March 2007 BPESA Monthly Newsletter Issue 02
 
   
  From the Editors Desk      
 

A warm and hearty welcome to all our members, all of us within BPeSA (Business Process enabling SA), trust and hope you will enjoy reading our newsletter.

This year has already brought about various changes within BPeSA . We have adopted a new brand and logo, which I am sure you will agree, is more representative of the BPO industry. We have also launched our new website and would appreciate your feedback on it. Please give it a visit on www.bpesa.org.za. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

As part of the restructuring process we have appointed additional new directors who have joined our existing board, please welcome Suleman Shaik (CEO of Direct Channel Holdings); Mark Harris (MD of IBM South Africa (Pty) Ltd); Nat Kekana (CEO of Msima Communications); Tracy Czakan (Group Marketing Director of Kelly Group); Pepi Silinga (CEO of Coega Development Zone); Angus Brown (CEO of FNB Contact Centres), Andrew Briggs (Group CEO of CIS, Didata) and Sipho Zungu (Chairman of CallingtheCape and Client Services Manager at Fairbairn Capital).  Each individual brings qualities and traits to BPeSA that will assist in steering the organization from strength to strength.  I am sure everyone will join me in welcoming them and wishing them the best for the future.

You will also read about the national road shows we are conducting with SABS (SA Bureau of Standards) in the different regions. The aim of the road shows will be to share with you the final draft of the national quality assurance framework (recommended practices) and the national membership drive that started last year. Next on the agenda is the launching of our national awards in March 2007, but before doing so we would like your input and feedback regarding any changes or additions you would like to see this year. We would also like your input on how best to structure the awards sponsorship for mutual benefits and how best to structure the regional and national events without exhausting our sponsors. You input via email to info@bpesa.org.za is welcome.

Another cause for celebration is the milestone reached when government approved the Government Assistance and Support for the BPO industry. A thank you to all involved in reaching this goal especially to the Minister of the dti and the Partnership Committee which supported all the process. The recently approved Comprehensive Government Assistance and Support for the BPO&O industry is a major milestone for the country to create new jobs and position SA as an ideal investment location for offshore opportunities.

So as you can see, there have been many changes at BPeSA and much planned for the future.  We are excited to be sharing all these changes with you.

We trust you will enjoy this issue of the newsletter and would welcome any feedback at    info@bpesa.org.za

Till next time!!!!!

Kind regards

Mfanu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  Message From the Chairman  
 
SACCCOM UNDERGOES FACELIFT – LET’S WELCOME BPeSA

This year has seen many changes taking place at BPeSA .  A new brand and logo was chosen to replace the old SACCCOM brand.  This decision was taken in view of the organizations mandate changing from just focusing on the call centre industry to encompassing the broader BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) sector.

After many hours at the drawing board a new logo was decided upon which was accepted and sanctioned by the board of directors and ratified by the partnership committee.

We are also proud to announce the appointments of the new board members. Join me in welcoming our new board members as they join BPeSA at a very crucial stage of the restructuring.

The individuals represented on our board are a diverse group of men and women who each possess qualities and traits essential for steering the organization into the right direction.  As BPeSA furthers its restructuring going forward the board presentation will be further increased.

BPeSA ’s passionate, talented and committed executive team will ensure that the organization lives by its vision and mission to grow the industry and ensure national job and wealth creation.

In the words of our deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka when addressing industry leaders at a conference in London, “The BPO sector is not just the flavour of the month, but one which will help to move South Africa further up the value chain and become a knowledge economy.”

As the national co-ordinating body for the BPO industry we at BPeSA are committed to ensuring the best service to all our stakeholders.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment!!!

Kind regards

Eddie Funde

Chairman : BPeSA

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  Happy Birthday BPeSA    
 

The 1st of February saw BPeSA (Business Process enabling South Africa) celebrating it’s 2nd birthday since opening its office on a fulltime basis. We have come a long way in positioning ourselves as the national coordinating body for the BPO&O industry.

