business process outsourcing and its advantages and disadvantages

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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION OF THE SUBJECT

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION OF THE SUBJECT

PEOPLE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS

America’s Erick Weihen Mayer created history on May 25, 2001 by becoming the first blind person to scale Mount Everest. Erick at, 32, who lost his eyesight due to a degenerative disease at the age of 13, set a foot on 8,848 meter peak along with 17 other members of an expedition team after an unsuccessful attempt earlier due to bad weather conditions. An hour before Erick, Bradford Bull earned a distinction of being the oldest climber to set foot atop the world’s highest peak at the age of 65- along with his son. (source: Times of India, 26/5/2001)

Among the various factors of production, which are used in an organization, human resource is the most important. This is because effective use of physical resources such as land, machinery, materials, etc. ultimately depends on how the human factor is put to good use on various operations. The most effective and efficient machinery in the world will not produce optimum level unless the people who operate the machinery know how to make it perform at its best and most importantly, are motivated to make their equipment produce efficiently.

1.1 DEFINATION OF HRM:

“Human Resource Management (HRM) is a process of bringing people and organizations together so that the goal of each one is met, effectively and efficiently”.

1.2 NATURE OF HRM:

The principle scope of HRM can be listed as,

Pervasive force Action oriented Individually oriented People oriented Future oriented Development oriented Integrating mechanism Comprehensive function Auxiliary services Inter-disciplinary function Continuous function

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF HRM:

The principle objectives of HRM can be listed as,

To help the organization reach its goals. To employ the skills and abilities of the workforce efficiently. To provide the organization with well-trained and well- motivated

employees. To increase the fullest the employee’s job satisfaction and self-

actualization. To develop and maintain a quality of work life. To communicate HR policies to all employees. To be ethically and socially responsive to the needs of the society.

1.4 IMPORTANCE OF HRM:

People have always been central to the organization and an organization’s success increasingly depends on the knowledge, skills and abilities of employees, particularly they establish a set of core competencies that distinguish an organization from its competitors. With appropriate HR policies and practices an organization can hire, develop and utilize best brains at work place, realize its professed goals and deliver better results than others.

1.7 GROWTH OF HR IN HR IN INDIA:

Since the evolution of HR, the field has seen a lot of changes, which can listed as,

PERIOD EMPHASIS STATUS ROLES1920-1930 Welfare management

Paternalistic practicesClerical Welfare

administrator

Attract and retain talent Train people for challenging

roles Develop skills and

competencies Promote team spirit Develop loyalty and

commitment Increase productivity and

profits Improve job satisfaction Enhance standard of living Generate employment

opportunities

GOOD HR PRACTICES

HELP

Policeman1940-1960 Expanding the role to

cover labor, welfare, industrial relations and personnel administration

Administrative

Appraiser Advisor Mediator Legal advisor Fire fighting

1970-1980 Efficiency, effectiveness dimensions added Emphasis on human values, aspirations, dignity, usefulness

Development Change agent Integrator Trainer Educator

1990’s- onwards

Incremental productivity gains through human assets

Proactive, growth-oriented

Developer Counselor Coach Mentor Problem solver

1.8 SHIFTS IN HR MANAGEMENT IN INDIA:

TADITIONAL HR PRACTICE EMERGING HR PRACTICE Administrative role Strategic role Reactive Proactive Separate, isolated from company

mission Key part of organizational

mission Production focus Service focus Functional organization Process based organization Individuals encouraged, singled

out for praise, rewards Cross-functional teams,

teamwork most important People as expenses People as key

investments/assets

1.9 CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN HRM: Following can be stated as contemporary issues in HRM,

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN

HRM

Managing diversity

Attitude towards

union

HRM in high performance organizations

HRM in M&A

Changed employee

expectations

Make HR activities

ethical

New organizational

forms

Changing workforce

demographics

HR professional

as change agent

HR manager as

strategists

As stated above, one of the challenges faced by HR managers is that of Human Resource Management is that of attrition of Employees in BPO and KPO industry.

1.10 EMPLOYEE ATTRITION:

DEFINING EMPLOYEE ATTRITION AND ATTRITION RATE:

Attrition: “A reduction in the number of employees through retirement, resignation or death”.

Attrition Rate: “The rate of shrinkage in size or number”.

