The Hindu Business Line : And now, log in for personal services outsourcing

BUSINESS Process Outsourcing (BPO) may well be the most happening thing during these times in the wired world, and India a major player in the business worth billions of dollars.

The sheer size and the scale of operations of a conventional BPO business have ensured that it has all but bypassed potential segments of customers in small businesses/individuals who have their own `little' outsourcing requirements. Also left out are small business service providers who look for key outsourcing business contracts.

This is where Personal Services Outsourcing (PSO) offers itself as an ideal opportunity for individuals, small business service providers and entrepreneurs. Customers will be distributed across the world, their profile varied and requirements diverse.

In this manner, the PSO providers are expected to be flexible in their outlook and capable of handling varied types of business. Individually taken, each contract may be of low value but the volumes would be high enough, thanks to the distributed demand and diverse and varied nature of business needs.

Future Net, a subsidiary of the Alappuzha-based Future Groups, telecom and business consultants, is entering the PSO business. Explaining the concept, Mr P. Abraham Paul, Managing Partner, Future Groups, told Business Line here that the services of `Future Net PSO' could be availed of by any person or institution from anywhere in the world as a direct customer. Various personal services needed by it/him or for relatives/friends in its/his homeland could thus be outsourced to the PSO.

The customer merely needs to access the PSO by e-mail (pso@futuregroups.com), phone/fax and register with Future Net. Any job/service legally allowed and executable in the country on a case-to-case or regular basis supported by a long-term agreement will come under the scope of the business.

An understanding is reached and a contract made out between the customer and the PSO by exchange of e-mails/fax. The PSO organises and carries out the personal jobs or services locally, as per terms of the contract. For instance, Future Net PSO offers to execute the following personal jobs and on the basis of agreed charges:

Entry, storage, daily upgrades and warehousing of personal data; debugging, restructuring and archiving of software; day-to-day accounting/book keeping, auditing and editing of personal accounts; transcription jobs for deeds and documentation, financial deeds, legal documents and property deals for customers or for their family members/children/friends and dealing with them on behalf of the former within the scope of the Reserve Bank of India and other regulatory provisions.

In the legal domain, services on offer are arranging certificates/transcripts, attestations and birth certificates from institutions and legal authorities.

In tourism, it could be travel and tour bookings, travel ticketing and hotel reservations. Similarly, transport, boarding/lodging and sightseeing trips through recognised agencies will be arranged for customers or their clients.

Other services are payments to utility service agencies, educational or other institutions; purchase and delivery of white goods, personal computers, automobiles and such other items and their servicing, procurement and presentation of items, gifts, ornaments, jewellery, confectionary, garlands and bouquets on festivals or other occasions

The items shall be procured by Future Net as per customer specifications/prize tags and delivered to the person at the time and location as needed by the customer.