Subir Chakravarty, SVP &
Country Manager at VXI Global Solutions, shares key insights and
strategies behind the successful launch of their new contact center
in Hyderabad, emphasizing the
importance of local talent and strategic planning in global
expansion.
LOS
ANGELES, May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In
August 2023, VXI inaugurated a new delivery center in
Hyderabad, its first site in
India.
"Building something from the ground up, in
a new geography, is very, very difficult. You need a reliable
support team, even if they are located in other countries." -
Subir Chakravarty, SVP & Country
Manager, VXI Global Solutions
After almost a year in operation, Subir
Chakravarty, a key player in setting up and now operating
the site, shared his tips and advice for companies considering
geographical expansion in an interview with the VXI marketing team.
His insights are useful for not just a foray into India, but into any new country or region.
Q: What are some of the factors a business should consider
proactively before entering a new geography?
Subir: Research and preparation, and a willingness to learn and
adapt business processes, are key before committing to a new
geography.
Consider Growth Potential
Companies often enter new geographies in search of profitable,
sustainable, corporate growth. That may involve launching a new
product, expanding the value chain, or strengthening service
offerings. Any company interested in exploring a new geography
should clearly define and evaluate the competitive advantage that
the market offers: Is there a quality or cost advantage? Will
clients benefit from a presence, and is there an anchor client with
which we can show proof of concept right away? What's the
competition, and how viable are those businesses? Understand what
competitors do and how they are performing.
Tap into the Labor Market
If you're looking for labor arbitrage or your business is
people-intensive, the quality and scalability of the talent pool is
very important. How many people can we hire per week, per month?
What is the maximum size a site can grow? How do we unlock the
talent potential? Can we expand to nearby cities? Are there unique
talent variables, such as language capabilities, working hours, or
technology aptitude?
Leverage Technology
As technology becomes more and more important in business, how
is this geography evolving? Are technology skills readily
available? How would this geography work from a business continuity
standpoint? Could it help to de-risk and avoid disruption overall?
VXI chose India because it's a hub
for technology, DevOps, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine
learning; VXI's Technology Center of Excellence could also be in
India eventually.
Navigate Barriers to Entry
Is it easy or difficult to enter the market? What will it take
to set up a legal entity? Speak to some of the legal firms — not
just one — to find out how long it could take. In India, one firm told us three months, and
another told us six months. An in-country network may be able to
help expedite this. What are the geophysical risks? Is it prone to
natural disasters, like typhoons or earthquakes?
Work with Local Governments
Is the government stable? How flexible is it? What is the
government's appetite for business and how are they supportive in
each dimension of your business — from the IT side, the real estate
side, the labor side? You may need to educate government officials,
walk them through your business plan, and spend some time with them
to grow their comfort level. You want to impress them with what
you're doing globally so they can see how they will fit in.
Q: How can businesses prioritize the employee experience in new
geographies?
Subir: Finding the right leadership early on is critical. The
leader you hire for the new geography plays the role of a
navigator. They need to have strengths in many areas.
Understand Cultural Nuances
It's important to put someone in place who has extensive
knowledge of the local market and someone who understands the
nuances of the entire country — not just immediately around the
site. VXI engaged me, for example, because I understand all the
regions and cultural sensitivities of India — and what they each can provide for our
business. Businesses must really do some due diligence, and not
just on paper! It's important to visit there and spend time there
first.
India, as in many countries, is
quite diverse. It's not like in the U.S., where most people speak
English. Things vary significantly within India. Every few kilometers, the language and
dialect, the foods, and the cultures can change. The geo leader you
choose should be able to help the business really appreciate what
makes the people in the new geography tick.
Communicate Effectively
Most issues arise when there is a lack of communication! Local
leaders act as a bridge between the corporation and the new
geography, and between the newly created entity and the new
workforce. Consistent, transparent communication is key.
Design Proper Policies
Implementing policies in a new geography can be tricky. It's
always a balance to ensure policies are somewhat consistent
globally, but adaptable to the local processes, laws, and even
shifts.
Set Clear Expectations
The local leader should be able to set clear expectations across
the corporate office, departments, and the new team. This must
include measurable targets or KPIs, including employee satisfaction
(ESAT) and retention.
Establish Inclusive, Human-Centric Operations
Employee engagement goes much deeper than Friday fun activities.
It must include professional growth. In India, VXI wants to grow to 10,000 plus
employees over the next five years. Employees need to understand
that plan and know that there is a huge runway for them to grow.
This opportunity for career growth, in addition to compensation,
benefits, and pay-for-performance opportunities, is what can make
you more competitive in a new geography.