There are numerous reasons for the attrition to be high which can be categorized into two broad classifications. The first can be coined as “Drive Attrition” which is caused due to employer; the second one can be termed as “Drag Attrition” which is caused due to the employee.

The attrition rate has always been a sensitive issue for all organizations. Calculating employee turnover rate is not that simple as it seems to be. No common formula can be used by all the organizations. A formula had to be devised keeping in view the nature of the business and different job functions. Moreover, calculating attrition rate is not only about devising a mathematical formula. It also has to take into account the root of the problem by going back to the hiring stage.

1.10.1 CALCULATING ATTRITION RATE:

Attrition rates can be calculated using simple formula:

Attrition = (No. of employees who left in the year/ average employees in the year)*100

Thus, if the company had 1,000 employees in April 2004, 2,000 in March 2005, and 300 quit in the year, then the average employee strength is 1,500 and attrition is 100*(300/1,500)=20%. Besides this, there are various other types of attrition that should be taken into account. These are:

Fresher attrition that tells the number of fresher’s who left the organization within one year. It tells how many are using the company as a springboard or a launch pad.

Infant mortality that is the percentage of people who left the organization within one year. This indicates the ease with which people adapt to the company.

Critical resource which tell the attrition in terms of key personnel like senior executives leaving the organization.

Low performance attrition: It tells the attrition of those who left due to poor performance.

ATTRITION RATE IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES ROUND THE GLOBE:

Globalization

Balancing work-life

BPO and CALL centers

ATTRITION RATE (%)

US 42%

Australia 29%

Europe 42%

India 18%

Global Average 42%

REASONS WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE:

Employees do not leave an organization without any significant reason. There are certain circumstances that lead to their leaving the organization. The most common reasons can be:

Job is not what employee expected to be: Sometimes the job responsibilities don’t come out to be the same as expected by the candidates. Unexpected job responsibilities lead to job dissatisfaction.

Job and person mismatch: A candidate may be fit to do a certain type of job which matches his personality. If he is given a job which mismatches his personality, then he won’t be able to perform it well and try to find out reasons to leave the job.

No growth opportunities: No or less learning and growth opportunities in the current job will make candidate’s job and career stagnant.

Lack of appreciation: If the work is not appreciated by the supervisor, the employee feels de-motivated and loses interest in job.

Lack of trust and support in coworkers, seniors and management: Trust is the most important factor that is required for an individual to stay in the job. Non- supportive coworkers, seniors and management can make office environment unfriendly and difficult to work in.

Stress from overwork and work life balance: Job stress can lead to work life imbalance which ultimately many times lead to employee leaving the organization.

Compensation: Better compensation packages being offered by other companies may attract employees towards themselves.

New job offer: an attractive job offer which employee thinks is good for him with respect to job responsibility, compensation, growth and learning etc. can lead an employee to leave the organization.

1.10.2 TRUTHS ABOUT ATTRITION:

It is difficult to accept when organizations say they have zero attrition rates. Companies may have healthier turnover rates, however, there is no such thing as zero attrition. There are other such facts about turnover, about which most of us are not aware. Some of such facts have been highlighted below:

Turnover always happens: This happens because employees keep on moving due to reason like marriage or further education. Nothing can stop these employees from moving on. So, rather than achieving zero attrition companies should focus on identifying whom they want to keep so that they have healthy attrition rate.

Some turnover is desirable: Zero attrition is not desirable mainly because of two reasons; firstly, if all employees continue to stay in the same organization, most of them will be at the top of their pay scale which will result in excessive manpower costs. Secondly, new employees bring new ideas, approaches, abilities and attitudes which can keep the organization from becoming stagnant.

Turnover includes costs: Turnover always includes some costs. Consider the cost of replacing the key employee who falls into the category of high performers. This includes the costs of recruitment advertisement, referral bonuses, selection, training costs, etc. Moreover, turnover results in loss of time and efforts, low productivity, loss of morale, loss of knowledge and so on.

High salary doesn’t work: Most managers assume that a high salary package is enough to keep employees loyal to their organization. Employees may face other problems like low job satisfaction, low engagement levels, no recognition, poor working conditions, less support from superiors and so on. Salaries are not always the solution to attrition. Managers should try to find out the root cause of the problem and then find a feasible solution.

