Outsourcing&More 43 November-December 2018

www.outsourcingportal.eu

No. 6 (43) | November – December 2018 ISSN 2083-8867 PRICE EUR 6 (INCL. 8% VAT)

RPA – technology that is changing the playing field Interview with with Saurabh Gupta, Chief Strategy Officer in HFS Research page 18

BUSINESS

INVESTMENTS

The world has changed.

So must your marketing if you want to stay relevant

Szczecin opened Data Security for investors Administrator page 66 before, DPO now

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CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

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INTRODUCTION

Editor-in-chief Dymitr Doktór dymitr.doktor@proprogressio.pl Managing Editor Kamila Czyżyk kamila.czyzyk@proprogressio.pl DTP Iwona Nowakowska Advertising reklama@outsourcingandmore.pl Published by PRO PROGRESSIO Editorial address ul. Sobieskiego 104/29 00-764 Warszawa www.proprogressio.pl

P: +48 22 213 02 45 F: +48 22 213 02 49 editor@proprogressio.pl www.outsourcingandmore.pl Print Drukarnia Jantar Legal support Chudzik i Wspólnicy An electronic version of the Magazine see the website www.outsourcingandmore.pl Selected photos come from shutterstock.com website.

Circulation 3,000 copies All rights reserved.

No copying, reproduction or photocopying allowed without written consent of the publisher.

The views expressed in this publication as well as the content of the adverts are not necessarily those of the editor.

Partners

AUTHORS Szymon Stadnik • Saurabh Gupta • Loredana Niculae • Laura Balsiuke • Tom Quigley • Sylwia Golas • Aneta Płusa • Rafał Nadolny • Michał Bielawski • Iwona Więckiewicz-Szabłowska • Anna Mielczarek • Monika Reszko • Magdalena Kowalska-Semeniuk • Krzysztof Herdzik

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

@DymitrDoktor

Dear Readers, We have a hot autumn this year. Not only in the aura outside of our offices, although the temperatures from the beginning of November resemble those from April, but also in the world of modern business services. The after-Summer period brought a whole lot of different conferences and the very first trends forecasts for 2019 started to appear. Among them are faster development of robotization and process automation, opening of the German labour market and potential emigration of Ukrainian workers from Poland to Germany, educational challenges and the scope of BPO and SSC employees’ competences or the dynamic development of Employer Branding area.

We decided to write about some of the above themes on Out­sour­ cing&More Magazine’s pages. In September, we had the pleasure to meet the HFS Research experts, with whom we talked about the development of financial services in Europe. Finance is not the only area of ​​​​HFS Research competence. To continue the talks, we invited the Chief of Strategy of the HFS Research, Mr. Saurabh Gupta, who shared his insights on the world of finance, automation, but also the new European initiative that is the EmergingEurope Alliance.

The world of shared services is also facing changes and this time in the SSC Lions section, we decided to present a conversation with Szymon Stadnik from Frista, whose SSC center evolved into the BPO model.

Outsourcing&More in recent weeks has been accompanied by several interesting business events, of which we have posted coverage on the very first pages opening the current edition of the Magazine. Before us, however, the most important industry event of the year, which is the BSS Forum conference and Outsourcing Stars Gala, to which I am already inviting you.

We will meet this time in the City of Łódź – more details about the event you will find within Outsourcing&More.

Wishing you an interesting reading, Dymitr Doktór Editor in Chief

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INDEX

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Business news

Is Romania the next technology hub in Europe? A new trend in employee benefits – company In the past years, Romania stood out from the crowd kindergartens are conquering in the technology field. It seems like ‘innovation’ is one office buildings in Poland of the main characteristics that motivates tech companies and

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startups to work and create state of the art software solutions.

The consumers are not always Romanian companies that start their digitization journey.

Employers must look for new ways to maintain and recruit employees, especially those with young children.

BUSINESS

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Bydgoszcz at the centre of interest in the F&A industry

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The F&A revealed conference organized by the Pro Progressio Foundation took place on 11th September in Bydgoszcz, as part of The BSS Tour Poland 2018 cycle of events. It was the first business event in the BSS sector after the summer break.

Outsourcer as a partner in transformation

A converted employer, i.e. discussions about Employer Branding in Częstochowa

What are the strongest development trends on the SSC/BPO market?

What process servicing models will bring tangible profits to companies?

The interview with Rafał Nadolny, Commercial Director at TMF Poland and Michał Bielawski, Vice President of the Management Board of ADAPTIVE Solutions & Advisory Group.

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From SSC to tailor made BPO The interview with Szymon Stadnik – Director of BPO, Frista.

Mission critical global IT services delivered from Lithuania

A commentary on the issue of monitoring employees’ e-mail and using other forms of monitoring by an employer

When the fraud prevention team of Danish advertising technology platform Adform discovered a large, sophisticated advertising-fraud operation, it knew it had uncovered something big. In fact, the Hyphbot, as it was dubbed, was probably the biggest bot network to hit the online ad industry.

After RODO has been put into effect, Article 223 was added to the Labor Code.

This provision regulates the monitoring of employees’ e-mail and other forms of monitoring used by an employer.

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INVESTMENTS

Ukrainian Startups Received a Total of $ 70,000 at IT Arena

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RPA – technology that is changing the playing field Interview with Saurabh Gupta, Chief Strategy Officer in HFS Research.

The most fierce startup battle in Ukraine took place on September 28–29, 2018 at IT Arena a major tech event annually held in the city of Lviv. Two days of pitches on the Startup Stage and demonstrations on the Startup Alley ended with the award ceremony of 11 teams, which received impressive prizes.

The world has changed. So must your marketing if you want to stay relevant In the last 10 years innovation and technology has exploded; the internet, social media, smart phones, automation, e-commerce, speech recognition, augmented reality – new technology that for the most part is now freely available to the average person – and most of it readily accessible via your mobile device.

Employee Experience – when the employee becomes a customer The HR industry has strongly focused on the employees.

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Investment news

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Modern business services developing the office market in Bydgoszcz

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Bydgoszcz is one of the most important locations for investments in the business services sector in Poland. The City is developing dynamically and the supply of modern office spaces is growing to respond to the needs of investors.

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Students create Poznań This academic year will be unique, as it will celebrate its 100th anniversary of five Poznań universities.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

INDEX

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Entrepreneurial Lublin

Local government of Lublin is well aware that it is the economy that drives the city development. Therefore, it undertakes intensive actions aimed at attracting new investors from industry and service sector and encouraging already present investors to reinvest. Nevertheless, the City does not forget about small entrepreneurship, offering it various forms of support.

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How to Support Entrepreneurship?

Kielce City’s initiatives for local business

What do entrepreneurs expect from local authorities? The most frequently repeated answer is that they should not interfere.

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Rzeszów – an example of a city open to the needs of entrepreneurs

The local authorities of the City of Rzeszów, responding to the information about the demand for staff among manufacturing and service companies in the city and its surroundings, as well as among new entities interested in making an investment in Rzeszów, create dedicated and patronage classes at secondary schools with a technical profile.

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Employer Branding on a macro scale “Mobile Łódź”, with the unicorn as its symbol, is a project addressed to potential residents of the city, aimed at bringing Łódź closer as an agglomeration where you can live, work and spend time in a pleasant way.

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Częstochowa in the future

The last five years have been a period of changes for Częstochowa, and above all, a quite radical change in the direction of the city’s development.

CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

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HR News

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Recruitment ad

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Data Security Adminitrator before, Data Protection Officer now

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Manager – an internal company ambassador

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Szczecin opened for investors

Lack of understanding, frustration, loneliness and feeling of being insufficiently good – these are some of the most common emotions appearing in today’s organizations among managers.

The local government strive to achieve this goal – within its competences – by improving conditions for conducting business activity by both domestic entrepreneurs and (especially) outside investors.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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BUSINESS

BUSINESS NEWS Fujitsu and Ericsson team up on 5G partnership IBM to acquire Red Hat Tokyo, Japan and Stockholm, Sweden, October 26, 2018: Fujitsu Limited and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) have entered an agreement to deliver end-to-end 5G network solutions and related services under a strategic partnership. The two companies are joining forces to develop this based on their combined portfolios – spanning radio access and core network – for the dynamic 5G market in Japan, connecting communications service providers to the global 5G ecosystem.

The two companies aim to initially provide systems and solutions for the Japanese market, and seek to further expand their collaboration to other customers globally.

In the 5G era, mobile communications service providers anticipate the ability to provide highly scalable, and intelligent services through open and globally standardised technology for core and radio access network for more efficient network operations.

As a leading network technology provider, Fujitsu is making concerted efforts to support open standards activities driven by major telecommunications providers and aims to achieve broad interoperability for its radio access products in global markets.

As a world leader in 5G, Ericsson has worked closely with mobile operators around the world in the development of 5G, through standardization, trials, and prototyping.

Ericsson and Fujitsu’s strength in research and development will ensure the best path for bringing global 5G solutions to Japan, as well as exploring a wider global market.

IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Red Hat (NYSE:RHT), the world’s leading provider of open source cloud software, announced y that the companies have reached a definitive agreement under which IBM will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Red Hat for $190.00 per share in cash, representing a total enterprise value of approximately $34 billion.

This acquisition brings together the best-in-class hybrid cloud providers and will enable companies to securely move all business applications to the cloud. Companies today are already using multiple clouds. However, research shows that 80 percent of business workloads have yet to move to the cloud, held back by the proprietary nature of today’s cloud market. This prevents portability of data and applications across multiple clouds, data security in a multi-cloud environment and consistent cloud management.

IBM and Red Hat will be strongly positioned to address this issue and accelerate hybrid multi-cloud adoption. Together, they will help clients create cloud-native business applications faster, drive greater portability and security of data and applications across multiple public and private clouds, all with consistent cloud management. In doing so, they will draw on their shared leadership in key technologies, such as Linux, containers, Kubernetes, multi-cloud management, and cloud management and automation.

IBM’s and Red Hat’s partnership has spanned 20 years, with IBM serving as an early supporter of Linux, collaborating with Red Hat to help develop and grow enterprise-grade Linux and more recently to bring enterprise Kubernetes and hybrid cloud solutions to customers. These innovations have become core technologies within IBM’s $19 billion hybrid cloud business. Between them, IBM and Red Hat have contributed more to the open source community than any other organization.

With this acquisition, IBM will remain committed to Red Hat’s open governance, open source contributions, participation in the open source community and development model, and fostering its widespread developer ecosystem. In addition, IBM and Red Hat will remain committed to the continued freedom of open source, via such efforts as Patent Promise, GPL Cooperation Commitment, the Open Invention Network and the LOT Network.

IBM and Red Hat also will continue to build and enhance Red Hat partnerships, including those with major cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Alibaba and more, in addition to the IBM Cloud. At the same time, Red Hat will benefit from IBM’s hybrid cloud and enterprise IT scale in helping expand their open source technology portfolio to businesses globally.

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Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

BUSINESS

Eur 350 million of leases for SMEs in Poland supported by investment plan for Europe •

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European Investment Fund (EIF) and PKO Leasing S.A. are announcing a new agreement under COSME (the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) and the Investment Plan for Europe.

The agreement aims to generate PLN 1.5 billion (c. EUR 348 million) in new financing for 10.000 Polish SMEs. This is the largest ever EIF direct guarantee transaction in Poland under EU financial instruments

However, transformation brings unprecedent opportunities for efficiency gains and business growth to Nordic organizations. 80% of Nordic executives believe that the most significant changes are still to come, while 85% of the executives expect to change business or operational models, meaning that most organizations are in the early stage of their digital transformation journey.

Nordic organizations are fast to leverage new technology to become more efficient and customer centric but are cautious about transforming their actual business models. The stronger the competition and harsher the economic conditions, the more likely companies are to transform beyond business optimization, and the organizations that see digital transformation as a threat are most likely to develop new and alternative business models.

Walter Herz’s Tenant Academy is inviting to the next series of meetings The first nationwide Walter Herz’s Tenant Academy is inviting to the next series of meetings. Walter Herz’s Tenant Academy, based on practical workshops, during which participants exchange views and experiences related to the commercial real estate market in Poland, has already completed two series of meetings.

The European Investment Fund and PKO Leasing S.A. have signed a direct guarantee agreement for Polish SMEs, supported by the Loan Guarantee Facility under the EU’s COSME programme.

The agreement will allow PKO Lesing S.A. to provide SMEs with new leases and loans on favorable terms for a period of two years, until 2020. Approximately 10,000 Polish entrepreneurs, including start-ups, are expected to benefit from the better financing terms.

The maximum transaction amount is set at PLN 1.5 million (approximately EUR 350,000).

The current agreement is the largest direct guarantee EIF transaction with a Polish intermediary.

New Nordic study reveals that established companies advance digital transformation more than digital natives Industry change in the Nordics is not primarily fueled by digitally native companies that disrupt the market overnight, but by established industry players transforming their existing businesses. Disruption increasingly comes from companies that already have a strong market position, an existing customer base, a thriving partner ecosystem, and high brand awareness. These are among the key findings of the new study Towards a data-driven future, conducted by IDC on behalf of Tieto.

The panels, which have already gained recognition throughout the country, are moderated by experienced experts, advisers, negotiators, managers, architects and lawyers who share their knowledge about leasing and using commercial space, contract provisions, office relocations, renegotiation of contracts, as well as effective use of space and trends in arranging office space.

The stationary workshops that took place, among others, in Warsaw, Cracow, Gdańsk, Łódź, Karpacz and Bydgoszcz were attended by representatives of over 100 companies from all regions of Poland. Walter Herz’s pioneering project brought spectacular success, and the creators of the Tenant Academy have prepared yet another set of lectures. Similarly to the previous editions, the topics of the next sessions cover issues that are particularly bothering tenants of commercial space.

The workshop, which will take place on December 5th, 2018, will discuss issues regarding office relocation and renegotiation of contracts. During the design workshops that will take place on January 15th, 2019, different variants of solutions in the arrangement of office space will be presented.

The initiator of the project is Walter Herz, which is a leading Polish company operating in the commercial real estate sector. Walter Herz experts provide comprehensive services in the field of investment consulting, providing full service to companies and institutions associated with the real estate market. The agency supports clients in searching for and reasing space, commercializing investments, as well as the process of managing projects.

IDC predicts that by 2021, more than 50% of the global economy will be digitized, and growth across all industries will be driven by digitally enhanced offerings. This means that organizations are compelled to digitalize the offerings, supply chains, and entire business models to remain competitive and relevant.

Led by North American companies, the share of digital transformers (29%) is significantly larger globally than in the Nordics (16%). Nordic organizations are focusing on business optimization and progressing cautiously unless a true disruptive force is present. While fast to leverage new technology, very few Nordic organizations (7%) have changed revenue models or made similar fundamental shifts in their business models.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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BUSINESS

Bydgoszcz at the centre of interest in the F&A industry The F&A revealed conference organized by the Pro Progressio Foundation took place on 11th September in Bydgoszcz, as part of The BSS Tour Poland 2018 cycle of events. It was the first business event in the BSS sector after the summer break. This conference focused on finance and accounting. It was the second time that The BSS Tour conference was held in Bydgoszcz. In 2017, the event focused on IT, and this edition was devoted to the most frequently outsourced area – finance.

The organizers ensured the international dimension of the conference and invited experts representing not only the Polish market, but also the European market.

The conference was opened by Edyta Wiwatowska – Board President, Bydgoszcz Regional Agency, who outlined the investment potential of Bydgoszcz. The city, which is mainly associated with the IT sector, is opening up more and more to investors from the F&A industry, and proving that F&A projects can be developed there as dynamically as in bigger agglomerations, considering the availability and quality of human resources, office properties and the logistics conditions.

The part devoted to finance was opened

by Andrew Wrobel – head of the London Think Tank “Emerging-Europe”. He invited Karel Franchois – Vice-President of HFS Research, Mariusz Szałaj – President of 4Synchronicity, Marta Rejman – a member of the ACCA Global Council, and Paweł Rychlik – Senior Manager of Risk Advisory Services at KPMG to join the discussion. The discussion also touched on the subject of automation and robotics. Paweł Rychlik shared his expectations and stated that, in two years, the annual growth of employment in the sector would stay at 10%, and that

he expected a lot of implementations of robotics. He also mentioned that “neutralization” of the language is about to come – “diversity will be displaced by robots”.

An important role during the conference was played by Automation Anywhere, a company which on the one hand presented a case study and examples of robots implemented in the world of finance, and on the other hand organized workshops for a dozen or so participants, who could build a financial robot themselves. The workshops are a new feature of The BSS Tour confer-

More about the cycle: www.bsstour.com

Photo: Adrian Czyżyk

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Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

BUSINESS ences. They were very well received by the delegates, who were mainly representatives of shared service centres and BPO companies.

In the second part of the day, the lectures mainly focused on the Polish market of financial and accounting services, and the HR issues, both in terms of availability and quality of personnel employed by companies providing F&A services.

The BSS Tour in Bydgoszcz attracted nearly one hundred participants representing a range of different industries, linked by the world of finance, accounting and the element of robotisation and the automation of F&A processes. Apart from the substantive part and the practical workshops, the event also provided an opportunity for networking, which lasted until evening. The BSS Tour in Bydgoszcz was yet another Pro Progressio conference which involved a work zone and three networking zones supported by the Event Tiger system. They were all very popular among the participants.

