CMO Axis is one of the new kids on the block in the Indian outsourcing landscape. The company offers marketing process outsourcing (MPO) services. Here, the company's founder and chief executive, Vinod Harith, talks about the future of MPO.
How was CMO Axis born?
The company was founded in 2008 by my brother Pramod and I. We left our corporate jobs to pursue the idea of pioneering a new business outsourcing space, which we call MPO, or marketing process outsourcing.
Sell me the idea.
As the first MPO company, we are offering an avenue for businesses, both large and small to outsource their marketing. This would be more aligned with the company's business results.
Has the deteriorating economic situation in Europe affected your business?
We are looking at the current situation as an opportunity as this is forcing businesses to cut marketing teams and costs while trying to keep their growth intact. This presents a significant opportunity for marketing outsourcing in these countries as it can help keep costs low.
What about competition?
We need to keep our ears close to the ground and evolve with customer's expectations and needs. When we started off, we focused only on marketing, but we noticed that clients wanted help with sales. The next stage in our evolution is to offer marketing on a pay-per-use model for businesses with one-off marketing [campaigns].
Do you have to specialise to stay competitive in the BPO industry?
Yes. That is the next step in the evolution of the industry - it's about the way we are going to run processes and not just the back offices. This is also essential to create innovation.
What's the future of Indian outsourcing?
Indian outsourcing will become more global. Take car manufacturing as an example. Today a car that sells in Europe is made in India while components are sourced from across the world. In a similar way, we can offer outsourcing solutions for businesses that integrate IT and business processes. Some parts can be delivered from India and others from elsewhere.
* Pia Heikkila