The manager can reduce attrition: Managers should take primary responsibility for retaining their employees. Much of the employee’s perception of job satisfaction stems from the relationship they share with their immediate supervisor. Managers should try to support their subordinates and give proper feedback on performance. HR managers should work in collaboration to make the key employees last in their organization.

Reducing turnover takes commitment: Reducing turnover takes an investment in coaching, developing, motivating, mentoring and listening to people. There should be universal acceptance of the goal of reducing turnover along with top management commitment and dedication.

1.10.3 BENEFITS OF ATTRITION:

Attrition is not always bad, if it happens in a controlled manner. Some attrition is always desirable and necessary for organizational growth. The only concern is how organization differentiates “good attrition” from “bad attrition”. The term “health attrition” signifies the importance of less productive employees voluntarily leaving the organization. This means if the ones who have left fall in the category of low performers, the attrition is being healthy.

Attrition rates are considered to be beneficial in some ways:

If all employees stay in the same organization for a very long time, most of them will be at the top of their pay scale which will result in excessive manpower costs.

When certain employees leave, whose continuation of service would have negatively impacted productivity and profitability of the company is benefited.

New employees bring new ideas, approaches, abilities and attitudes which can keep the organization healthy.

There are also some people in the organization who have a negative and demoralizing influence on the work culture and team spirit. This, in the long- term, is detrimental to organizational health.

Desirable attrition also includes termination of employees with whom the organization does not want to continue a relationship. It benefits the organization in the following ways:

It removes bottleneck in the progress of the company. It creates space for the entry of new talents. It assists in evolving high performance teams.

There are people who are not able to balance their performance as per expectations, lack potential for future or need disciplinary action. Furthermore, as the rewards are limited, business pressures do not allow the management to over-reward the performers, but when undesirable employees leave the company, the good employees can be given the share they desire.

Some companies believe attrition in any form is bad for an organization for it means that a wrong choice was made at the beginning while recruiting. Even good attrition indicates loss as recruitment is a time consuming and costly affair. The only positive point is that the realization has initiated action that will lead to cutting loss.

1.11 EMPLOYEE RETENTION:

Employee retention is a process in which the employees are encouraged to remain with the organization for the maximum period of time or until the completion of the project. Employee retention is beneficial for the organization as well as the employee.

Employees today are different. They are not the ones who don’t have good opportunities in hand. As soon as they feel dissatisfied with the current employer or the job, they switch over to the next job. It is the responsibility of the employer to retain their best employees. If they don’t, they would be left with no good employees. A good employer should know how to attract and retain its employees.

Retention involves five major things:

Compensation Support

Relationship Environment

1.11.1 IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION:So much is being done by organizations to retain its employees, why is retention so important? Is just to reduce the turnover costs? Well, the answer is a definitely NO. It’s not the only cost incurred by a company that emphasizes the need of retaining employees but also to retain talented employees from getting poach.

The process of employee retention will benefit an organization in the following ways:

The cost of turnover: The cost of employee turnover adds hundreds of thousands of money to a company’s expenses. While it is difficult to fully calculate the cost of turnover (including hiring costs, training costs and productivity loss), industry experts often quote 25% of the average employee salary as a conservative estimate.

Loss of company’s knowledge: When an employee leaves, he takes with him valuable knowledge about the company, customers, current projects and past history (sometimes to competitors). Often much time and money has been spent on the employee in expectation of future return. When the employee leaves, the investment is not realized.

Interruption of customer service: Customers and clients do business with a company in part because of the people. Relationships are developed that encourage continued sponsorship of the business. When an employee leaves, the relationships that employee built for the company are served, which could lead to potential customer loss.

Turnover leads to more turnovers: When an employee terminates, the effect is felt throughout the organization. The unspoken negativity often intensifies for the remaining staff.

Goodwill of the company: The goodwill of a company is maintained when the attrition rates are low. Higher retention rates motivate potential employees to join the organization.

Regaining efficiency: If an employee resigns, the good amount of time is lost in hiring a new employee and then training an employee and this goes to the loss of the company directly which many a times goes unnoticed. And even after this companies cannot assure us of the same efficiency from the new employee.

1.11.2 EMPLOYEE RETENTION STRATEGIES:The basic practices which should be kept in mind the employee retention strategies are:

Hire the right people in the first place. Empower the employees. Give employees the authority to get things

done.

Make employees realize that they are the most valuable asset of the organization.