The event in Bydgoszcz was organized in cooperation and withthe key partnership of the City of Bydgoszcz (the Municipal Partner) and the Bydgoszcz Regional Development Agenc y (the Strategic Par tner).

The Patronage of the event was taken by the BritishPolish Chamber of Commerce, the Scandinavian-Polish Chamber of Commerce, Deutscher Outsourcing Verband and HFS Research, and the Honorary Patronage was also received by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency. The conference was sponsored by Kinnarps and Automation Anywhere. It was covered by a number of media patronages provided by both Polish and foreign mass-media.

The event is co-financed from the funds of the Regional Operational Program of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship for the years 2014-2020 and from the budget of the Bydgoszcz Regional Development Agency.

Photo: Adrian Czyżyk

BUSINESS

A converted employer, i.e. discussions about Employer Branding in Częstochowa It would seem that almost everything has been said about Employer Branding. EB (not to be confused with one of the brands of alcoholic beverages), which has been a hot topic of debate in recent years, is becoming more and more popular each year and is present in an increasing number of enterprises.

There are many initiatives on the market in the form of business events, conferences, and even competitions and galas, during which the best practices related to employer branding strategy are rewarded. This is very good news, given that nowadays it is mainly the employee who decides on his or her career and chooses potential employers.

Searching for reliable information about the best practices aimed at comprehensive and, above all, interesting promotion of the employer’s brand is very much in place.

Despite the intensity of various projects focusing on Employer Branding, there was a place on the autumn schedule for an extraordinary event in Częstochowa organized by Pro Progressio. The conference entitled Employer Branding in services was held as part of The BSS Tour cycle of business events, which have been organized all over the country for 2 years now. Pracownia_EB and GoldenLine were the substantive partners of the meeting in Częstochowa.

The event took place thanks to close cooperation with the City Hall.

The organizers put together a very interesting agenda, in which the subject of building an effective EB strategy was discussed in great detail, starting from the theoretical introduction to the heart of the matter, through practical examples, ending with projects that are carried

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out after the implementation phase, in which the analysis of employees’ behaviour and opinions should be taken into account. As the last presentation showed, data on employers should be sought mainly on the Internet, including a number of social networking platforms and message boards.

The conference in Częstochowa gathered nearly a hundred participants, representing industries such as: BPO, SSC, IT, R&D, Call Contact Centers, HR agencies, real estate agencies, consulting companies, experts dealing with benefit programs and happiness at work, and many others. The interest in the event exceeded initial expectations, and the conference room at Hotel Scout in Częstochowa was fully packed.

Among all the appearances, the participants of the conference had an opportunity to listen to an energizing speech

by Zyta Machnicka – a woman who can easily be called the guru of the Employer Branding world. In her speech she devoted a lot of attention to people and their role in employees– employer relations and provided a lot of tips on what to pay attention to in recruitment processes, as well as how to strengthen the image of, and knowledge about, employers. A perfect complement to Machnicka’s speech was the presentation of a case study from the Arla shared services centre, during

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

BUSINESS

which Joanna Grzegorzewska presented on how a large organization from the sector of modern business services planned, implemented and continues to implement the Employer Branding campaign effectively. The Team Leader of Talent Acquisition Global HR from Arla GSS showed how a brand associated only with the dairy industry perfectly understands what EB is and how it successfully encourages people to work in the Shared Services Centre located in Gdańsk.

The BSS Tour in Częstochowa was also an opportunity for panel discussions, during which Adam Wąsik (Pracownia_ EB) led a discussion on the best benefits for employees. The discussion was attended by experts from Nais – Iwona Grochowska, The Design Group – Konrad Krusiewicz, and Kinnarps – Maria Lorenc, who discussed in detail, and sometimes also in a sharp exchange of views, the office as a working environment, as well as a wide range of employee benefit programmes and their evolution in recent years. Finally, Jacek Krajewski from Emplocity and Krzysztof Herdzik from Corporate Differently presented the great world of the Internet and its tools used for monitoring and analytics, and ultimately supporting a positive image of the employer.

Representatives of Investor Service Centres or city mayors are frequent guests during most of The BSS Tour events.

It was no different in Częstochowa, where Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk, Mayor of Częstochowa, presented his plans together with an example of how to support the development of local entrepreneurship and the labour market.

Matyjaszczyk’s speech, conducted in a casual way, was full of concrete facts and evidence and adapted to the dynamics of the event, which met with considerable recognition of the audience.

Participants of the conference unanimously stated that Employer Branding should be discussed more and more often. HR directors and communication specialists are hungry for knowledge in this area and look forward to further events or practical examples that they could apply in their own organizations.

The next event of The BSS Tour is coming soon! Detailed information will be published on the website www.bsstour.com 

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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SSC

FROM SSC TO TAILOR MADE BPO

Word of admission: SSC Lions is a new project run

by Pro Progressio and focused on the communication support provided to Shared Service Centres.

On O ­ utsourcing&More Magazines’ pages we will present business cases and interviews with leaders of Shared Services Centres, industry experts and consultants. Our interlocutors will provide the answers to the questions related to best business practises, project manage­ ment and employer branding.

In the eight edition of SSC Lions we are presenting you the interview with Szymon Stadnik – Director of BPO, Frista. We discuss about the Frista’s boutique model, LEAN strategy in BPO and SSC and requirements of Swiss client.

SSC LIONS

Outsourcing&More: Looking at your operations, we can define Frista as a boutique BPO. What are the advantages and challenges of this form of business?

Szymon Stadnik, Frista: What makes our BPO a boutique is that we have a broad range of different specializations in many areas under one roof (Finance and Accounting, HR, IT, Logistics, Administration and Customer Service). In addition, we support clients in 7 languages (mainly Western European ones) and we are able to extend this range at any time.

The service is always tailor-made by us. The established scope of service as well as SLA is adjusted to individual needs of companies we serve and their business model. We work with our client’s IT platforms without exposing them to revolutionary organizational or process changes related to outsourcing. In this way, we reduce the level of stress for the client’s organization which is often related to process transition.

their career have opportunities to develop further and gain experience under the supervision of mentors. Highly experienced employees realize their passions and use their knowledge by conducting or participating in global projects of our clients. Apart from trainings, we learn from each other. Specialists from various areas have a chance to exchange their knowledge and experience as well as work on and deliver together inter-area projects.

Managing such a diverse environment is an unquestionable challenge.

We achieve this SATISFACTION OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAS through involvBEEN AT THE LEVEL OF OVER % FOR ing all employees in realization SEVERAL YEARS. THIS IS A GREAT REWARD of our mission, FROM THEM TO FRISTA. IT IS ALSO A GREAT vision and common strategic RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANAGEMENT goals. Everyone Frista builds TO MAINTAIN SUCH RESULT. in our company and creates its success.

Frista is based on peoThe main advantage of such solution is the ability to offer a very ple. Easy exchange of information comprehensive service. Depend- between teams and the abiliing on the needs and experience ty to look at processes as a whole in process migration of compa- makes work interesting and gives nies that are interested in our ser- opportunities for learning and furvices, we can offer support in one ther development. of the selected areas or several areas at the same time. Our cli- How many people does your Warents have the possibility not only saw delivery center have and what to test and learn how to work with processes do they care for? the outsourcing model but alAt the moment our team conso they can learn the advantages sists of over 140 people. We proof nearshoring, i.e. optimization vide back office services in such of their processes by transfer- areas as Record to Report, Orring them to Eastern Europe. Tak- der to Cash, Collection, Purchase ing an analogy to a real boutique, to Pay, Shop Control, Loss Preventhe client comes and selects tion, Inventories and Delivery Cona chosen service to be outsourced. trol, Transport administration, HR From our side we do everything and payroll, E-commerce develthat the client is delighted with opment, IT Help Desk First and the process we provide and wants Second line of support, Customer to “visit” us again to choose an- Service, Help Desk Maintenance other service. This way togeth- and Administration. er we build a cooperation model tailored to the needs of our cli- Our center is made up of profesents. The speed of its expan- sionals with many years of experision is regulated by service buyer. ence as well as of people who start Thanks to the high quality we pro- their professional careers. We vide, we build trust and convince employ great ambitious people our clients to extend the scope who share our passion and our of ordered services. Moreover, due values. In our teams you can find to high diversity of our teams, we finance, accounting, IT and E-comcan provide processes end to end. merce experts. Those who start

Satisfaction of our employees has been at the level of over 90% for several years. This is a great reward from them to Frista. It is also a great responsibility of the management to maintain such result.

Every day we do our best to create the conditions for further development of our employees, take care of the work atmosphere and attract equally great people as we now have on board. Our ambition is to maintain the current commitment also during further expansion and rapid growth.

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Apart from basic and operational processes, we also deal with process automation and optimization for our clients. We carry out and variety of projects that are ordered by them. Our specialists deliver SAP system development and mobile applications projects as well as provide e-commerce solutions from concept and design, through development, to post-implementation maintenance. A year ago we built an E-commerce team, which takes care of IT development of our client’s international e-com sales platform as well as of the full range of e-commerce management – including user experience, positioning, online marketing and expansion into new markets.

Based on your experience, what kind of savings can the centralization of services or its outsourcing offer?

The main benefit of centralizing services in one place is the ease of their standardization. Using LEAN methodology and other process optimization tools, it is easier to identify differences in similar processes within one center

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

SSC LIONS

and then standardize and possibly automate them than in the case of dispersed organizations where similar processes are being conducted in different places and in different ways.

Frista’s mission is to release the true potential of our clients by taking over their back office processes so that they can focus their energy and resources on the activities that constitute their core business. This is the main benefit of outsourcing.

Transferring non-core processes to professionals allows our clients to focus on building their competitive advantage through areas that are business-critical.

It is worth mentioning that Poland still presents a great potential in the scope of cost reduction for clients from Western Europe who are interested in nearshoring.

The Polish labor market guarantees a very high quality at a very attractive price. In our center, all people have a university degree or are currently studying. Everyone speaks English and in most cases, they know another foreign language.

Poland is the most attractive place for the transfer and implementation of back office processes in Europe. The fact that a large number of foreign companies employ experts in our country, makes finding a person with international experience in any field as easy as in Western Europe. We also encounter such a situation when we cooperate with our foreign clients. Finding a specialist in niche specialization in the area of IT is often easier in Poland than in Switzerland.

For Poland, the last 28 years have been a time of constant revolutionary changes, to which we have become accustomed. That is why we find ourselves so accustomed to the pace of changes in the BPO/ SSC industry.

As Frista, we want that the benefits of transferring processes to Poland are available to as many companies in Western Europe as possible, including Swiss ones. Our offer is addressed to organizations that until now considered building

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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SSC LIONS

their SSC but were afraid of the risk of required transformation as well as high cost of setting up and running their center until the essential scale is reached. We offer our clients the opportunity to build a dedicated team within Frista which uses our tools, methodologies, systems, know-how and scale. Thanks to this, the benefits of nearshoring are also available to companies which are much smaller than those that can afford to build their own SSC.

In all activities we focus on our clients and the highest quality of service. Optimizations are based on identification and elimination of MUDA (waste). In each process there are activities that do not bring added value to the client. Our teams are constantly looking for such areas in order to eliminate them.

According to the latest trends in outsourcing, companies expect their service supplier to proactively propose solutions, share knowledge and participate in the benefits of automation and optimization. Therefore, for our clients we are always a content partner, not just a service provider.

LEAN methodology is also an ex- Finally, the question about cellent foundation for the automa- the key element of each ortion and implementation of RPA. ganization – clients. What are the challenges and requirements of Swiss client?

SWISS COMPANIES AS WELL AS THE SWISS As a Swiss capital group with a delivery center in WarTHEMSELVES APPRECIATE PERFECTIONISM, PRECISION saw, we perfectly understand AND PUNCTUALITY. THE CULTURE OF COOPERATION the characteristic of how Swiss company works. A Swiss cliBASED ON PARTNERSHIP AND MUTUAL TRUST ent requires the highest qualiAS WELL AS A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE OF MUTUAL ty of service. Swiss companies as well as the Swiss themselves RELATIONSHIPS PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE. appreciate perfectionism, precision and punctuality. The culture On your way to perfection Due to the variety of processes of cooperation based on partyou have decided to implement and systems we work with, as well nership and mutual trust as well the Lean methodology. What im- as the fact that each system of- as a friendly atmosphere of mutupact does it have on your organ- fers different possibilities for pro- al relationships plays an essential ization? cess automation, having a uniform role. The Swiss are accustomed The strategic LEAN that we foundation in the form of a LEAN to making decisions on the basis have implemented in our organi- system and tools makes our of consensus. The political system zation structurizes our approach work easier. is stable because it requires many to process optimization. It alconsultations and discussions beso provides a set of tools that we Lots of various methods regard- fore making the final decision. use to ensure high quality servic- ing process implementation ex- On the other hand, Switzerland es while constantly improving ef- ist in the SSC world: test & learn, is a very competitive market, with ficiency. Cascading our mission, train the trainer, lift & shift, the great specialists, with whom vision and strategic goals to indi- drag & drop, etc. Which one we as Poland have to compete.

We put a huge emphasis on hirvidual teams, builds commitment do you use? to the execution of the objecWe are very flexible in our ing highly qualified professionals tives by entire organization. Due approach regarding taking over who are able to satisfy the needs to the fact that strategic LEAN and running processes. The most of our Swiss clients. Switzeris so complete as methodology, important is the specific need land is a leader in many fields the tools we use on a daily basis fa- of the client. We are prepared both and thus attracts the best talents cilitate the work of both our man- to take over processes in the lift & which causes the standards to be agers in leading their teams and shift model, which is easier to im- set really high for us. From time the teams themselves in achieving plement at the beginning of co- to time we are asked by our Swiss further optimization while main- operation and in the fix and shift clients for a person who speaks taining a high quality customer model, i.e. process transformation 3 foreign languages (except Po­ service. We believe that our em- transition and taking over already lish). In Switzerland, such compeployees should be equipped with optimized processes. The trans- tence profile is quite popular but instruments and knowledge in or- fer of individual positions within in Poland, this creates a recruitder to achieve the goals that are set the framework of the test & learn ment challenge. In this case, we for them. We use the whole range program brings measurable ben- do everything to find such a perof LEAN tools to continuous- efits to our clients by minimizing son and often succeed. At the end ly improve our processes: KPIs the risks associated with the trans- the challenges of our clients moperformance management sys- formation of the entire organiza- tivate us to work even harder and tem, scoreboards and visual man- tion. At the request of our client to always find solutions and this agement, cascading goals, value we are also able to carry out an in- in turn is basis of our philosophy. stream mapping, 5S, compe- ternational project of reorganizatence matrices and many others. tion, centralization and transition. Thank you for the interview.

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RPA

– technology that is changing the playing field Wiktor Doktór, CEO of Pro Progressio talks with Saurabh Gupta, Chief Strategy Officer in HFS Research.

Wiktor Doktór: European F&A market keeps on changing. The number of operation centres both in captive as well as in outsourcing model grow every year. What is the current size and value of F&A services in Europe?

Saurabh Gupta: We estimate the size of the 2018 F&A BPO market in EMEA to be approximately US$13 billion with a five-year CAGR of 6.3%. Growth rates are at a higher level than they were 12 months ago and we changed the Q1 forecast to reflect this. Improved automation cannibalizes traditional outsourcing contracts but is starting to expand services to new customer segments or helping to expand scope in existing customers.

models are hugely impacted. It has captivated the attention of digital operations executives with the promise of cost-savings beyond labor arbitrage, cost avoidance by extending the life of legacy IT, quicker implementation than traditional IT projects, business-user friendliness, auditability and compliance, straight through processing, and, let’s be honest, terrific marketing!

However, confusion around RPA deployments is rife. There are growing questions about whether RPA can deliver on promised ROI and outcomes. Most RPA initiatives continue to be small and piecemeal. Scaled RPA deployments are rare. The industry is still struggling to solve challenges around the process, F&A is more and more connected change, talent, training, infrastructure, to RPA – how dynamic, in your opinion, security, pricing and governance. will be the growth of RPA implementations within next year? Do you still We at HFS believe that RPA alone the cost of RPA implementation will will not solve for world hunger. But somehow be the showstopper or ma- the holy grail of service delivery ture companies already have RPA writ- potentially lies at the intersection ten in their development strategies? of the Triple-A trifecta of Automation, RPA has dramatically altered the nar- AI, and smart Analytics. Enterprises and rative among middle/back office process service providers that are able to take owners. We predict a market approach- a more holistic approach across emerging ing $2 billion this year alone and growing technologies are more likely to succeed fast as traditional process outsourcing than ones with a piecemeal approach.

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As HFS Research, you are in the group of Founding Members of EmergingEurope Alliance. Why did you decide to join this initiative and what added value can HFS add to this newly created business alliance?

Our mission at HFS Research is to define future business operations and investigate emerging technologies that are changing the playing field. Our expert analysts cover many different global mar-

kets, but we are currently increasing our focus on Central and Eastern Europe. This region is a hotbed of growth and many of the area’s companies are embracing disruptive technologies and are poised to make a lot of noise in the future.