I hold a weekly retention meeting, where we talk about attrition
rates, training throughput rates, building a culture of inclusivity
and respect, and how to bring out the passion of our people. It's
ultimately your people that affect customer satisfaction (CSAT).
Their well-being and satisfaction will ensure you're delivering
exceptional customer experiences.
When your staff are thousands of miles away, it's easy to forget
that employees are individuals. Don't let them be just numbers or
headcount. Don't let them cease to be people. Make everyone feel
included.
VXI is a minority business enterprise (MBE) that prioritizes
diversity, and that translates in every geography. You always need
to factor inclusion efforts not just from an ethical perspective
but also a strategic one in terms of supply chain and new
partnerships.
Q: How should businesses vet potential new partners and
suppliers in new geographies?
Subir: Businesses should always respect their brand values and
priorities, in any geography. Any partner should respect what
you're trying to achieve, too. They often need to match the level
of quality and scale. But there's much more to selecting the right
partner abroad.
Create a Partnership Brief
When vetting new partners, a brief that includes intentions and
expectations, problem statements and initial potential solutions,
and details on how you want to work with a partner will lead to
higher rates of success.
Ask for Local Examples & References
Partners need to be prepared to share examples of similar work
that they've done. For example, in India, I asked real estate partners for
details and examples of past work, not just generally, but for the
same industry. Reference checks within the industry are key.
Leverage your local leader's network.
Meet in Person
You need to meet any potential partner in person rather having
discussions by phone or virtually. You can learn so much more about
a partner in person and that really builds relationships.
Don't Cut Corners
It can be very tempting cut corners to meet timelines and
budgets! The bureaucracy in some countries can be tough, but always
work with integrity. Think about the long-term impacts of
negotiating deep discounts. You may need this partner for another
project.
Maintain Strong Governance
Decide on a meeting cadence and stick to it. It could be daily
or weekly, depending on overall timeline and the sense of urgency.
Typically, for example, at VXI we build out new sites in three to
six months. The goal in this case was about 45 days, which is
unheard of. With this kind of cadence, it's imperative to have
measurable targets, milestones, and partner governance.
Q: The new operations in India
have been a success, resulting in high CSAT and low attrition. What
led to this success?
Subir: Building something from the ground up, in a new geography,
is very, very difficult. You need a reliable support team, even if
they are located in other countries.
Lean on the Support of Executives, Family, & Network
When setting up a legal entity, learning about the city,
building out a new office — you need the support of your company's
executive leadership. I am incredibly grateful for the support of
the VXI leadership team. They empowered me and trusted me to make
decisions on their behalf. They took a leap of faith, and I did,
too.
Having the support of your family, including your extended work
family, is key. Settling into a new geography can be a lonely
endeavor, especially when you are the first to plant feet on the
ground. You may be working with partners locally, but you need
people who know you, understand your goals, and can support you and
guide you. I had folks helping from the
Philippines and in the U.S., across HR, operations,
training, quality, marketing, finance, procurement, technology, and
more.
Verify with Data
Essentially, success in a new geography is about planning every
detail, executing while minding those details, hiring and training
the right people well, watching key data points every day, and
keeping everyone aligned to a shared, big picture and vision.
Talk to the New Staff Every Day
Get your hands dirty, talk to agents and team leads, and use
training as a tool to help everyone. It's not enough to read
PowerPoints and spreadsheets; you need to talk to people and do
some of the work they're doing.
I have so much more to share with any company considering a new
geography. I could help with the transition. At VXI, we are able to
put literally one person on the ground in a new geography, empower
that person through the extended teams around the world to build up
the partnerships within that geography, and then build up HR and
operations ready to go for any BPO client. When I look back at the
experience, I'm amazed. That kind of capability opens many doors
for companies looking to expand.
Learn more about VXI's global expansion and service delivery
locations at http://www.vxi.com/global-footprint
About VXI Global Solutions
VXI Global Solutions is a BPO leader in customer service,
customer experience, and digital solutions. Founded in 1998, the
company has 40,000 employees in more than 40 locations in
North America, Asia, Europe,
and the Caribbean. VXI delivers
omnichannel and multilingual support, software development, quality
assurance, and CX advisory, automation, and process excellence to
the world's most respected brands.
VXI is backed by private equity investor Bain Capital and is one
of the fastest growing, privately held business services
organizations in the United States
and the Philippines, and one of
the few U.S.-based customer care organizations in China.
For more information, visit http://www.vxi.com.
Media Contact
VXI Corporate Communications, VXI Global Solutions, (213)
637-1300, comms@vxi.com, www.vxi.com
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SOURCE VXI Global Solutions