Nave faith in them, trust them and respect them. Provide them information and knowledge. Keep providing them feedback on their performance. Recognize and appreciate their achievements. Keep their morale high. Create an environment where the employees want to work and have fun.

These practices can be categorized in 3 levels:

Low, medium and high level.

1.11.3 RETENTION MYTHS:

The process of retention is not easy as it seems. There are so many tactics and strategies used in retention of employees by the organizations. The basic purpose of these strategies should be to increase employee satisfaction, boost employee morale hence achieve retention. But some times these strategies are not used properly or even worse, wrong strategies are used. Because of which these strategies fail to achieve the desired results. There are many myths related to the employee retention process. These myths exist because the strategies being used are either wrong or are being used from a long time. These

myths prevent the employer from successfully implementing the retention strategies.

Employees leave an organization for more pay: Money may be the motivating but for many people it is not the most important factor. Money matters more to the low income employees for whom it’s a survival issue. Money can make an employee stay in an organization but not for long. The factors more important than money are job satisfaction, job responsibilities and individual’s skill development. The employers should understand this and work out some other ways to make employee feel satisfied. When employees leave, management tries to retain them by offering more money. Issues that are mainly the cause of dissatisfaction are organization’s policies and procedures, working conditions, relationship with the supervisor and salary, etc. For such employees, achievements, growth, recognition, are the main concerns.

Incentives can increase productivity: Incentives can surely increase productivity but not for long time. Cash incentives, volume work targets and speed awards are old management beliefs. They can generate work speedily and in volumes but can’t boost employee commitment. Rather speed can hamper the quality of work produced. What really glues employees to their work and organization is quality work, meaningful responsibilities, recognition, respect, growth opportunities and friendly supervisors.

Employees run away from responsibilities: It is myth that employees run away from responsibilities. In –fact employees feel more responsible if they are given extra responsibilities apart from their regular job. Employees look for variety, greater control on the processes and authority to take decisions in their present job. They want opportunities to learn and grow. Management can assign extra responsibilities to their employees and appreciate them on completion of these tasks. This will induce a sense of pride in the employee and will improve the relationship between the management and the employee.

Loyalty is a thing of the past: Employees can be loyal but what they need is an employer for whom they can be loyal. There is no reason for the employee to hop job if he is satisfied with the employer.

Taking measures to increase employee satisfaction will be expensive for the organizations: The things actually required to improve employee satisfaction like respect, career growth and development, appreciation, etc. can’t be bought. They are free of cost. An employee or management reacts well to the employee’s ideas and suggestions is enough for the employee to be retained.

CHAPTER TWO

INTRODUCTION OF THE INDIAN MARKET

SCENARIO

2.1 EMERGANCE OF THE INDIAN IT-ITES SECTOR:

2.1.1 MARKET SIZE:

2.1.1.1 GLOBAL:

The global IT-ITES market has generated revenues of USD 1,322 billion in 2003. Globally, North America and Western Europe were major market players and together for more than three-fourth of the global IT-ITES market. The US alone accounted for 47% of the global IT-ITES market in 2003. IT services and BPO constituted the largest portion of the global IT-ITES spend, accounting for approximately 605 of the total pie. 2.1.1.2 INDIA:

The Indian IT-ITES industry broadly categorized into IT services, ITESBPO and hardware segments. The industry achieved revenues of USD 21.5 billion in FY2

2003. Earnings from IT-ITES exports were USD 13.3 billion, while revenues of the domestic IT-ITES market were USD 8.2 billion. At present, the IT-ITES industry constitutes around 1.6% of the global IT-ITES market.

The segment is estimated to touch revenues of around USD 92.4 billion in 2009 at a CAGR (Compound Average Growth Rate) of 27.5%. the contribution to the service sector as a whole will go up to 17.45% in 2010. The key drivers of growth include the rapid increase in IT outsourcing and the rapid expansion in the scale and breath of IT-ITES- BPO offerings by Indian vendors. The Indian IT-ITES vendors focused on improving productivity and moved up in the value-chain. While companies providing IT services included new service lines, such as package software implementation, systems integration, R&D engineering and remote network management to their portfolio of offerings, IT-ITES-BPO companies began more complex services, such as financial research and analytics, actuarial modeling and corporate and business research.