Partnering with the Emerging-Europe Alliance means sharing our case studies about CEE companies with EE Alliance members and inviting members who are enterprise leaders to our HFS FORA events, increasing the dialogue between our two aligned organizations to promote digital and operations growth across Europe.

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On your web pages there is a great set of reports marked “TOP 10” – what kind of reports can be found over there and who should get familiar with their content?

We have replaced our erstwhile Blueprint 2X2 matrices with the innovative HFS Top 10 reports. Our clients want rankings where the analyst take a stand, not merely a fuzzy matrix where everyone looks like a winner. That is what we are delivering with the HFS Top 10.

The HFS Top 10 presents the voice of the customer in a more meaningful way to enterprises. It also enables analysts and vendor executives to engage in a less stressful and apolitical manner.

This also refocuses the analyst/vendor relationship more around valuable conversation and strategy, and less around the “he said, she said” tactical bake-off, which the legacy quadrant model forces.

We’ve already released many Top 10 reports including Top 10 RPA products, Top 10 Infrastructure & Cloud services, Top 10 Cognitive Assistant Services, and Top 10 Workday Financial Services.

Our plan is to publish the Top 10 across all aspects of our research coverage including emerging technologies (RPA, AI, IoT, blockchain), business services (customer experience, Finance & accounting, Financial Planning & analysis, Sourcing & procurement), IT Services (ADM, Infra and Cloud, digital consulting) as well as major industries.

Brexit is still a hot topic in Europe.

When it comes to sourcing and outsourcing – do you think market activities may increase or decrease demand for outsourcing services from UK to CEE region?

Brexit created an initial slowdown primarily due to uncertainty and ambiguity. However, I don’t think it will have a significant impact either to increase or decrease in the medium to long term.

The primary reason is that UK is relatively mature market that has already reaped most of the arbitrage-related benefits from global sourcing. The current demand drivers in mature geographies are more fundamental in nature. In our

recent 2018 research, executives across the global 2,000 enterprises made it clear that the reason for third-party partnerships is to enable topline growth at similar or lower costs. This is fundamentally different than the traditional raison d’etre for any outsourcing of pure cost reduction. Most enterprises realize that they need to partner with third-party service providers to realize their strategic goals of driving topline growth through improved customer experience, real time analytics, front-middle-back office alignment, etc.

We at HFS believe that RPA alone will not solve for world hunger.

But the holy grail of service delivery potentially lies at the intersection of the Triple-A trifecta of Automation, AI, and smart Analytics.

Consequently, just an offshoring/nearshoring value proposition is not enough anymore. Brexit and other populist movements find the headlines and yes has a certain impact but there is a more fundamental shift that is changing the demand drivers.

Advice and warning. As the last question I’d like to get your comment related to business advice and business warning you can share with outsourcing top managers – if there was something you could advice or warn what would it be?

Don’t be a deer-in-the-headlights with today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous business environment.

What worked for the last 5 years will not work for the next 5. Today’s world is scary and exciting at the same time. Learn, adapt, and change.

Thank you for the interview.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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Is Romania the next technology hub in Europe?

In the past years, Romania stood out from the crowd in the technology field. It seems like ‘innovation’ is one of the main characteristics that motivates tech companies and startups to work and create state of the art software solutions. The consumers are not always Romanian companies that start their digitization journey.

They are actually international organizations that find in Romanian IT specialists the skills and knowledge they need to accomplish business goals and gain competitive advantages. That’s why Romania became one of the most important countries in the outsourcing industry. It is even predicted that very soon the country will be soon the next big technology hub in the region.

organizations in the first place? It might seem simple to answer, but there are, in fact, multiple variables that determined this growing trend.

Based in Central Eastern Europe, Romania attracted the attention of US and European companies. By comparing Romania with other significant tech clusters in the world, we can understand that Eastern Europe seems more trustworthy, WHY IS ROMANIA SO GOOD while regions such as Asia and Latin Loredana Niculae, AT OUTSOURCING? America are very attractive only due CEO NNC Services Outsourcing became so attractive to the lowest developer rates. According Romania thanks to the fact that it eliminates to the Accelerance’s report – 2018 Global the majority of employee overhead costs Outsourcing Rates, Eastern Europe like employee benefits, taxes, training, is the second cheapest region when and retention, while also providing it comes to outsourcing, after Asia. the opportunity to scale teams according The price difference comes from to specific needs that companies have. the combination of multiple factors like Many international companies lever- location, tech stack, work experience, aged the technology solutions offered team size, and length of engagement. by the Romanian startups and also The explanation is clear enough, but let’s by the big players we have here. see what studies tell us about outsourHowever, one question remains for many cing rates in general: after analyzing of us: what determined the international the top development companies companies to collaborate with Romanian in more than 30 countries, Accelerance recommends companies to be cautious with service offerings below $25/hour.

It’s been a while since Romania is on the radar when it comes Furthermore, they explain to outsourcing and technological innovation. The developments that less than this sum should made here are impressive, and each year the numbers increase be a red flag that the provider even more. What made this growth possible was the trust and may be underinvesting the investments made here by the international companies, that in his company and also that perceived the potential in the highly skilled professionals. From the quality of the services that point, it wasn’t long until talented people built their own could be compromised. companies to drive innovation even further. This perfect combination of internal and external resources helped Romania be recognized as the next technology hub in Europe.

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Moving on with our analysis, we discovered some more studies on why Romania is best for outsourcing. After comparing many companies in Eastern Europe, Accelerance also highlights that the Baltic region is not recommended for outsourcing. But close to this region are the Balkans, an area highly recommended for outsourcing.

A general outsourcing report published in 2016 discovered that companies who outsourced in the Balkans were able to cut costs by 50% thanks to the highly educated specialists that were able to deliver the required solution in less time than expected.

The report published by Accelerance this year – Outsourcing in the Balkans, also showed that Romania ranked the highest in outsourcing readiness, English proficiency and also in higher education training. Moreover, the large pool of developers and the high score on technological readiness make Romania an even more attractive outsourcing country.

Romania became a thriving technology center in the latest years, and the proximity to other important technological hubs helped it even more. The annual growth rate of the outsourcing sector is between 15 and 20%, making Romania be the fastest growing market in the European Union regarding the IT outsourcing services.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

THE ROMANIAN SILICON VALLEY

Thanks to the continuous development supported by the outsourcing companies, one of the Romanian regions, Transylvania, has been nicknamed the Silicon Valley. The area possesses a large pool of IT professionals that help the country rank in the global top 10 of certified IT specialists. That is why the most famous international companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Amazon and many more hired thousands of Romanian IT talents.

According to the latest A.T. Kearney’s Service Location Index, Romania ranks first in Europe and the 6th globally when it comes to the number of certified IT professionals, with more than 100,000 people in IT-oriented profiles.

Also, regarding attractiveness for software outsourcing, Romania is the 3rd in the world.

Although it doesn’t offer the lowest prices for the services, all the solutions are still less expensive than those provided by Western Europe or the US market.

The growth experienced by Romania is undoubted. According to the ANIS Romania (Employers’ Association Of The Software and the Services Industry), this year the turnover for the IT industry has increased with over 11%.

The most important driver for this growth, was, of course, the outsourcing sector, which contributed by more than 75% to the value of the entire IT sector. The same reports highlighted that 75% of the whole export of the software products and related services went to the European market last year, while 22% to the US market.

For the next years, the predictions are positive: Romania will continue to deliver quality solutions, ensuring a stable and growing environment for the IT industry.

But Transylvania is not the only technological hub in the country. Bucharest, Romania’s capital, is also a vast outsourcing region. Compared to Transylvania, Bucharest has the largest and the most diverse software development professionals. Romanian developers can cover a wide range of technologies like PHP, JavaScript, .NET, while also being interested in the trendy frameworks around the world such as AngularJS, ReactJS, Node.js.

Moreover, the fact that Romania knows its potential in being one of the most important countries for outsourcing drives the majority of IT companies to develop internal programs that cover the time gap and even the cultural differences. Programs that include a flexible work schedule and multicultural pieces of training are more and more often in Romania.

BUSINESS

Mission critical global IT services delivered from Lithuania When the fraud prevention team of Danish advertising technology platform Adform discovered a large, sophisticated advertising-fraud operation, it knew it had uncovered something big. In fact, the Hyphbot, as it was dubbed, was probably the biggest bot network to hit the online ad industry.

Conservative estimates are that the bot was generating at least $500,000 a day offering “fake ads” to companies. But thanks to Adform’s skilled engineers and proactive approach, the scam was nipped in the bud.

The Hyphbot story highlights the fact that it requires constant vigilance to keep your IT operations secure, and that cutting corners is not an option. But there is a second moral to this story: that having a skilled, diligent team makes a huge difference. And Adform, like many other international companies, have been able to put together that team in Lithuania, thanks to its rich pool of IT talent.

Adform’s fraud prevention activities, and many other IT functions, are delivered from its service centre in Lithuania, which currently employs over 450 staff.

The Lithuanian team that uncovered the Hyphbot scam has two key characteristics that can be found throughout the country’s IT services sector. Firstly, the sector is comprised of highly skilled experts who are analytical, solution-driven and dedicated. Secondly, it utilises custom-built solutions to support the work done by the people themselves. In the case of Hyphbot, it was an algorithm that had been developed in-house that enabled Adform to detect

the fraud. Thanks to this combination of expert talent and bespoke automated processes, Lithuania’s tech sector is developing and providing critical global IT services to the likes of Uber, Nasdaq, and Western Union.

TECH TALENT YOU CAN TRUST

Lithuania’s GBS sector is diverse and multifunctional, yet the provision of IT services stands out as a major feature.

30% of service centres in Lithuania belong

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to company groups from the IT industry, making it the largest sector in Lithuania’s GBS ecosystem. Furthermore, IT services are the most common service provided, with 29% of employees working in this field. The main reason international companies are choosing the set up in Lithuania is clear: talent.

The new facility is tasked with ensuring the company’s cybersecurity worldwide, which means continuously monitoring the online security of over 1,200 employees and the information systems of TransUnion’s corporate customers. Likewise, Telia, the Scandinavian telecoms giant, is leveraging its Lithuanian IT talents to ensure stability Whether it is working on cybersecurity, across its IT infrastructure. ensuring critical systems remain in operation 24/7, or developing smart new software to meet customer needs, Lithuanian IT specialists are currently responsible for a huge array of tech projects for global companies. Take Uber, the ride-hailing

67% of GBS centres based in Lithuania are using RPA solutions.

30% of service centres in Lithuania belong to company groups from the IT industry, making it the largest sector in Lithuania’s GBS ecosystem.

60% of home loan applications made through the Sunday.dk platform are confirmed within 48 hours.

50% of Uber’s core infrastructure is provided by IT development services placed in Vilnus.

Sunday.dk, is a revolutionary online and mobile platform that covers every step of acquiring a property loan. The platform was created by Danske Bank tech teams.

of the GBS workforce in Lithuania are now robots, with an average of 31 robots deployed in each centre.

29%

of employees work in IT services, which are the most common service provided.

MUCH MORE THAN A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS

service currently valued at close to $70 billion. Its Engineering Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, is responsible for “keeping the engine running,” as Uber’s website puts it – that means providing critical site reliability. Nasdaq also has a growing IT team in Lithuania, which, among other functions, provides global system operations support, maintaining the infrastructure and applications that run in all Nasdaq-managed European locations. Then there’s TransUnion, one of the world’s biggest credit risk assessment and information solutions companies, who recently opened a brand new office in Kaunas, Lithuania’s second largest city.

The fact that these international companies are trusting their Lithuanian offices with business-critical IT responsibilities is testament to the trust they have in their IT specialists. But what is striking is that in almost every case, these teams are also being asked to put their creativity and ingenuity to use as well. These specialists are not just problem solvers, they are solution drivers.

In Uber’s case, its Vilnius office is providing IT development services to take care of 50% of Uber’s core infrastructure. Nasdaq’s Vilnius office is involved in developing, testing and delivering state-of-the-art technology

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

which powers trading venues, clearing houses, CSDs and corporates around the world. With Telia, its Lithuanian tech talents are being tasked with developing mobile software solutions for the company’s e-channels (mobile and internet), which are used by 4.5 million customers every month.

Perhaps the best example of cuttingedge IT solutions coming out of Lithuanian tech teams are those of Danske Bank.

Danske Bank is one of Europe’s largest retail banks, and one of the factors behind its success is its willingness to embrace of innovative solutions. Its most recent, Sunday.dk, is a revolutionary online and

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Laura Balsiuke, Senior Investment Advisor, Invest Lithuania

mobile platform that covers every step of acquiring a property loan. This enables Danske customers to get a mortgage without having to leave the comfort of their home, and all in record time – 60% of home loan applications made through the platform are confirmed within 48 hours. Then there’s the MobilePay App, launched 5 years ago, which is Denmark’s No.1 money transfer application, and is on 90% of Danish smartphones. Both of these breakthrough solutions bear the mark of Lithuanian IT talent. Both Sunday.dk and MobilePay were developed by joint Danish-Lithuanian teams.

Danske’s Lithuanian team includes experts in user experience, process consultants, designers, data scientists, business analysts, programmers and testers. And the company intends to grow its Lithuanian IT team, which has expanded by 40% since last Autumn, by a further 30% this year.

A GROWING POOL OF TALENT

This kind of growth is made possible

by Lithuania’s well-developed pipeline for tech talent. There are currently around 32,000 IT specialists employed in Lithuania’s tech sector, with 12,000 students enrolled in IT studies at present – the number of IT students increased by 20% from 2013 to 2016. In fact, Lithuania’s IT talent pool has the second highest level of tertiary education in the EU. Many of these talents enter the workforce as Junior Developers through qualification schools such as Code Academy and the Vilnius Coding School.

And companies and organisations are supporting the effort to develop a strong IT community. Devbridge, a US-based software developer with an office in Lithuania, offers free educational programs to students through its Sourcery Academy. Starting even earlier is “Computers for Kids”, a program set to teach coding by providing BBC mciro:bit computers to all 5th graders.

Another strong trend, which is supported through initiatives like Women Go Tech, is the improving gender balance in the sector. Lithuania is in the EU’s top 3 countries for the proportion of women working in the IT sector.

RELIABILITY PLUS INGENUITY IS A WINNING COMBINATION

As scams like the Hyphbot reveal, taking chances with your IT operations is not an option. Keeping on top of the constantly shifting developments of IT operations requires both expertise and tenacity. But beyond being a safe pair of hands, the very best IT talents also show the creativity to develop new solutions that meet ever-changing customer respects. From maintaining Uber’s global operations and providing critical services to Nasdaq and TransUnion, through to developing smart solutions for the likes of Telia and Danske Bank, Lithuanian IT teams are offering RISE OF THE ROBOTS international companies the perfect Alongside developing smart solu- blend of reliability and ingenuity. tions for customers, Lithuanian IT specialists are also being put to work developing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions for GBS centres.

Currently, 67% of GBS centres based in Lithuania are using RPA solutions, with 48% of these developed in-house.

This means that 2.3% of the GBS workforce in Lithuania are now robots, with an average of 31 robots deployed in each centre. Western Union, which operates a GBS centre in Vilnius employing almost 2,000 staff, has been one of the pioneers of this trend. This year, the company’s Vilnius facility won the Top Robotics / RPA Implementation Award for the CEE region at both the USA – Europe Shared Services Awards 2018 and the CEE Shared Services and Outsourcing awards 2018.

12,000 students are enrolled in IT studies at present. around

32,000

IT specialists are currently employed in Lithuania’s tech sector.

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20%

The increase of IT students from 2013 to 2016.

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BUSINESS

Ukrainian Startups Received a Total of $ 70,000 at IT Arena The most fierce startup battle in Ukraine took place on September 28–29, 2018 at IT Arena a major tech event annually held in the city of Lviv. Two days of pitches on the Startup Stage and demonstrations on the Startup Alley ended with the award ceremony of 11 teams, which received impressive prizes. The main prize of $ 10,000 granted by IT Arena went to a team called Liki24.

The prize fund of the Startup Competition 2018 totaled $ 70,000.

150 projects had participated in the selection phase of the Startup Competition since May. Startup Depot Business Incubator organized the entire competition and managed all the stages.

50 teams made it to the semi-final, which took place at IT Arena. The jury selected 10 finalists who had the opportunity to pitch in the final on the main IT Arena stage. One more finalist was chosen by a public voting online.

The People’s Choice Award went to Travelpost, a C2C project, which develops a crowdshipping platform for the worldwide deliveries. The startup creates an alternative to expensive international logistics companies capitalizing on the traveler community potential.

