16.06.2020

The Polish market of business services has come a long way over the last 30 years. Companies representing this very market are in no way inferior to those from abroad. Numerous indications show that we are getting closer to the next phase of development.

The Polish market of business services (BPO/SSC) is undergoing dynamic development. According to the EY analysis, last year it generated as much as 3% of national GDP. What is more, a large proportion of BPO centres work for the benefit of customers from abroad. It demonstrates the fact that the market is being developed. Polish companies are also beneficiaries of this.

The first phase of the sector development took place in the 90s. External companies took over running canteens or providing security for facilities. As part of the second phase, BPO companies began to perform more complex tasks, e.g., call centre support, mass printing of invoices and statements, archiving or scanning thereof. Yet still, these were only elements of customer service and business-related processes that the contractors put together.

In the third phase, which is currently at an early stage, Polish modern business service centres are held responsible for processes in their entirety, also when it comes to niche areas. For instance, in many insurance companies, it is external entities who deal with claim settlement services, in banks – support in processing credit applications or settlement of agreements and commissions within telecommunications and energy companies.

By increasing the scope of tasks entrusted to BPO companies, they can improve their competences and optimise costs. In turn, it perpetuates the market and makes it more professional, modern, as well as allows using the latest technologies to a greater extent. ArchiDoc is part of the international OASIS group, so we can clearly see that Polish BPO centres are in no way inferior to those from other countries.

There are many indications that the professionalisation of the domestic BPO market has accelerated significantly in recent months. The ongoing pandemic has changed the rules of the business game. During this time one may observe that a highly qualified employee can perform their duties anyplace in the world. The condition to be met is proper preparation of the working environment, thanks to which such an expert is able to achieve maximum productivity and creativity. A digital office that either collects, digitises and organises data has become support in this area. Repeatable processes on a mass scale, supported by application robots, are capable of instantly sharing huge amounts of data and respond to customer needs.

Until now, it seemed that the third phase would consist in the further takeover of competences by external centres by means of advanced systems, based on Big Data, and artificial intelligence. Now we can see that Polish companies will be allowed managing more and more sensitive information. The trust between contractors and the BPO sector is increasingly growing. As a result of this, native companies are becoming an interesting alternative for companies from around the world.

Konrad Rochalski, President of the Management Board of ArchiDoc, OASIS Group

Photo: Yehor Litsov, Unsplush