed from the ground up to support dispersed teams these are the company’s digital command centres.
This keeps employees engaged while providing support tools, coaching, career advancement opportunities.
70% of employees worldwide are now working from home compared to fewer than 5% before the pandemic.
It is leveraging gamification to recover socialness, camaraderie, employee wellbeing.

The BPO player has launched global virtual workplaces for remote teams to deliver zero-disruption services, with digital hiring, onboarding, and training.

Shubhendu Parth is a contributor to Business Transformation Asia

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