The Startup Competition jury included: •

• • • • •

Boris Guitton, Head of digital business development department, Credit Agricole Jane Klepa, Executive director, 1991 Open Data Incubator Evan Madden-Peister, Mentor, Starta Accelerator Daria Demchenko, Business Development, CardPay Greg Banas, CEO/Partner, Ad Ventures Martin Kaszubowski, Executive Director of the new Center for Enterprise Innovation, CRDF

• • • • • • • • •

Serhiy Nozdrachev, Serial Entrepreneur, KMBS Rune Theill, CEO, Rockstart Andrew Pavliv, CEO & Founder, N-iX Vlad Tislenko, CEO, Concepter Kiryl Mazur, Head of Ecosystem & Partnerships, UNIT.City Semyon Dukach, Managing Partner, One Way Ventures John Sung Kim, CEO, JetBridge Matt Wallaert, Chief Behavioral Officer, Clover Health Nick Bilogorskiy, Cybersecurity Strategist, Juniper Networks

The competition was very well organ­ i­zed, the criteria was tightly defined, and teams contained their pitch to the time limits so the competition moved smoothly and was fair. All-in-all, I thought that all of the competitors were prepared and ready to compete. Beyond that, some of the startups had really strong concepts, solid traction, and great potential – Evan Madden-Peister, Venture Partner at Starta Ventures, a member of the Startup Competition jury.

clinics, pharmacies, insurance companies, and clients together. Liki24 pledges to completely eliminate the problem of drug search and delivery. In addition to the main prize, the team received an award from Starta Ventures – a trip to the New York accelerator and the annual membership in the Sputnik Space coworking at Manhattan, as well as a direct ticket to the Polish Prize finale. The Polish Prize program allows foreign startups to set up a business in Poland.

We were really impressed by the level of the Startup Competition organization: starting from the qualifying stage up to the finale. The criteria transparency and the evaluation system process, the level of the jury – everything was impeccable.

We regularly attend a variety of events all over the world, therefore I can frankly say that the scale of IT Arena impressed us even more than Collision Conf, for instance. We did not expect to receive so many prizes, but our rewards embodied a certain symbolism. Liki24 has global ambitions, we are now planning to launch in Poland, and later we envision the USA as our primary market, so we will try to make the most out of the awards received – comments Anton Arvinsky, CEO Liki24.

The main prize – $ 10,000 from IT Arena was given to the team of Liki24.

The startup focuses on the pharmaceutical market, estimated at $ 3 billion in Ukraine and more than $ 300 billion in the United States. Liki24 is a platform The second prize from CRDF Global that brings medical products, doctors, – $ 5,000 travel grant went to UATAG.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

The main prize – $ 10,000 from IT Arena was given to the team of Liki24.

The startup focuses on the pharmaceutical market, estimated at $ 3 billion in Ukraine and more than $ 300 billion in the United States.

Liki24 is a platform that brings medical products, doctors, clinics, pharmacies, insurance companies, and clients together.

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The team designed a unique physi‑ cal tag to verify the authenticity of a product, protecting it from counterfeiting. The tag cannot be copied thanks to a unique pattern created by the glass cracks. The startup envisions their main markets as premium retailers and museums that seek to protect artwork. UATAG also received Cardpay vouchers and 3 hour mentoring from 1991 Open Data Incubator.

has designed a customizable LED backpack and a mobile application.

A smart accessory allows you to transfer images, widgets, animations, and even games from the app library to the backpack front. In addition, the user can upload a custom content.

Pix Backpack also works well with 8-bit games such as Arkanoid, Snake and Tetris.

The team also received other valuable prizes from partners.

an immersive attraction for shopping malls and theme parks will soon open at Lavina Mall in Kyiv. The startup received a $ 2,500 travel grant and other gifts.

The platform for converting 2d images into the CAD models and AR/VR experiences, VRnet.io has reached the finale and was awarded a mentorship program by 1991 Open Data Incubator and a two-week trip to the Silicon Valley by Startup Embassy.

All the finalist teams had a proven business model.

For example, one of the finalists, FunLight, an immersive attraction for shopping malls and theme parks will soon open at Lavina Mall in Kyiv. The startup received a $ 2,500 travel grant and other gifts.

CRDF Global, IT Arena Startup Competition partner, has handed over 3 travel grants for $ 2,500 to the AXDRAFT, FunLight, PIX Backpack teams.

The Edtech startup StudyDive received prizes from IT Arena co-organizer, Startup Depot Business Incubator: Digital Marketing School and Product School invitations, as well as an invitation from the KMBS Executive Development Program, and a Cardpay voucher.

StudyDive plans to create a Booking.com for offline education. The StudyDive team is working on a peer2peer network for offline learning and certification, which is expected to be launched globally.

Esper Bionics plans to improve the lives of 5 million hand amputees around the world. The team is developing a bionic prosthetic arm and a solution, helping to control all types of prosthetic hands (existing and the ones by Esper Bionics): a bandage with superficial muscle sensors and a neuromuscular implant. The startup plans to certify its invention. Esper Bionics has won 8 hours of mentorship from Techstars Berlin.

A $ 5,000 credit for Amazon Web Services from the hubraum was awarded to the PIX Backpack team. The startup

30

One of the startups took part in the IT Arena Startup Competition for the second time, which is allowed by the terms of the competition. AXDRAFT is building an AI driven document automation, which allows drafting a perfect document for lawyers and non-lawyers in just 4 minutes. The startup got an annual membership in a New-York-based coworking Sputnik Space, a direct ticket to the Rockstart AI program selection days, an invitation to Rockstart World Summit AI and other gifts.

We have been positively surprised by the level of compe­ tition. Some of the part­ ners and judges increased the prize value right in course of the finals. This year’s Startup Alley could barely fit all the great projects, which we wanted to showcase their product at IT Arena: 50 Ukrainian developments, 5 of which strictly hardware, were presented – Ivan Dmytrasevych, Startup Competition organizer, CEO at Startup Depot Business Incubator.

LOOQME is another finalist of Startup Competition 2018. The startup is working on a platform for effective communication and PR budget optimization. It is functioning at the intersection of the media market and sociological research. The team has also received prizes from partners and positive feedWe took a part in the Startup Competition back from judges. for the second time this year. Our product has shown a triple growth during the last The fourth edition of IT Arena year. We have also acquired new customers Startup Competition gathered fifty like Carlsberg and British American outstanding teams, which were rated Tobacco. This positive dynamics encour­ by the world-class jury. – I was impressed aged us to participate again. The event by the thoughtfulness of the problems has totally met our expectations, and we founders here are addressing. These aren’t have noticed a higher event’s level this year: simply the replicas of previous startups, but both, the competing teams and the jury attempts to turn over a new ground – says – says CEO of AXDRAFT Yuriy Zaremba.

Matt Wallaert, one of the jury members.

Matt is working at Clover Health HQ A positive traction remains a great advan- in New York. Startups participating at IT tage in the Startup Competition – sustain- Arena have an opportunity to introduce able product sales or active service their projects to a wider audience, subscriptions. All the finalist teams receive a constructive feedback from had a proven business model. For an expert jury, and discover new opporexample, one of the finalists, FunLight, tunities thanks to gifts from partners.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.

SO MUST YOUR MARKETING IF YOU WANT TO STAY RELEVANT In the last 10 years innovation and technology has exploded; the internet, social media, smart phones, automation, e-commerce, speech recognition, augmented reality – new technology that for the most part is now freely available to the average person – and most of it readily accessible via your mobile device.

BUSINESS

3.

Nowadays customers expect to get things for free that they would have paid for five years ago. Retail products can be browsed, compared and purchased from the comfort of your home and delivered next day. The economy has change, the environment has changed, developing countries like emerging Europe have taken great strides forward and the collective mindset of the world has radically shifted. All in just ten short years.

The way we live and the way we work 4. is changing forever.

Significantly, any decisions you made 10 years ago – perhaps even five years ago – about your business, your location strategy, the technology you use, the people you employ and the markets you targeted are all based upon a world that existed then but, put simply, is no longer relevant.

Similarly, the marketing tactics you opted to deploy five years ago is no longer relevant. Products and services can now be provided from anywhere 5. in the world and there is now an abundant marketplace, even for the most niche of propositions. Technology, and therefore a hyper-informed consumer attention, has shifted seismically and the route to market is unequivocally both digital and experiential.

So what strategy do you need to adopt to ensure you remain relevant – and in business – over the next five years?

1.

Be ‘Everywhere. All The Time’.

This is the phrase we use most often in Quigley Media to describe the necessity of having a round- 6. the-clock, multi-channel approach to c u s to m e r e n g a g e m e n t .

Consumers want to engage with you in their time, when it suits them, not you!

2.

Engage with customers and prospects on the platforms that consume most of their attention.

It’s certainly not through print publications and television these days; it’s digital, it’s audio, its social; online 7. and on the move.

Build communities around your purpose. Find a meaningful way to link your value proposition to achieving a higher purpose and you can accumulate masses of followers – and therefore brand ambassadors – at scale. Remember, it took 75 years for the telephone to be fully integrated into our daily lives, whereas in the US alone, the computer game Pokémon GO amassed 20 million users in less than one week.

8.

Give value. People don’t want to log in or open their smartphone and see you pitching all the time. Prospects can now almost completely ignore communications of less perceived 9. value. They want to understand how you can solve their problems, make them sleep easier at night, add value to their lives. If there’s nothing in it for them, it’s not worth their time and effort. It’s all about them, not about you. How are you making their life easier, simpler, faster, cheaper?

Provide a platform where they can ask questions, discuss and debate the merits of your product, or the universal pain points that it addresses. Over time, this becomes a self-perpetuating consumer listening post, feeding you volumes of critical customer insight on the key subjects that inform your future product design and development.

Be visible. Choose the right events to attend, sponsor, exhibit.

Host Meet-Ups, make them impromptu and fun. And lead with Value.

Storytell. We’ve been using words and pictures to communicate our observations, thoughts views and opinions since the first drawings were etched on cave walls during the stone age. Humans are hardwired to connect to a good story, so ensure your content evokes an emotional response whether it is laughter, fear, anger, surprise or enlightenment. Get this right and your audience will always stop scrolling and swiping left when they see your content appear in their news feeds.

Be social. Show you have a personality. Have an opinion about anything from Brexit, the Spice Girls reforming, the X Factor results, whatever is trending geographically and topically. Unfortunately, not 10. Test and Learn. Never before everyone thinks the world revolves has it been easier to advertise around you and your value propoor promote your brand to diversely sition. Understand your company segmented target audiences of up to tens of thousands, across multiple view on all things and socialise media platforms, and at such these regularly. Marketers who are unable to create a personal conneclow cost. You can create multiple tion between their products and versions of the same campaign, their customers will see their busilaunch them simultaneously and ness decline very quickly. through clever data analytics, track in real-time which campaigns are Engage with your community doing well and which are not, leveraging automated tools to ‘switch off’ on social media. Ask questions, those that are under-indexing. do a survey, run a competition, agree with someone’s viewpoint, disagree with someone’s viewpoint. With so many sophisticated marketing People want to know you are not tools at your fingertips, and a hyper-cona robot sending out scheduled posts nected customer that has more choice, 3 times a day, seven days a week. greater expectations and more power Humanise your engagement and and influence over your reputation than you will connect with your following ever before, organisations now need at a faster rate. to see themselves as media companies first. Those who don’t will cease Make it easy for people to engage to become relevant and that will sound with you – and with each other! the death-knell for your business.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

Tom Quigley, Owner & Chief Marketing Officer of QUIGLEYMEDIA

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BUSINESS

Employee Experience

– when the employee becomes a customer The HR industry has strongly focused on the employees.

Even 86% of recruiters admit that nowadays employees call the shots in the modern labor market1. Over the last few years, understanding and optimization of the employee experience have become a key element in the strategy of many

34

organizations. A properly built bond with employees determines whether the company attracts and retains the talents necessary for its development. Often it has an impact on the company’s reputation. Patrick Harris

in the publication for the Journal of Brand Management pointed out that It [customer experience] begins at the heart of an organization. It begins with employees who are being the strategy and living the brand. 2

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

BUSINESS

EMPLOYEE MARKET ERA

The lively economy brings changes in the conditions of the Polish labor market. Increasing GDP, falling unemployment, increased salaries, and high demand for qualified personnel resumed in the struggle for talents.

In August 2018, the unemployment rate was 5.8 %, that means it was about 1.2% less than in the previous year3.

That’s one of the reasons why today’s job market is determined so strongly by employees. A human is the main asset in the company. What’s more it’s not a customer but the employee who also becomes the main recipient of the services offered by the company. The new organization’s image requires a strategy based on tightning bonds with its members, which consists of creating a positive employees experience (EX).

In the article for Forbes magazine issued in 2016, a futurist Jeanne Meiste described a phenomenon of the consumerization of HR trend.

She pointed out that: The new objective is to create one employer brand which provides a seamless experience for current employees, potential employees, and consumers… to create the type of memorable employee experiences we associate with extraordinary customer experiences.4 In Poland, the trend of focusing on the employee is starting to gain momentum. According to the analysis carried out by Deloitte in 2017, in our

1. Nysha King, Recruiter & Employer Sentiment Study, MRINetwork 2016.

2. https://link.springer.com/ article/10.1057/palgrave.bm.2550123, (access: 24.09.2018).

3. Data of the Central Statistical Office.

4. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2016/01/07/consumerization-of-hr-10-trends-innovativecompanies-will-follow-in-2016/, (access: 24.09.2018).

country, about 60% of responding employers introduced an action or a full strategy based on building employee experience into their companies. This is the result at 14% lower compared to the global scale.

What caused such a situation? First of all, the main reason was the lack of enterprise awareness, communication barriers, as well as difficulties caused by the pace of changes and the pressure of rapid implementations of new solutions.

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE IN PRACTICE – CHALLENGES IN BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP

Even the most effective process will not bring expected benefits if there are no motivated and committed people working on it.

Customer experience is the sum of all customer’s interaction with the organization. Similarly, employee experience includes all the touchpoints between employee and employer – from the first contact as a potential candidate – to the exit interview.

Everything that the employee receives from the company sums up into his experience and opinion about his employer. The essence of building an employee experience is the care for each stage of employee participation in the life of the company. Each of these elements affects creating an organization’s image in the eyes of the employee. To create a satisfying and seamless employee experience, employers should be able to put themselves in employee’s shoes. Keeping in mind that the experience consists also of emotions accompanying the above-mentioned interaction.

One of the challenges in building the right relationship is creating a truly employee-friendly environment. In many companies, the focus on processes rather than on people is still noticeable. Everything needs to begin with the understanding that employees are the greatest value for the organization. Even the most effective process will not bring expected

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

benefits if there are no motivated and committed people working on it. To create an environment focused on employees, a company has to start with the well-prepared recruitment process. Requiring jobseekers to fill an unnecessarily complex online application or prolonging a waiting time for feedback after each stage of the recruitment process shows lack of empathy and is a quick way to lose the new candidate’s interest.

Keeping in touch with the candidate from the very first meeting until the first day of work is very important. It’s good to provide the new employees with a package of information about the company before they formally join it. Explaining what to expect in the first few days shows that the company cares about the employee’s work comfort – trying to make beginnings less stressful. In turn, the organization gains an effective employee, focused on what needs to be done from the moment of crossing the company’s threshold.

ENGAGE, TRUST, AND UNDERSTAND

Pizza Thursdays or Casual Fridays are pleasant initiatives. However, in the great employee experience pattern, they constitute only a small piece. Offering positive experiences to employees means understanding the factors that really matter and motivate them. To create an environment where people are involved, one should look more broadly than a package of benefits.

It’s worth to encourage employees to autonomy.

The employers should trust managers they hire.

The managers, in turn, should rely

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BUSINESS

on teams they manage. The perfect situation is when even the smallest teams are included in the decision-making process. Employees cannot be expected to invest their time and energy in a company’s success if they have

chosen, it should be solid and easy to integrate with the existing IT infrastructure. What’s the most important, such solution should make employees life easier, not complicate it. It can’t be another deadwood but a pleasant tool used by everyone in the organization.

Before choosing the most appropriate solution, it’s good to observe your employees for a little while.

They are probably connoisseurs of smartphones. What does this have to do with the choice of technology in the company? It is highly unlikely that any of their mobile apps were difficult to use or simply had an unaesthetic interface. Otherwise, nobody would use them. This should also be a tip for you.

Employees cannot be expected to invest their time and energy in a company’s success if they have nothing to say there. nothing to say there. Employee experience is also giving them a chance to express their opinions. A well-done task should be rewarded with a statement of appreciation. It is incredible what kind of motivation provides even simple “thank you”.

At the most basic level, people go to work to get their livelihood. However, they still should know what their position in the company is and how their future in the organization looks like.

They need to be equipped with a clear career path and promotion opportunities. This will encourage them to climb to the next professional levels. What if they have a home, a family, an original hobby? Even better! Employees don’t live in the office and are not supposed to.

Understanding this by an organization and providing flexibility in employment results in a stronger relationship with their employees. If these crucial factors are missing employees most likely will start looking for another company supporting work-life balance.

Sylwia Golas, Marketing Specialist, Enxoo Sp. z o.o.

Do you want to know more about creating an effective employee experience?

Visit the website: www.skilohr.com

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THE RIGHT WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS

Another challenge in creating a seamless employee experience is with collecting employee data and taking effective data-driven actions. In this case, technology comes on the rescue.

What solutions are worth investing in? The market is receptive to this type of tools and offers many of them.

Regardless of which solution will be

The quality of IT solutions and systems offered to employees undoubtedly contribute to building their positive experience. The outdated, clumsy technology is not only frustrating and ineffective. It also presents ignorance of the employer and the lack of involvement in the basic functioning of employees in the company.

