The Deloitte Global Outsourcing Survey 2016 found that outsourcing will continue to grow, providing customers with innovative services and solutions that help them cut costs while remaining competitive and on track. However, not all outsourcing is created equal and should be undertaken with a measure of consideration and a dollop of common sense.
 
Business process outsourcing (BPO) has evolved into a thriving and enormously successful market, accelerating in growth as it constantly reinvents itself and adapts to the changing paces of digital, country and economy.
 
“Outsourcing allows for the business to achieve specific goals or tasks without having to train people, understand the solution or manage risk and redundancy,” says Teryl Schroenn, Chief Executive Officer, Accsys. “You get the advantage of expertise and advice, you can say farewell to the operational elements completely and you get built-in redundancy – a win for any size business.”
 
She adds that there is also the immediate cost benefit in that the business does not need to invest in infrastructure or employees to gain access to superlative solutions and technology. “That said, outsourcing must be undertaken with clear goals in mind and with the right service provider,” Schroenn further notes.
 
The benefit of BPO
Software upgrades, backup restores and system management – all these issues disappear into the hands of the service provider so the business can focus on delivering its core services, not on managing its internal ones. In addition, BPO mitigates the impact of employee loss due to illness or personal circumstance as the service provider must deliver on its mandate - regardless of the challenge, the organisation is assured of immediate continuity.
 
“Another advantage is in confidentiality,” explains Schroenn. “For example, with executive payroll you can outsource the information to another business rather than keep it internal which will ensure the numbers remain private.”
 
Some of the best tasks or services to allocate to the BPO model would be payroll, customer support and helpdesk, web design and virtual assistants. Each of these offerings comes with the best of breed in technology and capability, each one taking a load off the organisation’s proverbial shoulders.
 
360 degrees of awareness
There is much to commend BPO – it’s seamless, it cuts on costs, it creates room for the company to breathe while giving them access to the latest in technology and solutions, and it can be tailored to budget and business.  However, the organisation must ensure that they select a reputable provider who has systems in place to protect critical data and who don’t happen to hold the data of a competitor in their hands.
 
“You don’t want to run the risk of a competitor uncovering your critical data,” concludes Schroenn. “So, pick a service provider which doesn’t have anyone in the same game, that minimises risk to your business, is aware of its redundancies, has rigorous security and is well audited. You are putting your business in someone else’s hands so make sure it is someone you can trust.”
 
ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, [email protected], www.atthatpoint.co.za
 
ABOUT Accsys – People Management Solutions
Accsys is an award winning South African software company specialising in people management solutions. In business since 1981, Accsys is a proud member of the Innovation Division, Business Connexion group. Its solutions, which are being used in more than 2000 companies, are developed in South Africa with particular emphasis on South African workplace conditions to fulfill the purpose of providing strategic solutions for people who manage people.
 
For more information on Accsys please visit:
Website: http://accsys.co.za/
Twitter: @AccsysPeopleMan
LinkedIn: Accsys (Pty) Ltd
Facebook: Accsys (Pty) Ltd

Author: Cathie Webb, Chief Operations Officer, Accsys

South Africans are becoming used to hearing bad news in terms of our pockets on the 2nd Wednesday afternoon in February.  Sadly, we don’t expect anything particularly different this year.

Given that South Africa, as a country, is still struggling financially and the gap between the earnings of the poorest and the “well-to-do do’s” does not seem to be shrinking, we can be confident that there will be more innovative taxes included in what is tabled.

Considering that in 2016 the average consumer-price index (CPI) was rated at approximately 6%, and that not many of us received increases amounting to 6%, while medical aid rates increased on average 10% or more in January this year, most of us are worse off than we were this time last year.

And it is unlikely to get better.

In the mid-year budget of October 2016, R13-billion additional taxes were announced on top of the R15-billion increase previously announced for the 2017/2018 tax year.

What can we expect from the budget? 

1. Transitional levy tax – for those of us that can remember, in 1994 we paid an additional tax for one year.  It is possible that another such tax will be imposed, to assist government in balancing the books;
2. Sugar Tax – this has been under discussion for some time, under the guise of ensuring that South Africans lose weight.  It seems probable that this will be mentioned in the budget speech, and is likely to come into force in the near future;
3. Value-added tax (VAT) – South Africa pays less than the average African VAT of 15.25%.  It is possible that there will be an increase to our VAT rate;
4. Sin Taxes – tax on “sinful” luxuries such as alcohol and cigarettes could increase again, as they do each year, by more than inflation;

 
Furthermore, the proposed National Health Insurance is also still being discussed, and alternatives for funding being explored.  However, it is doubtful that this will come to pass in the next tax year.

​In addition, we might once again hear that government will “moderate spending” and it would be helpful to all of us to see this in action, while we are tightening our belts still further.

Know more
Accsys will be hosting a talk by Rhodes University Professor Jackie Arendse at the Country Club Johannebsurg, in Woodmead on Friday 3rd March wherein she will be unpacking the details and implications of the 2017/2018 Budget. For more information please visit http://accsys.co.za/course/prof-jackie-arendse-2017-tax-budget-update/2017-03-03
 
References:
www.treasury.gov.za
http://www.gov.za/speeches/minister-pravin-gordhan-medium-term-budget-policy-statement-2016-26-oct-2016-0000

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, [email protected], www.atthatpoint.co.za
 
ABOUT Accsys – People Management Solutions
Accsys is an award winning South African software company specialising in people management solutions, including payroll, human resources, time and attendance as well as access control/visitor management. In business since 1981, Accsys is a proud member of the BCX group. Its solutions, which are being used in more than 2000 companies, are developed in South Africa with particular emphasis on South African workplace conditions to fulfil the purpose of providing strategic solutions for people who manage people.
 
For more information on Accsys please visit:
Website: http://accsys.co.za/
Twitter: @AccsysPeopleMan
LinkedIn: Accsys (Pty) Ltd
Facebook: Accsys (Pty) Ltd