2.2 REASONS FOR THE GROWT OF THE IT-ITES SECTOR:

The major reasons for the phenomenal growth of the IT-ITES segment of the Indian service sector can be attributed to “location advantage” and “people attractiveness” factors, and India scores very high on both counts. According to a review by NASSCOM, the above reasons include six major factors:

A growing and highly educated English-speaking workforce with the required technical and soft skills.

Huge cost advantage Competent management of data security risks Adoption and maintenance of international quality standards World-class telecom infrastructure Government support

In general, India has significant geographical advantage due to the time difference between the US and Europe and so there is enough feedback time. In terms of people attractiveness, India has a large pool of highly- trained, English- speaking, low-cost labor, which adds as an attraction for off shoring more than anything else.

2.3 BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING:2.3.1 OVERVIEW:

Off shoring is a phenomenon, wherein an enterprise relocates the production of its goods or services to various locations in countries other than the one in which it is based. Off-shoring- especially that of services- has become an increasingly viable option for companies looking to improve their operational efficiencies, bottom lined and business performance. In fact, to achieve global competitiveness and high profitability, it has now almost become imperative for most of the companies to offshore some of their IT and non- IT BPO services. The global Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) market has undergone rapid transformation during the last decade and has been adopted as a strategic business solution by leading companies. A reduction in telecom costs, coupled with the increased digitization of services, is helping many companies to off-shore their services.

2.3.2 MARKET SIZE:

2.3.2.1 GLOBAL:

According to Evalueaserve, the revenue of global low-end outsourcing (BPO) services in FY 2003 was USD 7.7 billion. This market is expected to grow to USD 39.8 billion in FY 2010. This implies a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.5% for the sector.2.3.2.2 INDIA:

According to Evalueserve the Indian BPO sector will increase its share in the global KPO sector to 45% by 2010, compared to 36% share in 2003. The Indian BPO market, with revenue of 2.78 billion in 2003, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30.6% upto 2010. The contribution of the BPO sector to the Indian services sector was 0.91% in 2003 and it is expected that by 2010, the contribution will be more than double and reach 2.67% to add to the overall services sector. Share of the Indian BPO sector int eh global BPO industry will increase from 36% in 2003 to 45% in 2010.

2.3.2.3 SWOT ANALYSIS OF INDIAN INDUSTRY

STRENGTHS English speaking labor pool

Strong IT background Superior service maturity Strong governmental support Cost competitiveness Indian domestic market

growth Positing geographic

WEAKNESS Small players High attrition Infrastructure Bureaucracy

OPPORTUNITIES Move up the value chain Unexplored markets Greater share of market

THREATS Emerging low cost nations Rising cost Backlash in US and Europe Technology Indian educational policy

2.4 KNOWLEDGE PROCESS OUTSOURCING:2.4.1OVERVIEW:

Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) refers to the outsourcing of high-end complex tasks and processes to specialized service providers. These include valuation research, investment research, patent filing, legal and insurance claims processing, etc. KPO provides value to the client through domain expertise rather than process expertise. In comparison to BPO, KPO delivers higher value to the organizations that off shore their domain-based processes, thereby enhancing BPO’s traditional cost-quality paradigm. The shift from off shoring of low-end business processes (BPO) to high-end tasks led to a rapid growth in the off shore KPO industry.

2.4.2 MARKET SIZE:2.4.2.1 GLOBAL:

Evalueserve predicts that revenues from the KPO market will grow globally from USD 1.29 billion in FY 2003, to USD 17 billion in FY 2010. This implies a CAGR of 44.5%, for the global KPO market. The important growth drivers of this market are:

Higher savings at the high-end of the value-chain as compared to the low-end and a scarcity of a highly-trained specialized talent pool in the developed countries.

Maturity of processes and the prospect of better margins for knowledge-intensive services in the low-cost destinations.

2.4.2.2 INDIA:

The Indian KPO sector will increase its share in the global KPO sector to 71% by 2010, compared to a 56% share in 2003. The KPO market in India is expected to increase to USD 12 billion by FY 2010, reflecting a CAGR of 49.5%.

In FY 2003, the Indian KPO industry generated approximately USD 0.72 billion of the total revenue, contributing about 0.24% to the Indian services sector. This share is expected to increase to 1.78% of Indian services sector by 2010.