It can negatively affect retention.

In a world dominated by technology, focusing on increasing transparency of relationships with aconstant demand for talented specialists, a positively created employee experience becomes an increasingly important dimension of competition for employees. It’s also a way to involve them in the company’s life.

On the other hand, the employees’ brand and history, which they talks about outside, create an image of the company that is important from the point of view of the clients.

For this reason, employee experience begins to be a decisive distinguishing feature also in the struggle against the competition.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

BUSINESS

A new trend in employee benefits – company kindergartens are conquering office buildings in Poland

KIDS&Co. kindergarten interior. Project and photo: xystudio.

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Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

BUSINESS

In recent years, the unemployment rate in Poland has been falling sharply. In August this year according to Statistics Poland (GUS) data, it amounted to only 5.8%.

The labor market is becoming more and more competitive for companies.

Health benefits packages or flexible working time are not enough to stand out. Employers must look for new ways to maintain and recruit employees, especially those with young children. The investment in a company kindergarten could be the best solution.

As results from research carried out

by Pracuj.pl (report Parents at work, Full-time Life, May 2018) – benefits that employers most often offer employed parents are: flexible working time, additional holidays, the possibility of remote work, occasional gifts e.g. for Children’s Day and private medical care for children.

Meanwhile, benefits that employees lack the most are: company creches and kindergartens located directly in the workplace (71%). Only 9% of surveyed parents have access to this benefit.

The biggest challenge for employers which they have to face, when they want to set up an educational institution for their employees’ children, is lack of knowledge and experience in similar projects. In addition, in the perception of employers, such an investment is considered as too time-consuming, costly and requiring delegation of an additional team to implement it. Moreover, employers rarely know that costs related to the creation and running of a kindergarten can be allocated from the company’s social fund, and creation of the creche, can increase the fund by 7.5%.

Despite these barriers, the popularity of company kindergartens in Poland is systematically growing. Employers, in order to improve the investment process and guarantee professional service of branches, choose outsourcing and entrust the implementation of the project to specialized entities, such as KIDS&Co. The company is the leading nationwide operator specializing in opening and running modern, bilingual kindergartens and crèches in cooperation with the best employers and developers on the market. Regardless of whether the educational institution is located on the ground floor of the office building occupied by the client or on the plot, next to the employer’s production plant – the operator is able to complete each project. If the premises in the building is unavailable and client needs to find a different location or suitable land for investments, KIDS&Co. provides suitable solutions.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

Currently, KIDS&Co. runs 10 branches throughout Poland, including company kindergartens in Lodz for Infosys, in Ostrow Mazowiecka and Suwalki for Forte Furniture, in Wroclaw for a large international employer, which located there one of the largest R&D centers in the world. Next year, a new facility will be opened for the children of employees of Poznan’s shared services center belonging to an American company.

Over 13 years of experience has allowed KIDS&Co. develop unique know-how, enabling the employer to provide comprehensive project outsourcing.

Thanks to this investment and its service is implemented more efficiently and with greater cost sensitivity. The first stage of cooperation between the operator and the customer is the recommendation of the size of the facility, which considers the current number of children and plans to increase employment in the perspective of several years. The next step is to develop a reliable, long-term business plan for the kindergarten and to propose the most favorable model of its financing.

Then the operator starts cooperation with the developer in the field of preparation and implementation of the architectural project. KIDS&Co. specializes in realizations in office buildings, that is why every square meter of the kindergarten’s surface is carefully thought out, in order to provide space for the maximum number of children (even over 100) in the most effective and functional way. The architectural concept can be prepared already at the design stage of the entire building, providing measurable benefits, both to the employer and the developer.

– The ideal moment to implement the company’s kindergarten project is moving to a new office space.

It is important for the employer to include in the target location a place for a kinder­ garten and determine its financial param­ eters with the owner of the building before the lease agreement is finalized.

Then the opening of the kindergarten will be possible at really favourable

39

BUSINESS

conditions – emphasizes Karina Trafna, CEO of KIDS&Co. – We often meet with clients just after moving to a new building, where there are no more available prem­ ises, no kindergarten function or unfavour­ able rent conditions – making it impossible to open the facility. In this situation, we can only talk to the employer about co-fi­ nancing places for employees’ children in our commercial facilities, of course if such facilities are nearby – adds Karina Trafna.

Aneta Płusa, Sales & Marketing Director, KIDS&Co.

Benefits that employees lack the most are: company creches and kindergartens located directly in the work­ place (71%). Only 9% of surveyed parents have access to this benefit.

Preparing a kindergarten project is just the beginning of the employer’s cooperation with KIDS&Co. As part of the provided services, the operator is also responsible for supervising the completion of the finishing works, obtaining the necessary permits, registering the kindergarten in the relevant education department, collecting the facility by the sanitary and fire services, as well as for employment and training of the teaching staff and day-to-day management of the kindergarten.

However, subsidizing the kindergarten by the employer and the placement of the facility in the workplace is often not enough for the parent to choose company’s kindergarten. A convincing offer must also include an attractive educational program, a friendly atmosphere and a healthy diet for kids – as is the case with kindergartens run by KIDS&Co. The proprietary educational program offered by the company is based on three pillars: bilingualism, social skills and emotional intelligence development program, macrobiotic diet.

Learning English is carried out by the method of early immersion of the child in an English-speaking environment. From the very beginning, child meets the world around him in two languages, because he is accompanied by a Polish-speaking and Englishspeaking teacher throughout his stay at the kindergarten. Children taught by this method, ending pre-school education, are able to communicate freely in English.

The program of development of social skills and emotional intelligence focuses on the development of soft competences,

such as creativity, communication skills, the ability to work in a group, independent thinking, dealing with emotions and effective time management. This is due to the elements of the author’s program of developing social skills and emotional intelligence woven into the daily schedule of classes. The education of such skills in the youngest years, prepares the child for the challenges of further education, and in the future will result in competency of easily relationship-building between people in adult world.

KIDS&Co. kindergartens also focuses on developing healthy eating habits and strengthening the child’s immunity. All meals are prepared in accordance with the principles of macrobiotics – they are nutritious, increasing immunity, balanced and adapted to the needs of the young organism, devoid of chemical additives and matched to the season.

As a result, children get sick much less frequently than their peers, which is confirmed by statistics of attendance at facilities run by KIDS&Co. This, in turn, positively effects on the attendance of parents at work.

A company kindergarten in the model offered by KIDS&Co. is a solution, which provides mutual benefits to all interested parties. It makes it easier for employees to reconcile work and private life. For employers it provides a solid HR argument and the opportunity to stand out on the market, all without the need to encumber resources and bear the business risk resulting from running an educational facility.

Importantly, kindergartens of this type are not reserved exclusively for corporations or production plants with several thousands of employees.

Smaller companies can also offer their employees such benefits. In commercial branches in office parks, which also has in its portfolio KIDS&Co., the operator always assumes that some places will be reserved and co-financed by employers. Thanks to that flexibly constructed offer, the company’s kindergarten is available for every company.

KIDS&Co. kindergarten interior. Project and photo: xystudio.

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Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

A new city district in Poznań which is to spread out in 100 ha Post-industrial area

More details about "Wolne Tory" area: Investor Relations Department | City of Poznan, Poland inwestor@um.poznan.pl |+ 48 61 878 5428 www.poznan.pl | www.fb.com/investinpoznan

BUSINESS

Outsourcer as a partner in transformation What are the strongest development trends on the SSC/BPO market? What process servicing models will bring tangible profits to companies? We are discussing the latest trends in the BSS and relations between the service suppliers and their customers with Rafał Nadolny, Commercial Director at TMF Poland and Michał Bielawski, Vice President of the Management Board of ADAPTIVE Solutions & Advisory Group.

Wiktor Doktór, Pro Progressio: Looking at the dominating trends on the SSC/ BPO market we can get an impression that the companies are continuously faced with the either-or choice. They decide to either outsource or create their own shared services centre. Is it at all possible to avoid this either-or discourse in this situation?

Michał Bielawski (MB): In my opinion, the choice between SSC and BPO depends on the culture of the organization and the company’s strategy for cooperation and approach to outsourcing.

Companies that outsource a lot of tasks in the context of production or logistics also easily outsource their supporting functions such as finance. The companies that prefer to keep processes and data at home because of a strategic decision are more in favour of creating an SSC. It is worth noting that more and more companies are using both models and, as it turns out, a hybrid model of this sort enables them to enjoy more freedom in taking steps and flexibility.

Rafał Nadolny (RN): That’s right.

Services provided by an outsourcer can be an excellent accompaniment to services provided by an SSC. In fact, only a few years ago, the market was domi-

42

nated by the tendency to create self-sufficient’ SSCs. The common perception is that cooperation with an outsourcer must mean taking over an entire area of activity, however this cooperation may only mean support from an outsourcer in a selected process or even a section of it.

rience of the outsourcer, but also their infrastructure (virtual captive), or where the outsourcer, in cooperation with consultants, builds a dedicated team and transfers client’s processes in order to return the ready-made unit to the client (build operate transfer) become increasingly popular.

Currently corporations deciding to set up SSCs increasingly transfer some selected fields to specialised external companies. Some processes require technical knowledge or occur so rarely that it is not worth building your own SSC to handle them. A typical example is the local tax compliance service provided for accounting centres, or the payroll service for HR centres. This example makes SSC responsible for the transactional part as well as understanding the business needs of the organisation, while the outsourcer provides specialist methodology needed to complete the process. Outsourcers and SSC can work together to achieve success. It is crucial to create a reliable governance model that regulates the principles of cooperation between the outsourcer and the SSC which will help minimise the risk of potential errors.

It is common knowledge that the business services sector has for many years pursued well-tested and classical models of providing these services. Is there still room for change and improvements, and if so, what are the benefits?

MB: Our world is ever changing.

What we thought would be valid for many years is now likely to expire much earlier. For the time being, it is GBS that seems to be the most effective model, because it offers comprehensive management for business/client support services. What we also noticed is that, apart from support, the so-called ‘core business functions’ gain more meaning.

Observing the market trends, the outsourcer or the SSC is expected to apply this data in a business-like manner, and their efforts are to be assessed and valued not on the basis of qualitaMoreover, examples where the SSC uses tive or quantitative indexes, but based not only the knowledge and expe- on business requirements and indexes.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

Currently corporations deciding to set up SSCs increasingly transfer some selected fields to specialised external companies. Some processes require technical knowledge or occur so rarely that it is not worth building your own SSC to handle them.

Rafał Nadolny, Commercial Director at TMF Poland

Consultants or outsourcers are a much faster channel for the flow of information and innovation, benchmarking or best practice sharing than the companies themselves.

The speed of sharing best practice or comparisons among different companies increases through an outsourcer.

Michał Bielawski, Vice President of the Management Board of ADAPTIVE Solutions & Advisory Group

BUSINESS

RN: In our industry, we are constantly adapting to the changing needs and expectations of our customers. Classical models of cooperation, where the client used to adapt to the outsourcer, are no longer valid. Currently, the whole range of services are being adapted to the needs of the client. We have many projects where our specialists work either on the client’s system and infrastructure or directly in their office with the remote support of the TMF Poland team (the so-called on-site model). In this case, the client maintains greater control over processes. Moreover, the implementation for the client is much faster and more efficient.

We all know that the SSC industry changes very fast. As suppliers cooperating with these companies do you also take part in these changes?

RN: The ability to adapt to change is, in my opinion, currently one of the most important competencies on the market.

This applies as much to individual employees as to the entire company. The BSS industry is particularly dynamic in terms of change. And this is good, because it means we can gain new competencies and offer a wider range of services.

Changes in the businesses of our clients has enabled us to engage with interesting projects which, with time, can be offered as standard service.

We can give an example of a project implemented for one of our Clients.

The Client decided to sell one of its brands supported by its own SSC. The buyer also owned an SSC. Work on the transaction lasted several months.

At that time, the TMF Poland team handled the service of the transaction of the brand being sold, implemented on-site, using the Client’s systems and infrastructure. At the time of completing the acquisition, our team was responsible for transferring the supported processes to the purchaser’s SSC and transferring the know-how to the new team. When the situation was stable we completed the project. Based on this we have created a standard SSC service.

MB: When it comes to ADAPTIVE, the advisory & consulting industry, we do not have a standard offer. Each inquiry or project is personalised and

prepared for the needs of specific com- have been involved in the process so panies, customers. far. Everything must be documented.

Outsourcers have standard, extenHow important is our role in these sive documentation, so they can be changes? Crucial. Consultants or out- a company that will help in the preparasourcers are a much faster channel for tion of process documentation. Another the flow of information and innova- area of cooperation is to prepare future tion, benchmarking or best practice employees to handle the transferred sharing than the companies themselves. process. Outsourcer often has the right The speed of sharing best practice resources today and can provide internal or comparisons among different compa- training for future employees. nies increases through an outsourcer.

That’s why companies employ consult- When a company is considering ants – in order not to do market research the possibility of transferring processes on their own, which will take a lot – there is a common question whether of time, but to find out things that others – It is better to create one’s own SSC, to opt for outsourcing, or the hybrid do much faster. model? When and which solution is And what happens in the case of process the right choice?

MB: I think that an important factor transition, does the SCC cooperate with impacting the answer is the selected outsources in this respect as well? strategy, so whether we strategically RN: Of course. In the pre-transition choose outsourcing or invest in our own period and during the transition itself centre. It is also important to bear in mind there is usually a lot of work both for financial issues. Large companies with consulting companies such as ADAPTIVE world market turnover create SSCs and professional services companies such as standard at some point. When does as TMF Group. The process transition is it become profitable? One business case often related to the personnel changes needs a minimum of 150-200 people in branches from which the process is to make it work within 2 and 4 years. For transferred. In this event the transferring all the smaller or scattered organizations company needs to replenish its resourc- outsourcing is a much faster and cheaper es. TMF Group has branches in more than solution, as the supplier has already pre80 jurisdictions worldwide which ena- pared the structures, systems, etc. bles us to find and send a local specialist You can also start with the help and expeto nearly any place in the world. rience of an outsourcer, prepare for transiOur accountants sometimes transfer tion, and once your processes are stable, think about setting up an SSC. On a larger the entire process to the client’s SSC. scale, this may prove to be the best soluMB: If we want the transition from tion, especially for commodities.

BPO to our own SSC be quick it is useful to be assisted by an outsourcer. Especially RN: “It depends” seems the right in the case of sensitive processes, such answer as usual. Indeed, it depends as the payroll process, in which process mainly on the strategy, scale of operdowntime may have serious consequenc- ations and available resources (both es for the company. We often witness tools and people), but also, to a large a situation when such transition pro- extent, on the client’s organisational grams are advertised inside the company, culture. Regardless of the choice of cothe people who are currently performing operation model, the transfer of a given the process are leaving. So we experience area should be treated as a very good loopholes in the operational area even moment to define and set up probefore the transition has actually taken cesses on the part of the business. place. And this is time for the outsourcers. If this opportunity is missed, potenIt is the so-called back filling. ADAPTIVE al- tially neither creating an SSC, nor so offers these services. the decision to use outsourcing will bring the expected results.

Another aspect is the question of know-how and experience of the people who Thank you for the interview.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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BUSINESS

A commentary on the issue of monitoring employees’ e-mail and using other forms of monitoring by an employer After RODO has been put into effect, Article 223 was added to the Labor Code. This provision regulates the monitoring of employees’ e-mail and other forms of monitoring used by an employer.

In practical terms, it can be applied, for example, in monitoring online messengers at work, telephone calls, GPS, visited websites or internet log-ins.

According to the introduced regulation, an employer may use such forms of monitoring only if it is necessary to enable the optimal usage of work time and appropriate usage of work tools made available to an employee.

Hence, it would be unacceptable to use these forms of monitoring for protection against the disclosure of company secrets or abuse detection, for instance.

The use of monitoring may be considered as necessary if other means that interfered less with an employee’s privacy cannot obtain the above-mentioned goals.

dr Iwona WięckiewiczSzabłowska, Legal Counsel in the Law Firm "Chudzik i Wspólnicy Radcowie Prawni" sp.p. www.chudzik.pl

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E-mail may be monitored providing it does not breach the privacy of correspondence or other personal rights of an employee. It should be noted that even if an employee uses work e-mail for correspondence, his or her right to privacy may still be breached. This is the risk especially when an employer allows using work e-mail for private correspondence. In this case, as indicated by the European Court of Human Rights, an employee may reasonably expect

that his or her privacy be respected.

Therefore, in-house regulations should prohibit the use of work e-mail for private purposes. However, even if it is not allowed, an employer encountering a message whose title or addressee suggest a private nature to the correspondence should refrain from reading it.

E-mail may be monitored providing it does not breach the privacy of correspondence or other personal rights of an employee.

It should be noted that even if an employee uses work e-mail for correspondence, his or her right to privacy may still be breached.

It is assumed that the provision on monitoring employees’ work accounts does not apply to anti-spam or anti-virus screening of work e-mail. In this case, the screening is done automatically by a computer program.

