EQUIPBPO (Enhanced QUality and Information security Program for Businesses and Professionals in the Outsourcing sector) Project held a focus group discussion on the existing challenges confronting the BPO/ITES (IT Enabled Services) sector in the Philippines last July 19, 2011 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City.
The event witnessed the participation of top officials from 15 companies which are all members of the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA): Alsons/AWS Information Systems, Asia Systems, BlastAsia, Computer Professionals, Gurango Software, HP, IBM, Infomax, Novare, Pointwest, Radix, Sabre, SQL*Wizard, Headstrong and Spiceworx).
Ms. Beng Coronel, President of Pointwest Technologies, Inc., welcomed the participants by discussing the industry targets.
Co-financed by the DEG, the project is jointly implemented by ASSIST and TUV Rheinland Philippines in collaboration with PSIA. It seeks to equip the BPO/ITES firms with the necessary technical and managerial skills to adapt to challenges on quality, health and safety, and information security practices.
The discussion was facilitated by ASSIST Representative Karthik Subburaman, who also brings to the fore his experience as the Country Manager of Environmental Compliance Consultants International (ECCI).
During the event, the group identified key competencies needed by members of the industry to achieve and sustain growth. According to Pointwest Technologies Corporation President Beng Coronel, the goal of the industry is to double the revenue and the full-time equivalent (FTE) for the next two years.
Capability Development Framework for the Software Industry was discussed by ASSIST Representative and ECCI Country Manager Karthik Subburaman.
Participants indicated their need for organizational management, career management, sales and marketing competency, growth management and stakeholder management. They also determined the interventions such as industry cluster boot camps and facilitation of competency tests for shifte. Participants also recommended an adopt-a-class program accommodating graduating students who are interested in a career in the BPO/ITES sector.
Participants came from small, midsize and large IT companies in the Philippines.
After the discussion, the participants evaluated their capacity at achieving the industry targets based on the results of the capability self-assessment questionnaire developed by ASSIST. An MoU between ASSIST and PSIA was also signed to explore potential areas of collaboration specifically on conceptualization, design and development of capability development framework and on identification of training interventions based on the needs of the software professionals.
ASSIST and PSIA signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
ASSIST Projects and Grants Management (PGM) Director Sathappan Sathappan and Associate Marivic Mamaradlo were involved in the preparations for the event.#
ASSIST 
Leave a comment