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Cost savings and optimisation: The financial benefits of the cloud adoption in BPO

By Dominik Birgelen, CEO of oneclick AG

Cloud technology is transforming the way businesses function across different industries. In a business process outsourcing (BPO) environment, the role of the cloud becomes even more important due to the multiple stakeholders involved. To provide high-quality service for their clients, BPO companies require modern tools for real-time collaboration, data security, and cost efficiency. Cloud computing can help BPO organisations meet their specific requirements.

As per Statista, the cloud computing market is expected to continue growing, reaching an estimated $679 billion in 2024. With businesses already migrating at least part of their IT environment to the cloud, BPO companies must consider harnessing the latest cloud solutions to drive scalability and development.

The benefits of leveraging the cloud in the dynamic BPO realm are two-fold. Embracing cloud technology not only streamlines operations but also significantly reduces total cost of ownership (TCO), optimising financial planning and enhancing return on investment (ROI). It also minimises the need for up-front investment in hardware and software in favour of subscription models. Businesses that integrate cloud solutions into their corporate frameworks can gain a competitive advantage by securing access to scalable and innovative solutions tailored to individual needs. By utilising cloud applications, companies can take a cost-effective approach to managing their business processes.

The impact of cloud adoption in BPO 

Cloud solutions are vital for redefining operations in the ever-evolving BPO landscape. For organisations that haven’t implemented innovative cloud solutions yet, the question is no longer if, but when. Cloud adoption is essential to achieving the speed, resilience, and agility required by IT businesses to maintain a competitive edge. Cloud technology can not only help transform BPOs by streamlining operations but also enable them to automate processes like backing up data or discovering and eliminating unused processes with ease.

With enhanced automation, companies can reduce human error and allocate resources more effectively. As a result, BPOs can benefit from efficient service delivery speeds, improved output levels and lower operational costs. As market demands continue to fluctuate, BPO companies must be flexible and creative to stay ahead of the curve. Cloud services offer the ideal solution, allowing BPOs to grow and operate more effectively.

Cloud solutions can also help BPO companies scale up or down when required and adjust resources accordingly. The flexibility and scalability offered by cloud-based systems make them ideal for BPOs creating operational efficiency and providing access to high-quality services even when demand fluctuates. As a result, BPOs can quickly scale up when the demand is high and drive more revenue.

Key financial benefits that BPOs can reap using the cloud 

While scaling up allows BPOs to increase their revenue, scaling back without the cloud can result in a financial burden through significant infrastructure and maintenance costs. Cloud solutions offer an ideal route allowing BPOs to only pay for the resources they use via pay-per-use models, allowing them to save significant upfront costs on their infrastructure investments. Cloud solutions can also support call routing, evaluate agent performance, and adapt operations to suit their evolving BPO needs. They are furthermore ideally suited for remote work: by transitioning to a more flexible working model, BPO companies can eliminate the need for physical offices, allowing them to save further expenses.

With flexible working models facilitated by cloud platforms, BPOs can broaden their scope of hiring and benefit from a diverse and wider talent pool. With the cloud’s extensive capabilities, BPOs can facilitate a flexible work-from-anywhere model, allowing prospective candidates to operate from remote locations with ease. Through this, BPOs can scout candidates from tier 2 and tier 3 areas where the cost of living may be relatively low, and salary demands may be comparatively less.

Cloud-based disaster recovery solutions can help BPOs mitigate financial losses and save costs. By providing built-in redundancy, data replication, and failover capabilities, cloud solutions can help strengthen business continuity and protect revenue streams.

Migrating operations to a cloud-based environment can also help BPO companies reduce energy wastage and save on subsequent costs. By doing away with legacy IT hardware and infrastructure, BPOs can benefit from reduced operational costs, improved personnel allocation, and increased productivity.

The role of the cloud in bolstering security for BPO

Cyberattacks can prove costly and fatal for businesses in the new digital age. According to Statista, the average cost of cyberattacks on firms with more than 1,000 employees in Europe and the United States was over $53 thousand in 2023. Statista reports that during the fourth quarter of 2023, data breaches exposed more than 1.5 million records in the United Kingdom. With cyberattacks on the rise, cloud-powered solutions combined with advanced security models such as zero trust architecture (ZTA) can play a crucial role in securing digital systems and preventing data loss.

With access to highly sensitive customer data, BPOs need a more comprehensive cybersecurity strategy in place to protect vital operations and processes. By harnessing the latest security and privacy controls in a multilayered strategy, cloud providers can ensure a secure IT environment for BPOs to operate in.

The aftermath of a cyberattack can also be a financial burden for businesses. With new cybersecurity guidelines and strict compliance policies emerging, companies that fall victim to cyberattacks could be liable to pay hefty regulatory fines resulting in a more significant financial downturn. Cloud solutions can help BPOs adapt processes and ensure compliance with industry guidelines and policies by providing access to high-end encryption, safe access controls, and regular audits.

As BPOs continue to adapt their process to suit evolving market and economic conditions, cloud services can pave the way providing seamless scalability, flexibility, and security options. As cloud technology continues to evolve, it can form an integral role in business strategies, allowing BPOs to future-proof operations, drive cost savings and maintain profitability in the long run.