Similar rules apply to an employer using other forms of monitoring. For instance, GPS monitoring installed in a company car that can also be used for private purposes should have the option to be switched off after work hours. Monitoring the places visited by an employee outside working hours is not only not necessary to perform the goals of monitoring established by the Act but it can also result in collecting sensitive personal information of an employee.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

BUSINESS

The introduction of e-mail monitoring or other forms of monitoring must be transparent. The goals, scope and application of monitoring must be indicated by an employer in the in-house laws (e.g. in the collective agreement, work regulations or announcement). The aforementioned Article 223 of the Labor Code specifies the acceptable goals of monitoring. The scope of monitoring, and by extension, the type of data collected as its outcome (for instance, the sender, addressee or subject header) should be clearly specified by an employer and result from the company’s actual needs.

Moreover, employees should be notified about the introduction of monitoring at least 2 weeks prior to its launch.

They should be informed in a manner typically used by their employer, such as via a notice board or e-mail. The Labor Code also requires that the monitored equipment is marked as such in a clear and transparent way. An employee’s consent, however, is not required for the introduction of monitoring. In this area, the Labor Code’s regulation departed from the previous practice.

An employer’s breach of the aforementioned rules of monitoring e-mail or using other forms of monitoring does not constitute violation of employees’ rights. However, it may result in civil liability for the infringement of an employee’s personal rights, administrative liability for the infringement of the RODO regulations, and even criminal liability, as an offense against information protection.

GPS monitoring installed in a company car that can also be used for private purposes should have the option to be switched off after work hours.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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INVESTMENTS

INVESTMENT NEWS Skanska sells the first building of Spark office project in Warsaw to KGAL for EUR 48m

Walter Herz with the regional office in Cracow

Skanska has sold the first phase of the Spark office complex in Warsaw to a real estate fund of KGAL Investment Management GmbH & Co. KG, a leading German independent investment and asset manager.

This is not only the buyer’s first acquisition with Skanska, it is also the fund’s first investment in the Polish office market.

The decision to open a regional office in Cracow is connected with the growing needs of tenants, especially companies from the BPO, SSC and IT sectors, for the highest quality consulting services on this market.

Its pace of development is impressive.

According to Walter Herz data, only in the last four years, Cracow has almost doubled its office resources and currently has nearly 1.2 million sq m of modern space. About 300 thousand sq m are currently under construction in the capital of Małopolska region, and another 200 thousand sq m of offices are in the projects which are getting ready for implementation.

The purchased property is a best-in-class modern office building located in Warsaw City Center West. It offers a total leasable area of around 13,000 square meters and 86 parking spaces located on two underground levels. It is already 85% leased to the Skanska Group and other tenants. The remaining space is subject to advanced negotiations.

Because of Connected by Skanska, a cutting-edge PropTech solution that has been implemented in this development, the property is the first fully connected building in the CEE region. The software works as an open platform integrating smart functionalities, i.e. activity based parking, with a social approach to building a community in an office complex. Not only does it integrate the smart technologies of a building, but it also connects people in the workplace. The developer invested almost EUR 1.5m in Spark’s advanced technology, innovation, and infrastructure.

The property is expected to receive LEED Platinum certification (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design). It has also been built in accordance with “Building without barriers” certification guidelines, for its accessible design and inclusiveness for people with disabilities. By the end of this year, the first phase of the Spark project will be the first office project in CEE to receive WELL Building Standard certification.

During the sales process, Skanska was advised by Colliers International and Cushman & Wakefield, while KGAL was advised

by Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Savills and Arcadis.

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Cracow, which is the second largest office market in the country, ranks among the world’s top attractive locations for investing in the business services sector. Companies from this industry already employ around 60 thousand people in the agglomeration. And it is the spectacular development of this sector’s activity, that generates demand for over 60 per cent of office space, is the biggest driving force in the region.

Cracow is a great place for investors to locate their business, mainly due to the labor market, which is extremely rich in highly qualified staff. The city is also a popular tourist destination. Cracow’s potential when it comes to investing and science is still attracting new companies, and those that are present, continue to develop their projects.

This year’s series of meetings of Walter Herz’s Tenant Academy will also be inaugurated in Cracow. The first workshop of the third edition of Walter Herz’s Academy will take place on October 17th, 2018. All tenants and people interested in the lease market are welcome to attend the workshop at Office Inspiration Center, which is Nowy Styl’s Cracow showroom, located at 18 Radzikowskiego Street.

During the seminar, Walter Herz will officially present ‘Office 10.0’ report, created in cooperation with partners: Billennium specializing in the field of technology consulting and Reesco providing fit-out services and offering comprehensive New Style furniture solutions. The report is devoted to the arrangement of office space, optimization of the leasing process and technical solutions in the offices.

Colliers International has taken over the management of the Bałtyk Office building situated in Jeżyce district of Poznań Colliers International, the industry-leading global real estate services company, has taken over the management of the Bałtyk office building situated in Jeżyce district of Poznań.

The sixteen-storey building has 15,000 sq m of space and the complex offers mostly offices (12,000 sq m) and commercial and service premises, as well as a restaurant on the 15th floor. The building’s investors are Garvest Real Estate and Capital Group VOX and it was designed by the famous Dutch architectural studio MVRDV in cooperation with local architecture studio Natkaniec Olechnicki Architekci.

Confirmation of building’s reputation and unique character is the granting of the title Bryła Roku 2017 (Building of the Year).

The original, sculptured silhouette

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

INVESTMENTS

Immobilier Polska, which will move to the Graffit office building together with Eiffage Polska Budownictwo.

Graffit is a modern office building at 28 Domaniewska Street in Warsaw. It was delivered to the market in March 2018 and offers approximately 18,500 sq m of top-quality office space. The complex was developed by Hines. It had been designed by the Polish office of Rolfe Judd. The building is BREEAM Interim certified with an Excellent rating and a top score in the transport category, among other things, for its proximity to the Metro Wilanowska station and convenient tram and bus connections. of the high-rise building has become a new landmark of the city. The cascade shape with its characteristic undercutting surprises and changes depending on the angle at which you look at it.

The designers were inspired by the modern shape of Okrąglak, an architectural icon of Poznań designed by Marek Leykman.

Also, the name of the office building is not accident as it refers to the Bałtyk cinema, founded on the site in the 1920s.

Local people in Poznań like Bałtyk not only for the outstanding architecture, but also for being part of the city’s life.

Przystań square in front of the building is the site of many local events: outdoor cinema, concerts, exhibitions and theatre productions. The square in the centre of Poznań has become one of the favourite places for locals to spend their free time.

Eiffage was represented in its office lease transaction by real estate firm Savills In early 2019, construction group Eiffage Poland will move the head office of its companies to Graffit in Warsaw’s Mokotów district. Eiffage was represented in its 910 sq m office lease transaction by real estate advisory firm Savills.

Eiffage is a major construction group and concessions operator in Europe.

Its leading company in Poland is Eiffage Polska Budownictwo, a general contractor which has been active in the construction industry for 30 years, delivering office, retail, hotel, residential, industrial and sports buildings. Since its inception it has completed more than 670 projects across Poland, including the Posnania shopping centre, a mixeduse scheme OVO in Wrocław, a hotel and residential complex Aquarion in Zakopane, as well as flats and apartments Mennica Residence, Browary Warszawskie, Żoliborz Artystyczny and Studio Mokotów in Warsaw. Eiffage Poland also includes a developer Eiffage

Panattoni Europe announces a new warehouse and manufacturing project Panattoni Europe, announces a new warehouse and manufacturing project. It provides for the construction of a hydraulic components factory for Voss Fluid featuring in excess of 10,000 sq m.

The investment is situated at the Legnica Special Economic Zone (LSSE) and uses the BTO formula. The transaction was mediated

by JLL. Completion of construction works is anticipated in March 2019.

Panattoni Europe is taking on another warehouse and manufacturing project in the build-to-own (BTO) formula. This one was commissioned by the German company Voss Fluid, leading provider of hydraulic coupling technologies and system partner in international mechanical engineering. The 10,555-square-metre project will be built on a 3.2-hectare site in Nowa Wieś Legnicka, at the Legnica Special Economic Zone (LSSE). The project provides for future expansion of the factory. For now, the production hall will take up approx. 7,700 sq m and will be adapted to the company’s process installations, including compressed air and power supply. Moreover, the hall will have enhanced LED lighting up to 500 lux. Because of the planned installation of automated racking in the 1,500-square-metre warehouse section, Panattoni Europe will make sure flooring meets appropriate parameters in terms of loading capacity, flatness and thickness. The office section with staff facilities will take up approx. 1,200 sq m, which means that as many as 150 new jobs can be created in the new factory at full build-out.

Panattoni Europe’s most recent project for Voss Fluid is the first investment in Poland for the company, but its group already has a presence here. The factory will be built in the vicinity of its sister company – Voss Automotive, which has been in operation for nearly 15 years and is an important and steadily-growing investor in the region.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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INVESTMENTS

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Modern business services developing the office market in Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is one of the most important locations for investments in the business services sector in Poland. The City is developing dynamically and the supply of modern office spaces is growing to respond to the needs of investors. The available office space currently equals to almost 100,000 sq m.

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Over 40 BPO, SSC, IT and R&D service centres currently operate in the “city open to outsourcing” and according to conservative forecasts the number will increase to 50 centres by 2020. Due to a dynamic growth of the sector in the last 2 years, employment now equals to 10,000 workplaces with more than 80% in IT services, which creates a strong local specialization. According to this year’s report on business services in Bydgoszcz, prepared by the Association of Business Service Leaders (ABSL), Bydgoszcz is ranked first in Poland in terms of the share of IT services in the employment structure in BPO, SSC, IT and R&D centres. The financial, accounting and contact centres are also developing more and more dynamically. In addition to IT services, it is in the F&A industry that Bydgoszcz sees a great potential for further development of the local BPO/SSC sector, especially since the largest number of students and graduates in the region pursue finance and accounting specialisations.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

INVESTMENTS

HIGH POTENTIAL OF HUMAN CAPITAL

The emergence of new entities from the BPO/SSC sector on the Bydgoszcz market, as well as the expansion of those already existing, is attributed to such advantages of the City as adequate competences and availability of local staff, convenient transport location, attractive investment offer and work-life balance desired by both entrepreneurs and employees. Investors recognise the high potential of local human capital both in the number of people living in Bydgoszcz and the immediate area (1 million residents within a radius of 50 km), as well as their competences.

Bydgoszcz is also the largest academic centre in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It actively supports the cooperation between universities and business. Over a half of the total number of students in the Voivodeship studies at universities located in Bydgoszcz. On the other hand, at the secondary school level, Bydgoszcz has clearly focused on technical education, which is often an additional advantage for investors, especially in the IT industry.

MODERN OFFICES ATTRACT INVESTORS

The dynamically developing BPO/ SSC sector in Bydgoszcz is generating an increasing demand for modern office spaces. The investments that are currently carried out and being planned for development mean that the office real estate market in the City has a lot to offer to potential tenants. The office space available in Bydgoszcz now equals to almost 100,000 sq m, while projects under construction cover another 23,000 sq m. Another 66,000 sq m are currently being planned. New office buildings attract with a high standard, an attractive location in the city centre, easy access to public transport, as well as various technological amenities and the possibility of arranging spaces according to individual expectations of users – even the most demanding ones.

In the last 3 years, a total of approx.

40% of the current office resources in Bydgoszcz has been created, so a large part of them is located in modern buildings.

In the last 3 years, a total of approx. 40% of the current office resources in Bydgoszcz has been created, so a large part of them is located in modern buildings.

At the same time, Bydgoszcz is recording increasingly lower vacancy rates (according to ABSL report the value has decreased from 14.1% to 9.9% since 2015), clearly showing how absorptive the Bydgoszcz office market is.

NEW TRENDS ON THE MARKET

Current direction of development of the business services sector in Bydgoszcz is also bringing a growth in demand for coworking offices which provide a flexible selection of spaces for smaller projects that do not generate a significant number of jobs in the first phase. Such a solution becomes a perfect alternative to remote working, providing employees with access to modern infrastructure with conference and social facilities, while not binding companies to long-term lease agreements. Recognising this demand, the Bydgoszcz Regional Development Agency (BARR), responsible for providing comprehensive services for investment projects in the City, is currently in discussions with Polish and international suppliers of such solutions to offer this solution also in Bydgoszcz.

Consistently implemented economic strategy of Bydgoszcz, local specialisation in IT, attractive office real estate offer, as well as support from BARR create good climate for new investments in the BPO/SSC sector. This is confirmed by more investment inquiries as well as international awards granted to Bydgoszcz as a city most friendly to investors.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

New investment in the city

Name of the investor: Sii Poland Country of origin: Poland Number of workplaces: more than 3700 in Poland, 17 in Bydgoszcz Sector: IT and Engineering Services Company’s residence in the city: Immobile K3 Occupied place: 501 sq m

Working in Sii gives professionals the opportunity to develop and work for one of its 240 Polish and foreign clients.

We are looking for employees with technical skills, but also building from scratch the local administrative or recruitment departments. Until March 2019, we plan to hire 40 experts. Next year, we hope that this number will triple and exceed a hundred.

Projects in the Sii office in Bydgoszcz will be executed in a number of technologies, such as Java, .NET, web and mobile technologies, C/C ++/Embedded and in the area of testing. One of the first tasks to be performed by Sii engineers is a project for a client from the FinTech industry building scalable cloud solutions for financial institutions.

Anna Boruszkowska-Becmer, Sii Bydgoszcz Branch Manager

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INVESTMENTS

Examples of new office investments in Bydgoszcz:

IMMOBILE K3 is a newly constructed A class office building located in the very centre of Bydgoszcz, close to the most important public administration institutions, banks, hotels, universities and cultural centres. Modern architectural design of the building has been perfectly integrated into the historical fabric of the City. The leasable area equals to almost 8,800 sq m located on 5 floors. Service and commercial premises are available on the ground floor with modern office spaces on the higher levels. These can be customised to the expectations of individual users. In addition, there are 80 parking spaces in the building with a separate bicycle parking space and sanitary facilities. The office provides all the facilities typical for class A buildings and a number of energy-saving and environmentally-friendly solutions.

KWADRAT City Office is another A class office building in Bydgoszcz located in the heart of the Old Town. The opening of the facility is planned for May 2020.

The building with the preliminary LEED Gold certificate will offer 6,500 m2 of office and service area with an underground car park.

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Latest technology and timeless design integrate the historic character of the surroundings with the contemporary expectations of future users. The office space with a net height of 3.3 m and a large office floor space (up to 1,960 sq m) opens up a whole spectrum of arrangement options.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

INVESTMENTS

The PRELUDIUM Office Centre is also being constructed near the city centre of Bydgoszcz. The advantage of the location is the proximity of one of the main streets of Bydgoszcz (Jagiellońska Street), city parks and a large entertainment, commercial and service centre, as well as easy and fast access, both by car and by public transport. PRELUDIUM is a modern office building that meets the requirements of today’s A-class

office buildings and provides comfortable working conditions at 5 functionally designed levels. Clear and logical spatial layout and a simple language of architectural forms refer to the modernist tradition of local construction. The building will also have a car park. Modern design and technical solutions, the highest standard and flexible layout of rooms will meet the diverse expectations of users. In the first stage of the investment, 7,400 sq m of office space will be constructed in building A “Preludium”, and another 8,200 sq m are planned in the second stage in building E.

OPTIMUM Park is a complex of office and commercial buildings, located at one of the main intersections in Bydgoszcz, at the junction of Fordońska and Kazimierza Wielkiego Streets. Convenient location, as well as the vicinity of the Brda River and the green spaces will increase the comfort of work. Three buildings have been erected in the complex and now the construction of another office building with a total area of 11,000 sq m (with a usable area of 8,500 sq m spread over six floors) is planned. The new building will meet the requirements of an A-class office building. It will also include 700 parking spaces. The construction is planned be ready for rental by autumn 2021. The existing and planned buildings will offer 21,000 sq m altogether.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

Arkada Business Park is a complex of two buildings located at one of the most important intersections in Bydgoszcz – Fordońskie Roundabout, in the close vicinity of the boulevards on the Brda River as well as walking and cycling paths. The investment is carried out in the spirit of sustainable and ecological construction. The first of the office buildings with an area of 11,000 sq m constructed in the first stage has been opened to rental in May 2018. The building is certified in the BREEAM system and meets the standards of an A-class office building. A high standard, modern technologies and numerous so-called green solutions allow to minimise exploitation costs, increase functionality and safety, as well as ensure optimal comfort for the users at the same time.

Bydgoszcz Regional Development Agency Unii Lubelskiej 4C St. 85-059 Bydgoszcz Phone: +48 52 585 88 23 barr@barr.pl www.barr.pl

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INVESTMENTS

STUDENTS

CREATE POZNAŃ The beginning of the academic year means the return of students and the intensification of the activities of the City of Poznań addressed to the academic community. This academic year will be unique, as it will celebrate its 100th anniversary of five Poznań universities.