The US alone accounts for nearly 60% of the KPO services off shored to low-cost locations. The UK and Canada account for approximately a 20% share, while the remaining 20% is shared between the rest of Europe and rest of the world.

2.5 KEY SEGMENTS:

Out of the estimated opportunity of USD 17 billion the KPO sector in 2010, the major revenues will come from six prominent sectors.

2.6 GROWTH DRIVERS:

The significant growth of the KPO sector is attributed to several factors the demand and supply side.

2.6.1 DEMAND DRIVERS:

There are several demand-side factors fueling the KPO trend such as, There is an incumbent shortage of highly-skilled knowledge professionals

in the developed nations.Hence, recruiting the talents for higher-end knowledge-intensive sectors is becoming difficult for enterprise in high-wage countries.With tighter immigration norms, off shoring of these high-end services is the only viable solution for enterprise facing this shortage of highly-trained specialized labor.

Further, to remain competitive globally, enterprises need to cut their costs and reduce the time-to-market for their services and products.Off shoring high-end services not only ensures these two benefits, but also the intellectual property thus created, rests with the buyer of the off shore high-end (KPO) services.

2.6.2 SUPPLY- SIDE DRIVERS:

India offers an attractive cost proposition and a highly-skilled talent pool. These factors make it a highly competent and attractive destination for outsourcing. The major trends in the Indian services market expected to drive the KPO sector include:

Economies of scope generated by the entry of many IT companies in the BPO and KPO sectors.

BPO companies moving up the value-chain

Off shore service vendors are gaining significant maturity as well as project management and domain expertise, thereby moving up the value-chain.

Availability of all types of services through a single vendorWith the entry of many BPO companies into providing KPO services, clients can get the entire range of solutions and services portfolio, which will help ward off competition from services providers in other emerging low-cost destinations.

ATTRITION RATES IN DIFFERENT SECTORS:Following chart shows attrition rate in different sectors in India:

CHAPTER THREE

INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPANY

3.1 HISTORY:

Azure was founded in 1991 as an IT/CRM training and Software Development company and in the period 1991-2000, it trained more than 60,000 students across various Azure IT Training Institutes.

In the year 2000, Azure ventured into the BPO business facilitated by promoters with more than 15 years of outsourcing and service industry experience.

3.2 AZURE TODAY:

Azure enjoys the reputation of being the first and the largest Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) center in the state of Gujarat in western India. Today, Azure is a 2100 people company with its Knowledge Centers spread across three locations in India and one in China.

Azure has a proven track record of Sourcing and Training of excellent quality human resources on a large scale owing its training background. One of the reasons why clients prefer to work with Azure is because of its retention levels. Azure has a record of retaining more than 90% of its senior management in the last 6 years and an average attrition of 18% for associates/interviewers as compared to 60-70% in the industry

Azure is an ISO 27001 certified company with BS7799 IT Security Certification. Azure’s services provide the best value for money to clients owing to its low cost of operations in Ahmedabad (70% lower cost than prevailing costs in US/Europe and 30% lower cost than other metro cities in India) and efficiency maximization achieved through automation of processes and effective usage of Information Technology (IT), made possible due to its strong background in IT and an experienced IT team.

What clients appreciate about Azure is its Process Oriented approach in providing services by meticulously planning the workflow and support systems, setting the right benchmarks for quality and delivery and using technology as a backbone to provide faster, better and cost-effective services to clients.

3.3 COMPANY VISION: “To be a leading provider of financial services and knowledge based services to a global clientele by offering value through innovative use of technology and harnessing the highest potential of its people”.

3.4 MILESTONE:

Year/Period Key Events1991 Started as an IT Training Company; Setup various IT education

institutes across the state of Gujarat, India

1996-2000 No-1 IT Training company in the State; Trained 60,000 students across 30 Azure IT institutes

2000 Set up a 500 seat Global Contact center to provide Market Research and Financial Services to Fortune 500 companies

2003 Added Mortgage Processing and Mortgage Origination Support services; First multi-country, multi-lingual B2B Market Research Project executed successfully

2004 Expand MR capabilities to include Survey Programming, Data Processing; Conducted more than 30,000 web and phone interviews

2005 Added 2 Fortune 500 companies as key clients with long term contracts; Financial services expansion to UK, Europe and Australia; Expanded multi-lingual capability to cover 12 international languages