Previously known as SACCCOM (South African Call Centre Community) we adopted a new brand and logo and are now trading as BPeSA . This will set the platform for us to reposition ourselves within the BPO & O industry and offer a value added service to our members.

We look forward to celebrating many more years in the industry.
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  National Roadshows    
 
 

The month of February was a busy month for us at BPeSA . We conducted road shows in Durban, Joburg and Cape Town (Port Elizabeth in March) to present the final draft of the national quality assurance framework in partnership with SABS. We also engaged stakeholders on the BPeSA ’s national awards system to gauge what they would recommend changing or adding before launching the national awards on the 15th of March 2007.

We are also continuing our membership drive initiative this year. Our continuous road shows to the regions will focus around membership drive and to share with both our existing and prospective members the benefits of joining or remaining a member. We are sharing our success stories of last year, the challenges we face as an industry and also the government support for the industry. A full write-up of the Road Show will be available in the next newsletter.

We are looking forward to seeing you and having interactive sharing sessions.
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national Awards

It’s that time of the year again: where we need to recognize and award industry excellence. Industry awards have been a permanent feature now for over 10 years. In 2005 we successfully launched regional awards in order to recognize regional difference and pride! This is now a permanent feature where all regional winners are entered onto a national level.

In 2006 we introduced a centralised judging system which ensures transparency and consistency in the judging process.  We are very proud of these updates and sure that they have made all of us very proud and increased the interest for all of us to participate in 2007.

This year we are again making what we hope will be amongst the last changes and update. As part of the road shows, we are getting industry input on how to make 2007 awards to be best ever! The 2007 awards will be launched on the 15th of March 2007 and while we are still working on the inputs we are receiving, broadly the 2007 awards will incorporate the following:
  • Categories – the categories have been updated as follows:
  1. Manager of the Year
  2. Supervisor of the Year
  3. Agent of the Year
  4. Trainer of the Year
  5. Best Customer Service Centre
  6. Best Contact Centre/Best Business Processing Centre
  7. Best HR Service Provider
  8. Technical Innovation of the Year
  9. Best Outbound Campaign
  10. Community Spirit Award

The categories will continue to be update in line with soon to be rolled-out national quality framework (National BPO Standards) which means that will assist in ensuring we all have the same reference and speak the same language especially during the judging process and interviews.

  • Launch – the awards will be launched on the 15th of March 2007 and opened for entry from the 1st of April 2007. This year all entries will be electronic and entered via the BPeSA website www.bpesa.org.za. This way will ensure that all entries are entered according to the required criteria and received on time. During the process, regular updates on the number of entries per region will also be reported.
    • Experience from 2006 – as part of the launch will also received feedback from the 2006 judging panel on what was done well by the entrants and winners and which areas require improvements. Will also distribute this info including input from 2006 winners as well as part of the launch.
    • Entry Criteria and Judging Process – entry criteria will be updated accordingly and posted on the website on the 15th of March 2007.
  • International Awards – as of 2008 all the winners will be entered into the annual international awards held annually in the USA. Most companies from countries around the globe including the UK and India enter these awards to show case the best their countries have to offer. More info to follow. Sponsorship – as expected, the awards and gala events are sponsored events. We have learnt a lot about sponsorship challenges and have tried to improve it this year.
  • Sponsorship – As the awards and gala events are sponsored events, we have learnt a lot about sponsorship challenges and have focused on improvements for 2007.
    • All category sponsorship will be national, i.e. all sponsors will receive both national and regional exposure. All sponsorship details will be issued on the 15th of March with the launch.
    • Regional sponsorships – also regional sponsorship has been improved and all regional sponsorship will be limited to R 50 000 per company except for Event Partner, Platinum and Gold Sponsorship.
    • Awards Gala Events– from 2007, we will continue hosting regional gala events in all regions except for the region hosting national awards which will only have the national event and all their regional winners will be announced in cocktail type function. This year that means that there will be no regional event in KwaZulu-Natal but KZNonSOURCE will partner with BPeSA and jointly host the national gala in Durban. We believe that this restructuring along with sponsorship updates will ease the marketing and sponsorship constraints and assist in ensuring a success of all the events
     
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  Our Search For Case Studies & Research Papers  
 

As an industry we do not only want to highlight our challenges but also share with our stakeholders our success stories.