POZNAŃ ATTRACTS YOUNG PEOPLE

In the autumn, academic initiatives of the City of Poznań are starting: in October, the Mayor handed scholarships to students who are laureates and finalists of the subject competitions, as well as scholarships for young creators and researchers. A competition for the best master’s and doctoral thesis was launched. The next edition of the scholarship program for internships at Poznań companies is implemented – by the end of December, you can submit applications for an internship grant to the Investor Relations Department. In addition, in the months of October-November the city carries out a nationwide campaign “Poznań Attracts”, encouraging to study in Poznan.

– Students create the atmosphere of our city; it is largely thanks to them that Poznań is developing and is vibrant with life. We try to attract young people to Poznań and respond to their needs in order to make feel good here and connect their future with Poznań, implement ambitious plans and make dreams come true. This is an important group of our residents – says Mariusz Wiśniewski, Deputy Mayor of Poznań.

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Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

INVESTMENTS

New investment in the city

– The project “Policy for young people in the city of Poznań for 2019–2025” was created for the students and grad­ uates of Poznań universities – confirms Iwona Matuszczak-Szulc, Director of the Department of City Development and International Cooperation. – Students actively joined in the creation of the Policy by participating in workshops and consul­ tations. The problems they reported and ideas for solving them were included in the document. It is worth adding that this year the Mayor appointed a Proxy for Youth and Academic Collaboration to represent the interests of young people, including students, in the City Hall – she adds.

It is important that, in addition to the activities directed to students, the City undertakes activities with a view to graduates and supporting academic entrepreneurship. The “Flat for the Graduate” program is being continued, implemented in cooperation with Poznań TBS. The Advisory and Training Center is effective in conducting trainings for students of Poznań universities planning to start a business. The co-working zone “+ Jeden” is also very popular, at Za Bramka street.

MODERNITY WHILE RESPECTING TRADITION

In the academic year 2018/2019, five Poznań universities begin the jubilee year celebrating their 100th anniversary. There are four universities originating from the Poznań University (Adam Mickiewicz University, K. Marcinkowski Medical University, University of Life Sciences and the Poznań University of Physical Education) and the Poznan University of Technology. The main celebrations are scheduled for May 2019.

It will be a great celebration of the entire academic community.

– The rich academic traditions of Poznań are supported by the contin­ uous development of Poznań univer­ sities and scientific institutions – says Mariusz Wiśniewski. – Universities are among the largest investors, carrying out many scientific and didactic investments, as well as the largest employers, and their scientific and innovative potential can be used by both business and local govern­ ment. I am glad that universities always respond to the invitation of the City to expand our cooperation – he adds.

ACADEMIC POZNAŃ IN NUMBERS

Poznań is one of the largest academic centers in the country. There are 25 higher education institutions here, including 8 public and 17 non-public universities.

In total, there are approx. 112 thousands students in Poznań. Poznań has the first place among the largest academic centers in the country in terms of the number of students per 1000 inhabitants (207).

Five out of six students come outside of Poznan, and about 35% come from outside the Wielkopolska region. Poznan universities run about 250 fields of study, including MBA. The most popular fields include: economics, finance, management, IT, pedagogy, administration, physiotherapy, and foreign language philology. Almost 80% of students are enrolled in public universities.

The biggest is Adam Mickiewicz University, where every third Poznań student is enrolled. About 29,000 people graduated with a bachelor’s or master’s professional title in 2017 in Poznań.

Name of the investor: Etteplan Poland Sp. z o.o.

Country of origin: Finland Number of workplaces: 20+ Sector: IT, R&D Company’s residence in the city: ul. Szyperska 14 Occupied place: 150 sq m

Etteplan is an international R&D design office dealing in the provision of engineering services, specializing in embedded systems and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies.

We support clients from various industries in the development of device concepts, in the design of electronics and software development, to testing and technical documentation, along with project management.

After a long presence in Wroclaw, we opened a branch in Poznan, in the Szyperska Office Center, where I’m responsible for building and developing a team of software engineers – specialists in embedded and .NET technologies, which we plan to expand to >30 people.

We provide our employees with friendly, stable environment and a great working atmosphere, personal development, foreign travel opportunities, diversity of projects, and work in an international team.

NEW EDUCATIONAL OFFER

Poznań universities make changes to the educational offer, opening new specialties and fields of study. There are also nearly 50 majors in foreign

Daniel Rogóż, Site Manager, Etteplan Poland

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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INVESTMENTS

languages. At the Faculty of Modern Languages ​​and Literature in German Studies, a new field of study “German language and communication in business” was created. This is a response to the high demand of employers for employees with knowledge of German.

Also at the University of Economics, there is the “Financial Risk Management” field, co-created with Raiffeisen Polbank – over half of the classes are run by professionals. The aim of education in this field is to provide students with specialist knowledge and skills in the management of various types of financial risk, in particular market, credit and operational risk.

their job offers. The main goal is to convince foreigners to stay in Poznan after completing their studies and starting their professional career in the capital of Wielkopolska.

In the context of employing foreigners in Poznań, it is also worth mentioning the “Migrant Info Point” project. It offers assistance for foreigners with legalization of stay, help with formalities related to a work permit. In addition to these MIP activities, I also deal with the integration of foreigners in Poznań and workshops W S B Universities and courses in the Polish language. in Poznań also has to offer dual studies UNIVERSITY SUCCESSES d i r e c t l y r e l a t e d The position of Poznań as a strong to the financial academic center is confirmed by annual industry. The “Finance and Accounting” rankings, prizes and accreditations course in the full time mode is conducted granted. In the latest ranking “Persin cooperation with a group of Poznań pektywy” Adam Mickiewicz Univercompanies (including Grant Thornton, sity became the third best academic MAN, Bthink, and Mexichem). Dual university in the country, the University studies are an innovative solution of Life Sciences won in the category and give their graduates a guarantee of natural sciences, and the University of gaining the necessary experience of Economics took third place in the catein the labor market before graduation. gory of economic universities.

For companies, the benefit is young, committed employees who already WSB Universities in Poznań received know the realities of their industry. the accreditation of the international Universities, thanks to the co-crea- ACCA (Association of Chartered Certition of dual faculties, can expand their fied Accountants) for the specialty educational offer with modern ways “Business Finance and Taxes” in the field of education and attract a group of ambi- of Finance and Accounting. ACCA is one tious candidates. of the most prestigious professional qualifications in finance and accounting, INTERNATIONAL AND MULTICULTURAL and WSB is the only private university Within 5 years, the number of foreign in Poland accredited by this internastudents in Poznań increased almost tional organization.

2.5 times and now amounts to approx.

5,000. Foreign students come from It must be admitted that universi100 countries around the world. Students ties in Poznań are more and more on full time study programs come mainly willing to adapt their didactic offer from Ukraine – about 1,9 thousand, to the dynamically changing labor as well as from Belarus, India, China, market. It enjoys cooperation between Norway, Canada and the United States. science and business, which is best Poznan’s universities offer them nearly manifested in the offer of dual courses, 50 programs in foreign languages. In turn, but also in proposals for internships the largest number of young people and student practices that await young come to us from Spain and Turkey. people from Poznań. In the last ranking of Gazeta Wyborcza “Miasto Młodych” The “Stay in Poznań” program success- (The City of Youngs) Poznań won fully operates in the city, addressed the second place, which proves best to foreigners who are participants that, it is a city friendly to students. of the Erasmus program. As part The jubilee academic year is a great of the project, students are presented opportunity to stress how important with Poznań-based companies and a student group is in Poznań.

In total, there are approx. 112 thousands students in Poznań. Poznań has the first place among the largest academic centers in the country in terms of the number of students per 1000 inhabitants (207).

Investor Relations Department City of Poznań Za Bramką 1 Street 61-842 Poznan P.: +48 61 878 54 28

inwestor@um.poznan.pl

www.poznan.pl

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The offer of dual studies in Poznań, whose programs are created in cooperation with employers, is also expanding.

Graduates of dual faculties have a chance to become experts in the priority industries for the City, find a job without problems, and companies benefit by gaining very young employees with the necessary experience. Innovative dual studies with the Volkswagen brand effectively combine practical and theoretical knowledge. Graduates will achieve the title of engineer, as well as the profession of “Automatyk”, which is confirmed by the exam of the PolishGerman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK). The offer of dual studies is dedicated to students of the “Automatic Control and Robotics” Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Poznan University of Technology.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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Entrepreneurial Lublin

INVESTMENTS

Local government of Lublin is well aware that it is the economy that drives the city development. Therefore, it undertakes intensive actions aimed at attracting new investors from industry and service sector and encouraging already present investors to reinvest.

Nevertheless, the City does not forget about small entrepreneurship, offering it various forms of support.

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Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

Very good condition of business support system in Lublin has been confirmed

by Start-up Poland Report 2018, ranking Lublin the fourth biggest start-up ecosystem in Poland – after Warsaw, Cracow and Wrocław. 12 Business Incubators and Accelerators currently active in the City, provide support for 400 innovative micro

companies. The City and local business environment institutions provide these companies with modernly equipped offices and conference rooms. Moreover, the market of coworking spaces has been dynamically developing. Start-ups may also take advantage of various forms of financial support i.a. thanks to the activity of Business Angels

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(Wschodnia Sieć Aniołów Biznesu, Lublin Ventures), presence of investment funds (e.g. in the framework of Connect Platform – Trigon, SpeedUp Group, Technopark Gliwice) as well as participation in the initiatives such as Connect Platform, in which the City of Lublin was a partner (start-ups had a chance to get a grant worth PLN 800,000).

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INVESTMENTS

The activities supporting start-ups are implemented as a part of long-term strategy. Already in 2015 Lublin residents having an innovative business idea had an opportunity to take part in “90 days challenge”, in which 60 companies from Lublin took part in 90-day development programme including trainings, workshops and mentorship. The same year the joint competition of Lublin Municipality and Lublin Science and Technology Park “Lbn#Biznes Start” took place, consisting in supporting creation of companies based on business ideas having the highest market potential.

The main prize was a capital entry of LPNT in new company in the amount of PLN 200,000 (max. 30% of shares), and the best ideas could be presented in front of the representatives of seed capital funds, venture capital funds and individual investors.

Two years later new initiatives were prepared such as “Innovation Academy” project addressed to students and PhD students of biotechnology and related faculties having the purpose of providing knowledge about e.g. the commercialisation of scientific research and setting up start-ups (including spin-off and spin-out companies), “Creative Lab” – trainings for students of artistic faculties on modern business models, as well as “Creative Business Cup” – an international competition for start-ups, which the City of Lublin is the National Partner of. activities supporting creative sector, as well as creative classes for children This year Lublin came up with a new idea and adults. It is possible to rent this space of untypical coworking space “Ładno for an individual work and for big events, Pracownia” that is to be used by people present the effects of one’s own creation representing so called creative industry, or buy unusual products by local creators in particular young companies that in the showroom. cannot afford renting an office yet. This is a space where one can develop their Worth mentioning are also projects own company, take part in workshops of the City of Lublin that aim and trainings (e.g. related to marketing at supporting entities running a busior intellectual property protection). ness in the Śródmieście District, mainly Local artists and creators – graphics, representing trade sector and minor photographers, ceramicists, interior, service points. One of such initiatives is furniture and clothes designers, “Creative Transformations” contest which craftmen, handcraftmen and the whole aim is to increase business competences broadly understood creative industry and to improve functional and visual sector. The studio carries out educational attractiveness of commercial premises

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from Śródmieście District. Participants are engaged in each level of the transformation – from elaborating its vision, via construction works to the decoration of the shop. The result is not only the redecoration, but first and foremost increased motivation for further business activity as the entrepreneurs are provided with business counselling throughout the whole project. In two editions of the project four entrepreneurs were supported.

The second programme addressed to small entrepreneurs from the central part of the city is “Lublin Merchants” project. It includes e.g. trainings and workshops for Lublin residents run

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INVESTMENTS

by local entrepreneurs and craftmen.

Topic of such workshops concern for example repairing and maintenance of historical objects, decorating furniture with chalk paint as well as making carnival costumes. Furthermore, the owners of shops and service points had also an opportunity to participate in marketing and branding workshops, some of which resulted in the removal of 15 signboards and installing new ones that are coherent with the history and merchant traditions of the district.

Apart from activities addressed to current entrepreneurs, the city also supports new business projects.

There are numerous offers of trainings regarding new business models, product testing or social media marketing for persons planning on setting up a new business.

Moreover, the city invests in the renovation of municipal commercial pre­­mises in order to increase their standard and business attractiveness.

Tenants of currently occupied premises may also take advantage of this tool.

The City also runs competitions as a part of which the entrepreneurs have an opportunity to win a grant of PLN 20,000 if they plan to open craftman workshop in Śródmieście. Such grant may be used to renovate the premises and buy equipment. The purpose of this competition is to support entrepreneurship, which is indispensable for stable development of local community, by encouraging craftmen to open their workshops on the premises of the regenerated area, and to improve cooperation between local government and local entrepreneurs and get to know better needs of such entrepreneurs.

Krzysztof Raganowicz, Strategy and Investor Relations Department, The City of Lublin Phone: +48 81 466 25 08 e-mail: krzysztof.raganowicz @invest-in-lublin.com

Another financial incentive for entrepreneurs is provisioned in the Lublin City Council Resolution from 2014 on the property tax exemption of the building or parts of the buildings under tde minis aid for creating new jobs connected with the new investment. 36-month tax exemption may be granted for micro, small and medium entrepreneurs.

Thanks to all these initiatives Lublin can boast stable, annual growth in the number of companies registered in the city. A lot of them are able to achieve a market success just in a few years, as an example of which may be given companies from Lublin Special Economic Zone Euro-Park Mielec that have their origins in Lublin and started as micro or small companies and today are well known and appreciated brands on their markets such as GT85 Polska, Biomaxima or Ledrin. On the other hand, the special focus put on supporting entrepreneurship in Śródmieście District allows to improve the effectiveness of regeneration efforts, which is best proved by trade, entertainment and tourist boost in this district observed in the recent years.

This year Lublin came up with a new idea of untypical coworking space “Ładno Pracownia” that is to be used by people representing so called creative industry, in particular young companies that cannot afford renting an office yet.

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INVESTMENTS

CZĘSTOCHOWA IN THE FUTURE The last five years have been a period of changes for Częstochowa, and above all, a quite radical change in the direction of the city’s development. Today Częstochowa local government consistently pursue their assumption to create a modern, innovative city that is friendly to its citizens, gives them safe and good jobs and unlimited leisure opportunities. The city and its educated human resources is a city that attracts investments. What benefits will this action bring for the next five years?

HOW WILL THE ACTIONS OF THE SELFGOVERNMENT AFFECT THE CITY’S SITUATION IN FIVE YEARS?

Częstochowa in the near future is a centre of logistic centres and services for business, as well as the advanced technology industry. Being a city well-established in the Krakow-Częstochowa Jura it cooperates closely with the cities of the Jura, and even Podbeskidzie, both in the tourism, communication and investment sectors. This cooperation is also of great importance when acquiring external funds. Częstochowa is perfectly communicated so interest in investing in the city is growing. Renovated DW 908, which lead to Tarnowskie Góry and the airport, A1 motorway, rebuilt DK1 – famous Gierkówka, modernized DK 46, which is the so-called departure hole to Opole – it can be said that all roads lead to Częstochowa.

It is the best place for logistic investments and production in Poland, and the self-government’s activities related to the promotion of Częstochowa universities also caused the city’s attractiveness in the context of the location of outsourcing companies to increase significantly.

Częstochowa in the near future is a centre of logistic centres and services for business, as well as the advanced technology industry.

Being a city well-established in the KrakowCzęstochowa.

Thanks to the giants, their co-operators, suppliers and distributors also located in Częstochowa and its vicinity. The city broke with the myth of the “assembly plant”, ZONES, ZONES ...

In 2014, two Special Economic Zones were located it entered industry 4.0.

in the city – it is quite late in comparison with development of SEZ. 34 ha in the post-metallurgical areas were joined to the Euro-Park Mielec zone, and the Katowice Special Economic Zone was increased by 36 ha in two locations: at Kusięcka St., at the back of the ZF factory which produce automotive components, and in Skorki – near the A1 Częstochowa-South. During these four years, there were already 30 tenders for companies that wanted to invest in one of the two zones. In just 2017, 11 proceedings were carried out. In addition, the status of the zone covered new areas of companies that already operated

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in the KSEZ, namely ZF (former TRW) and Guardian.

Investment expenditures of companies that were located in the zones by the end of 2018 have already exceeded PLN 1.3 billion, the annual budget of Częstochowa. The city has invested in the preparation of zone areas, including roads, up to PLN 18 million. Investors created over a thousand new jobs and provided a guarantee of maintaining at least, until 2025, nearly 6,000 of those that already exist.

So how key investments of 2018 will affect the development of Częstochowa? In five years time? Along the A1 motor way, the ZF factory is already well functioning, producing electronic components, which in its two plants and the so-called “shared services centres” in 2018 employed more than 6.3 thousand people in Częstochowa. Over 300 engineers and programmers are already working in the new factory and the same number of qualified accountants in a modern office building. What about the Guardian?

In five years, Guardian Glass, which has float glass plants across Europe, built its second plant in Częstochowa. It was established on Kucelin, in the vicinity of the already existing one.

Nowa Huta means over 150 of new employees, which has created over 600 jobs with previous employment. Production in Guardian is done by using technologically advanced glass coating line – an investment worth EUR 200 million.

