What Does Voice and Non-Voice Process Mean in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)?

Here’s a quick overview of what Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) means, alongside the key distinctions between voice and non-voice.

What Exactly Is BPO?

So what does BPO stand for? When it comes to contact centre acronyms you should know, quite simply, BPO is an acronym for Business Process Outsourcing.

What is a BPO Call Centre and What Does it Do?

BPO refers to a strategy that contact centres can use to scale their business, reduce operational costs, and streamline their processes by outsourcing to a third party. This allows them to better focus on their core functions.

BPOs started the boom of IT in the UK and, over the years, BPO business has matured in leaps and bounds. It’s currently a major contributor to the economy and provides a good variety of services. BPOs also extend to offshore corporations in India (for example).

What Are the Benefits of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)?

Some people fear a loss of control with outsourcing their contact centre, but it couldn’t be further from the truth, as Garry Gormley, Founder, CEO – FAB Outsourced Solutions explains:

“You have to realise that the BPO wants to retain your business at all costs so their focus on quality and value and your Return on Investment (ROI) for you as the client is paramount. This means strong levels of governance and communication – often with weekly, monthly or quarterly review meetings with a clear structure and agenda on performance – sometimes even more robust then your internal teams.

Outsourcers work across multiple industries and sectors too, and so need to be very adaptable, multi faceted and have highly capable people. The obvious benefits to clients is a very capable team that can scale quickly to your needs if situations change. It also means a very dynamic approach to resourcing, and a range of perspectives and experience that may bring new ways of thinking to your own process.

Overall, the benefits of outsourcing are far reaching. However finding a trusted partner is key and they should be a natural extension of your team – not just another outsourcer.”

There are Different Types of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

The BPO meaning is typically classified into two types: voice and non-voice. Both have paramount importance in customer service in supporting an omnichannel contact centre.

Voice-Based BPO Processes

A voice-based BPO process refers to speaking directly to customers on the phone, which could be a job in the form of sales or support.

These interactions can be at any stage of the customer journey – from the first customer interaction and after-sales services, to troubleshooting and technical support.

Non-Voice-Based BPO Processes

These are typically jobs that do not require direct interaction or voice, but rather lead with knowledge. These jobs may include admin, as well as email handling, chat support, and messages.

In addition to sales and service, non-voice services may include HR, hiring, tech support, appointment scheduling, notifications, technical support, back-office processing, and other tasks for the outsourcing client.

Note: specialized skill sets may be necessary – in place of typical verbal or written communication – for back-office work.