The higher the number of transactions, more the pay,” he explained.

Another company that is experimenting with this concept is Aspect Software. “The home agent is the new wave of offshoring and is not intra-continent but intra-country. The processes demands what percentage of people can be home-based,” explains Rajeev Soni, Managing Director, Aspect Software. The company has experimented with this concept with Sparsh BPO and its own BPO for both voice- and non-voice work. However, it is yet to get a licence from the DoT to roll out the services on a commercial scale.

Soni explained that by using Microsoft’s Unified Communications in the work-from- home concept, the follow-up calls went down from 18 to 20 per cent to 8 to 9 per cent, thereby reducing costs.

Analysts, however, remain sceptical about arrangements related to working from home on the ground of- data security, infrastructure, data processes, employee motivation and monitoring problems and lack of a controlled environment. “Independent work can be done in a work-from-home arrangement but group work requires a controlled environment. Models like these work only when data masking is possible,” says Sabyasachi Satpathy, partner at advisory firm Tholons.

Moreover, processing needs to be scrutinised and a faster turnaround can’t take place in such models, said analysts. Few companies are interested in the work-from-home policy as infrastructure is another problem and the work will have to be verified.

“We understand and appreciate these concerns,” countered Roy, adding: “After all, I have been there and seen this industry grow to its present size. But I believe that we will make this concept work.”

Source: Business Standard