We would like to publish case studies on our website from all industries. We envisage making this a permanent feature on our website in order to allow our members to view the successes achieved in the industry.

Your assistance in forwarding case studies or research papers from your respective organizations would be greatly appreciated. They can be emailed to info@bpesa.org.za
 
       
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  WORKING TOGETHER TO REALISE OUR GOALS  
 

Government’s continued support for the BPO sector including international investment missions and public announcement support as per the State President during the 2007 State of the Nation Address where the government announced a move towards telecommunications development pricing are yet other reasons for investors from across the globe to choose South Africa as a destination of choice. This also indicates the important role the BPO industry plays in the broader economy.

 
 
 

Of course before such decisions are made there is enormous work that goes on behind the scenes. As BPeSA we are encouraged by this latest development because not only does it mean that we are on the right track, but, it also shows that all the hard work and effort is beginning to bear fruit.

Although there are many key role-players in the steering committee (consisting of the government led by the dti, the Business Trust and BPeSA ) responsible for the significant progress which is done under the guidance of the partnership committee chaired by the Honourable Mr. Mandisi Mpahlwa, Minister of the Department of Trade and Industry, we are proud to be part of the team. We really believe that this key partnership will benefit our country and its people in the long term. BPeSA would like to take this opportunity to that Minister Mpahlwa in his leadership that he provided to these processes.

We would also like to to thank the team and staff at the dti and Business Trust for trusting BPeSA as a partner in the process and working with us to ensure that this was an inclusive process. We also need to make a special mension of our chairman, Mr Eddie Funde, whose commitment and selfless attitude is remarkable to say the least. Mr Funde’s strategic direction and flexible leadership ability has ensured that we never lose sight of our goal.

I have no doubt that 2007 is going to be an exciting year with endless possibilities and lots of space for growth. Our main target of creating at least 100 000 jobs is something we can certainly look forward to achieving.

Of course, as we strive toward realising our main aims and objectives for the year ahead, it’s important to remember that these can only become a reality if we continue to co-operate and co-ordinate our intentions and efforts with government especially the dti.

 
       
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Do We Need Forums ?      

As part of our continued evaluation and research within the industry we have committed to establishing interactive forums that will address the different challenges the BPO industry faces. These forums will comprise of industry key stakeholders interested in a particular subjects who will meet and engage with BPeSA on what the challenges are and what need to be done to better improve the industry. Also these forum will include partnering with other interested parties in order to ensure inclusivity, for example, we will partner with the Direct Marketing Organisation on the Direct Marketing Forum and funding institutions like IDC on the BEE and SMME Forum.

The currently proposed forums we are currently setting up are:

  • Talent Development (including HR & Training) Forum
  • Direct Marketing Forum
  • Outsourcing Forum
  • BEE and SME Forum
  • Back-office Forum
  • Foreign Direct Investors Forum
  • Corporates/Captives Forum
  • Marketing Forum
  • National Quality Forum

We would value your input as to which of the above forums are important and also what have we left out. We have attached a short questionnaire in order to process your feedback.

We envisaged that all the forums will meet at least once in 6 months to engage on specific industry issues.
1) Do you fe el there is a need for forums?
2) Who do you think should participate in these forums?
3) Do you feel the listed forums are relevant?
4) Are there any other forums that should be added to the list?
If yes please list the other forums below
5) Do you have any other general comments?

Thank you for your valued input and feedback. We will provide feedback in the next newsletter regarding the outcome of the questionnaire. Your feedbackwill be mailed to info@bpesa.org.za
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BPeSA SUBSCRIPTION    

Please click here to download and complete the BPeSA membership subscription form.

Thank you for your continued support.
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