AI and BPO: How AI-augmented Talent Is Transforming Value Creation
AI and BPO teams achieve more together than they do alone. It may seem counterintuitive, however, the value of business process outsourcing (BPO) talent increases exponentially when AI is involved. When it comes to AI in BPO, it is not just about fast outputs — it’s about augmenting human capabilities to create smarter, streamlined processes and better results. It also presents a new opportunity to cost-effectively acquire talent with skills that meet the demands of modern business.
Read on for an insight into how AI is transforming outsourced teams for better.
The impact of AI on the BPO industry
One of the indisputable impacts of AI on business as usual is the creation of new skills gaps. Recent research indicates that AI skills are an important talent capability for companies aiming to get ahead. How important, exactly? LinkedIn’s latest Skills on the Rise list has ranked AI literacy the top growing skill in Australia and the United States, and it made the top three in the United Kingdom. Evidently, AI skills are no longer optional.
But for companies looking to embed AI technology in their local workforce, the implementation costs can be high. Driving organisational change, upskilling staff — it takes time and resources some are unwilling to invest. Many companies are interested in unlocking immediate value from AI, which leads them to seek expertise externally. That’s where BPOs come in.
Agile BPOs have been leading the way in capturing the AI opportunity. Outsourced talent is increasingly expected to demonstrate competency in areas such as application of AI-powered tools and interpreting AI-assisted insights; skills in short supply locally. And BPOs are delivering: they are increasing the attractiveness of offshore talent while simultaneously providing a cost-effective route to secure it.
Some forward-thinking outsourcing providers, such as Outsourced, have gone as far as integrating AI into their sourcing processes. The BPOs enriching their applicant tracking systems (ATS) with AI are able to identify suitable candidates from numerous applications and resumes much faster than using traditional methods. The reason for this, without getting too technical, is that AI systems excel at analysing large datasets and screening and categorising information a human would take hours — or days — to complete.
By providing AI-enabled methods of sourcing and talent skilled in AI, BPOs show they are capable of not only adapting to change, but also aligning with evolving customer needs.
Understanding AI-augmented staff in BPO
As demand for AI in BPO rises, so does demand for specialised roles that combine technical expertise and domain-specific knowledge. This shift has led to the creation of new and AI-enhanced roles and job categories within the BPO sector. Certain roles have been affected by AI to a greater degree than others, and the ways staff use AI depend on many factors, like role, responsibilities and experience level.
The simplest way to understand the breadth of AI-augmented roles involves categorising them by the extent to which they use AI.
Staff augmented by AI may either be:
- AI-specialised, meaning their core responsibilities involve leveraging AI
- AI-enabled, meaning work is occasionally enhanced by AI
Building your own AI-augmented BPO team generally involves selecting suitable roles in both categories. Which ones they fall into matters less than determining the right outsourced team composition. But the shape yours ultimately takes will be as unique as your business.
Improving service delivery with AI in BPO
BPO remains a cost-effective staffing strategy for firms looking to grow. Except now, AI has multiplied the value to be gained from offshore outsourcing, increasing speed, insight and quality.
Increased efficiency and productivity
Front and back office teams working with AI technology complete tasks faster than those that don’t. Their choice of tools and precisely how efficiencies are created depends on the role, although most report delegating repetitive and time-consuming tasks to AI assistants. Customer experience (CX) teams leveraging AI, for example, can quickly digest a customer’s interactions with service staff by asking AI for a summary, instead of scouring chat logs. This reduces the time it takes to understand the situation and reach a solution.
Deeper business insights
AI in BPO is enabling better decision-making thanks to more robust, readily available insights. Advanced AI applications are seen in IT and finance, where teams rely on AI-driven predictive analytics for insights into forecasts, budgeting, risk assessment and more.
But even simple applications unlock valuable insights. Take the outsourced marketing department regularly tasked with analysing campaigns as an example. Integrating AI into an analytics workflow or tool can reveal trends that help marketers decide whether to pivot a strategy or stay the course.
Improved service quality
Embedding AI into workflows empowers staff with knowledge and insight, but this practice also frees up capacity for higher-value activities. Tasks involving problem-solving or a human touch are best left to the (real) experts. Although, AI helps professionals in most, if not all, domains reduce the room for human error. When work is near completion, AI checks may be run to summarise findings or identify errors in logic and grammar, providing instant quality assurance.
Human-AI integration defines the future of BPO
The question isn’t whether AI will replace outsourcing, but rather, how it will enhance it. We foresee a future in which the BPO industry thrives by embracing AI in all aspects of service. Meanwhile, the smart companies that do outsource will see faster time to outcomes, deeper business insights and even improved quality of service.
At Outsourced, we are at the forefront of integrating AI with exceptional human talent to deliver superior results. By combining the best of human and AI intelligence, we’re building a future where companies of all sizes can stay ahead of the curve. If you haven’t already, it’s time to seize it.
Curious about growing your business with outsourced AI talent? Learn more in this guide.