2006 ISO 27001 certification; Azure bags financial services contract from one of the top 5 global financial companies ; Bags large IT solutions contracts

2007 Launched China office in Guangzhou; Took 49% stake in Citizens Financial Mortgage; Ranked among the top ITES companies by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B); Launches IT solutions company: Success Craft

2008 2008 Azure wins “Best Customer Responsiveness Practice” award instituted by Avaya Global Connect, adjudged by Ernst & Young and ACNielsen; Setup 100 seat facility in Philadelphia, US

3.5 AZURE CORE VALUES:

Azure’s core values include: Integrity Responsiveness Effective use of technology Transparency Process orientation and discipline

3.6 AZURE CAPABILITIES:

Azure’s capabilities include: Multi Respondent

Age-groups, cultures etc.

Multi LingualOver 15 languages are spoken

Multi MediumPhone, Web, E-Mail, Print, Fax and Face-to-Face

Multi Geography90 Countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa

Multi ProcessSurvey Programming, Data Collection, Processing, Analytics, Presentation

Multi IndustryIT & Telecom, Healthcare & Pharma, FMCG/Consumer Goods, BFSI, Retail & Manufacturing, Media, Others.

3.7 AZURE ADVANTAGE:

o 7 years of experience in providing KPO and BPO services. o 1500 seat infrastructure across Ahmedabad, Guangzhou and Philadelphia with

2100 people .o Serving 75 plus countries in 12 languages. o Proven track record in providing Financial Services and Knowledge Services. o Current clients include three Fortune 500 clients and large financial services

companies. o State-of-art technology setup including dedicated private data and voice links to

US with technology solutions from Nortel, IBM. o Strong focus on processes and systems for efficiency and effectiveness in client

delivery. o Comprehensive business contingency and disaster recovery model. o Dedicated quality resources for each project and process.o Training and workshops conducted by industry experts.

3.8 SERVICES:

Basically, Azure facilitates its clients with four basic services, includes:

o Knowledge Services: Azure is dedicated to supplying superior knowledge services solution to their clients. ‘From Strategy to Solution’ encompasses Azure’s approach to developing long term relationships with their customers and understanding the needs of people, the challenges of complex business processes and the opportunities presented by technology. Azure's success is

highly leveraged on the capabilities of their team and each member of the team is chosen carefully to be able to assist in delivering results.

Azure’s gamut of knowledge services include: Market Research Equity Research

o Customer Care Services: Inbound Customer Care

BSNL-Customer Care Services: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) the largest public sector undertaking and telecom service provider in India (Fixed ,Cellular and Broad Band) having net worth of 14.32 billion $, infrastructure worth 22.74 billion $,network of over 45 million phone lines in 5000 towns, over 20 million cellular connections reverts back to Azure to outsource its Customer Care Services.Azure on its part will use its expertise and state of the art infrastructure and the best in its class CRM tools to atleast meet the BSNL requirements if not surpass them. The BSNL division will work on 24*365 and will be 150 strong offering services in 3 languages, English, Hindi and Gujarati. As Gujarat is an important destination for Business and Tourism, all efforts are being made to see there are alteast 3 CSR’S fluent in languages like Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Panasonic Tough books: Panasonic launched it’s premium product in the laptop vertical in India and the helpdesk number lands at Azure. The job of the Panasonic Team is to handle inbound call queries and also follow-up with information requested by the potential clients.

o Financial Services:

Azure is a leading provider of financial services like mortgage processing, loan origination, finance & accounting & collections. Azure has the necessary knowledge on the working of the financial services industry.

Azure’s clients get the advantage of seamless integration of cutting-edge technology and a highly trained human capital.

Azure is committed to delivering all the financial services you need in one place, with the personalized attention you deserve.Azure’s array of financial services includes: Mortgage Processing Loan Origination

Finance & Accounting

Collections

o IT Services:

AZURE is backed by experience in various verticals, domains, technology practices and SDLC methodologies. The focus is on building solutions that enable and empower customer service, work flow automation and marketing processes, by leveraging telecom and internet.

AZURE has been providing all round support, consultancy and solutions to the KPO, Telecom, BFSI and Internet industry. It brings to the table in-depth understanding of the respective domains and invaluable years of software development experience. Azure offers IT enabled services for: Telecom and IP Enterprise Solutions

Market Research

Financial Services

Web/Application Development