Częstochowa supports innovation with, for example, an act on an exemption from property tax. According to President Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk, technologically advanced workplaces are also good quality jobs, solid, with a chance for promotion.

Thanks to such workplaces, it was easier to create the image of a city – a modern business centre.

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INVESTMENTS

Thanks to the giants, their co-operators, suppliers and distributors also located in Częstochowa and its vicinity. The city broke with the myth of the “assembly plant”, it entered industry 4.0.

To the “Skorki” zone, another 30 ha were also added because in the “Kusięcka” zone all plots were sold out, giving development opportunities mainly to small and medium-sized enterprises, including many family companies.

NOT ONLY ZONES

Along Legionów Street, in the first building line, near Leoplast and ZF, production and storage halls with office buildings were built very quickly, which also accelerated the city’s investments in the development of infrastructure in this area.

After reconstruction DK1, Legionów Street has automatically become a well-functioning industrial zone with access to two alternative energy sources.

Post-metallurgical areas develop enormous potential and it is also a perfect location for employees who are commuting daily from the Kraków-Częstochowa Jura. The only problem of this area is that it was divided among many owners, including state-owned companies: ARP and RFG operator. The division of these areas in this way was a huge harm to the city because the lack of decision coherence and difference of interests definitely delay the investments.

CITY

The development of production plants and well- developed infrastruc ture resulted in the further development of the business services sector. Częstochowa is heading to the top cities, which employ tens of thousands of people in IT, finance and accounting, research and development centres, shared service centres and telephone customer service centres. Wrocław, the Tri-City and Kraków proved to be too small, which was beneficial for well communicated Częstochowa with well profiled technical schools and universities.

Investor Service Center Department of European Funds and Development City Hall of Częstochowa Waszyngtona 5 St. 42-217 Częstochowa Phone: +48 34 3707 212 Investor Assistance Centre Phone: +48 34 3707 213 e-mail: coi@czestochowa. um.gov.pl fer@czestochowa. um.gov.pl www.czestochowa.pl Anna Mielczarek

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Since 2017, when the act on an exemption from property tax for developers creating modern office space began to function, the number of office buildings increased signifi‑ cantly. The specificity of the urban contribution of Częstochowa is the fact that no skyscrapers can be created here because they would cover Jasna Góra. This requires from developers and architects much more work and ingenuity but it also abounds at the same time in surprising and innovative solutions.

In 2018 self-government wanted to create the so-called Little City from the area between Aleje and the streets of Jasna Góra, Racławicka and Popiełuszko. Thank to that, an office,

conference and hotel complex was established in the very centre of the city, which was definitely missing in Częstochowa, along with multi-level car parks, so necessary in this location.

Since 2017, when the act on an exemption from property tax for developers creating modern office space began to function, the number of office buildings increased significantly.

According to the expectations and investment opportunities, the companies are located inthezoneareasineach of these communes, on the principle of cooperation.

THE JURASSIC AGREEMENT

On September 26, 2018, during the II Jurassic Economic Congress, an agreement was signed between four municipalities: Zawiercie, Myszków, Częstochowa and Ogrodzieniec.

Since then, Jurassic communes have been dynamically cooperating in the area of ​​​​creating a joint offer for investors and companies interested in development in the macroregion. The aim is to increase the opportunities for development and development of further investment areas in cities, those covered by the status of a special economic zone and those offered outside of zone areas.

According to the expectations and investment opportunities, the companies are located in the zone areas in each of these communes, on the principle of cooperation. Similarly, the exchange of employees, students and pupils take place – and this is the way of using potential of human capital from regions with much higher unemployment than in Częstochowa.

It often happens that the main investor is located in Częstochowa and its partners in partner munici­ palities. In order to facilitate communication between residents and entrepreneurs of Jurassic communes, a network of wheel and bicycle connections was created.

This partnership is of particular importance when acquiring external funds. It is a counterweight to the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis and is beneficial in the context of obtaining EU funds.

The Jurassic Agreement has grown over five years into small tourist municipalities, which do not have attractive investment areas in their resources.

However, considering that the labour market is still an employee’s market, in line with the WorkLife Balance principles, such municipalities are an attraction and a kind of investment incentive.

Podbeskidzie also joined the Jurassic partnership with its huge tourist and investment potential.

WISHES OR REALITY?

All the plans decribed above (as present) are by all means possible to accomplish. The reality of Częstochowa changes very quickly, it is created on an ongoing basis by innovative solutions of local government officials. Concrete actions today bring tangible results in the near future.

The acts, projects and proprietary programs of the president are an opportunity to create an industrial and business centre in Częstochowa, with good infrastructure and priceless tourist facilities in the form of a Jura.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

SZCZECIN OPENED FOR INVESTORS

INVESTMENTS

Economic growth through the development of entrepreneurship is one of the four main strategic goals of Szczecin. The local government strive to achieve this goal – within its competences – by improving conditions for conducting business activity by both domestic entrepreneurs and (especially) outside investors.

This task is performed in many ways.

For instance, the city takes part in trade fairs (such as Expo Real in Munich) and similar economic events in cooperation with the Investor and Exporter’s Service Centre of the Marshal Office (Centrum Obsługi Inwestora i Eksportera Urzędu Marszałkowskiego) or the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (Polska Agencja Inwestycji I Handlu). We are looking for new entrepreneurs from the business service sector in various ways, for example through industry organizations such as the Pro Progressio Foundation and the Association of Business Service Leaders (Związek Liderów Sektora Usług Biznesowych).

Such actions are also carried out through (I) competitions and programmes supporting creative businesses and start-ups, (II) granting loans and guarantees and (III) offering preferential rates of property tax in the case of office space. The local government supports both investors from priority industries (such as the modern business service sector and logistics) as well as companies that intend to choose or already have chosen Szczecin as a place for their investments in other sectors.

The city authorities attach great importance to developing and maintaining direct relationships and contacts with business partners. Cluster initiatives, i.e. projects activating and supporting specific industries, serve this purpose.

Establishing the Economic Council of the Mayor of Szczecin (Rada Gospodarcza Prezydenta Szczecina) and appointing industry teams that represent interests of the city’s five most important industries is the perfect illustration of this.

Bearing in mind the importance of business relations and contacts, we support and co-organize a series of events, meetings, conferences and conventions dedicated to various industry topics. This is how professional relationships are developed and a responsible and business-friendly environment is created.

of the “Made in Szczecin” brand. Its purpose is to promote original Szczecin high quality products or services and create positive image of Szczecin.

Modern technologies and IT services are the future of economic development and competitiveness of the capital of Western Pomerania. This is why Szczecin supports research and development centres as well as IT infrastructure and business environment institutions. The ICT West Pomerania Cluster (Klaster ICT Pomorze Zachodnie) makes it easier for companies to acquire knowledge and establish business contacts.

Innovative enterprises are also supported by municipal company called Technopark Pomerania, where companies and new technologies are developing. Thanks to modern, expanding infrastructure and comprehensive support programmes, Technopark Pomerania may offer ICT companies the best conditions for their dynamic development, including incubators for start-ups and assistance provided to enterprises already operating on the market.

The city also cooperates with the Service Inter-Lab, i.e. a centre for knowledge and innovation transfer for the service sector. This is a science unit, an educational institution, a research and development centre, a knowledge and technology transfer centre, a business incubator and a business environment institution in one. Its mission is to make education, science and business environments join forces in order for the service sector to develop. The other partner is the Regional Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer (Regionalne Centrum Innowacji i Transferu Technologii), a unit of the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin operating in the area of ​​​​​​​​commercialization and technology transfer.

As part of the project called “Academic Szczecin” (Akademicki Szczecin), companies offer trainings, apprenticeships and internships for students. Close cooperation between universities and entrepreneurs leads to the opening of new fields of study tailored to meet business needs and expectations. The vast array of courses and majors available to Szczecin university students allow local entrepreneurs to count on support in most industries and specializations on the market. The West Pomeranian University of Technology, at the request of the city authorities, is currently involved in a project addressed to people who want to acquire or maintain their knowledge of using SAP software, a financial and accounting module for future employees of the BPO sector.

Szczecin City Hall Armii Krajowej 1 Sq. 70-456 Szczecin P.: (+48 91) 435 11 64 fax: (+48 91) 435 11 65 www.invest.szczecin.eu

Secondary and vocational schools, on the other hand, enter into close and mutually beneficial cooperation with companies in the form of patronage classes. The idea behind this concept is that companies offer selected schools educational and financial assistance, thus providing themselves with potential future workforce having skills and competence that such companies need. Opening of IT Technical School is a perfect example of this. In addition, the Szczecin schools at all education levels provide foreign language educational programme in bilingual classes.

Actions are also taken to support recruitment described as the set of activities and processes used to obtain a sufficient number of qualified people.

The city provides its assistance and advice in reaching the right candidates in many ways, for instance through meticulous analysis of the employee’s market, co-organizing promotional campaigns (such as “Recruitment in Szczecin” and “Move to Szczecin”), through social media and the following website: kariera.

Szczecin supports initiatives aimed szczecin.eu. Currently, new solutions One of the recent initiatives supporting at strengthening cooperation between aimed at extending the range of actions entrepreneurship is the development business and science representatives. supporting investors are being adopted.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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How to Support Entrepreneurship?

Kielce City’s initiatives for local business What do entrepreneurs expect from local authorities? The most frequently repeated answer is that they should not interfere. Entrepreneurs complain about the thicket of regulations, unstable law, high labour costs... Most problems, however, result from central solutions, not local ones. In such case, can local governments influence anyhow economic climate and support entrepreneurs? It turns out that there are a lot of possibilities. From regional promotion through cooperation with local business to education – but the most important is mutual understanding and readiness to cooperate on both sides.

Since the beginning of this year, the City of Kielce has been implementing an interesting educational initiative co-financed by the EU funds and addressed to secondary school students. Does education have anything in common with doing business? Well, it does.

Programme: Entrepreneurship Education in Kielce is a pilot action in which secondary school students participate in workshops, discussions and meetings with people running their own businesses on a daily basis. Students are also activated outside their schools, i.e. they take part in study visits in local companies and in thematic trips to the Money Centre of the National Bank of Poland and the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

– Such activities can bring interesting results in the future, they can drive those young people, who will soon be looking for their own professional path, to action – says Anita Lagierska who represents the Investor Assistance Centre in the Kielce City Hall. – Often, there is an idea for own business, there are funds available to start its activity, but there is a lack of knowledge and self-confidence.

Self-believe is the key – we would like to make young people think that it is worth taking a risk – she adds.

The project’s hit is, however, an intuitive on-line game. In the virtual reality, young entrepreneurs train “running

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a business”. They work in groups, discuss strategies and make mutual decisions on purchasing raw materials and machines, running production and sales, or hiring employees. Although it is only a simulation, the results – profit obtained, loans taken, chances for long-term activity, and customer satisfaction – are all extremely important. Students’ performance is assessed by teachers on an ongoing basis. Students’ teams compete with each other and the best ones will receive some prizes.

This project is highly appreciated by the Kielce’s school head teachers and teachers, and soon all secondary school students from the Kielce Functional Area will be able to play the game. But, this is only the beginning of cooperation with local schools.

Thanks to signing the contract with the National Bank of Poland for implementing the project “There is no Future without Entrepreneurship! – Kielce Tournament of School Oxford Debates”, the first tournament of Oxford debates on topics related to entrepreneurship, economy and finances in Poland will take place in Kielce. This project is implemented in six Kielce’s grammar schools.

Students and teachers from these schools took part, for example, in workshops on the principles of debating as well as organising and conducting Oxford debates.

Programme: Entrepreneurship Education in Kielce is a pilot action in which secondary school students participate in workshops, discussions and meetings with people running their own businesses on a daily basis.

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INVESTMENTS

– Next year we are planning to continue these activities and complement them with an exceptional offer for the youngest – says Anita Lagierska. – We are working on a project addressed to the youngest citi­ zens in Kielce. We would like to prepare a theatre performance for children from kindergartens and primary schools, grades 1–3, which will teach them how to become thrifty and frugal.

Investor Assistance Centre Kielce City Hall: Strycharska 6 St., 25-659 Kielce phone: +48 41 36 76 571, 41 36 76 557 e-mail: coi@um.kielce.pl www.invest.kielce.pl/en www.mapa.invest. kielce.pl/en

and aerial photographs. By showing investment areas, the Investor Assistance Centre promotes Kielce’s economic potential, presents leading companies and major industrial sectors of the Kielce Functional Area. Such a joint and integrated investment offer is more comprehensive and therefore more attractive for an external investor.

And cooperation with the neighbouring municipalities is an added value – say The originator of these educational representatives of the Investor Assistance projects is the Investor Assistance Centre Centre of the Kielce City Hall. functioning in the Kielce City Hall.

A number of other activities undertaken Investor Assistance Centre has been by the investor Assistance Centre have functioning in the Kielce City Hall since been described in the “Entrepreneurship 2005 and is an official partner of the Polish Support Programme for the City of Kielce” Investment and Trade Agency in Warsaw. which was created as a result of extensive In accordance with the Agency’s standpublic consultations. It envisages invest- ards, the Investor Assistance Centre’s ments in human capital, cooperation team collects economic information with local companies, tax relieves for about the city, conducts investment new investments, and economic promo- projects as part of support for new investion of the city. Apart from cooperation tors and provides them with post-investwith the local business community and ment care. Website (www.invest.kielce. nationwide economic media, the Investor pl) fully devoted to economic issues and Assistance Centre is developing coopera- the Facebook profile Inwestuj w Kielcach tion with the municipalities of the Kielce are a showcase and source of information Functional Area. One of the tools is about the city and local companies. the Investment Offers Database which contains offers both from Kielce and Cooperation with the Kielce Technology the Kielce Functional Area.

Park which has a rich and diversified offer of support for production and service Such a database (www.mapa.invest. companies in Kielce is also crucial for kielce.pl) is a modern tool based on GIS the city and the Investor Assistance technology for presenting brown and Centre. These are 11-hectare investment green fields as well as production halls, areas equipped with media and a system offices, and service premises. It is system- of access roads, modern office buildings, atically updated and allows for viewing production halls, car parks, and social a given property in its infrastructure envi- space for employees. In addition to infraronment, be it on the map or in ground structure support, the Park supports its tenants by offering training and conference support, specialised consulting services and the opportunity to be in the inspiring environment of young and thriving companies specialising in new technologies.

Such a database www.mapa.invest.kielce.pl is a modern tool based on GIS technology for presenting brown and green fields as well as production halls, offices, and service premises.

Cooperation with the Kielce Technology Park which has a rich and diversified offer of support for production and service companies in Kielce is also crucial for the city and the Investor Assistance Centre.

This offer would not have been created without the determination of local authorities in buying degraded post-industrial areas in the northern part of Kielce and their systematic modernisation thanks to the EU and own funds.

In Kielce, modern and prosperous industrial districts have been established, and institutions which want and know how to support local business are developing.

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Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

Newsletter

www.outsourcingportal.eu

Rzeszรณw

an example of a city open to the needs of entrepreneurs The local authorities of the City of Rzeszรณw, responding to the information about the demand for staff among manufacturing and service companies in the city and its surroundings, as well as among new entities interested in making an investment in Rzeszรณw, create dedicated and patronage classes at secondary schools with a technical profile.

INVESTMENTS

The Mechanical Schools Complex (Zespół Szkół Mechanicznych), in response to the needs of enterprises representing the aviation industry, has created innovative and perspective fields of study: Aircraft Maintenance Technician and Avionics Technician. The programs are being implemented in close cooperation with aviation industry experts who represent such enterprises as Pratt & Whitney Rzeszów, Heli-One Polska, Linetech and Pratt & Whitney Aeropower (ex. Hamilton Sundstrand).

The joint initiative of the Energetics Schools Complex (Zespół Szkół Energetycznych) and one of the leading IT companies in the region, Ideo Sp. z o.o., has resulted in the creation of a new dedicated teaching profile. Ideo provides the environment and information technology used by the company’s employees on an everyday basis. Thanks to this fact, the theoretical knowledge that is transferred in classes can be broadened to include the practical aspects of its use. Moreover, the students of the class can undertake internships in the company, and by that improve their skills and observe the work on real projects currently being carried out by the company. The best students have a chance for a paid internship and a job offer at the Ideo company.

Nowoczesnych Technologii”) project.

The implementation of the project was a response by Rzeszów authorities to the indicated demand of local industry for thoroughly trained employees of the leading sectors. The facility includes eleven specialized laboratories equipped with precise machines and devices of the latest generation. These are, among others: laboratory for learning programming and simulating the work

sector in the world. Another example of this type of activity are foreign trade missions organized by the Rzeszów City Hall for companies and enterprises from Rzeszów. The most important undertakings of this type are trade missions to France (Paris) and the Netherlands (Enschede), which were organized last and this year, and in which the representatives of the IT Cluster and the Cluster of Unmanned Systems participated.

The Mechanical Schools Complex (Zespół Szkół Mechanicznych), in response to the needs of enterprises representing the aviation industry, has created innovative and perspective fields of study: Aircraft Maintenance Technician and Avionics Technician. of numerically controlled machine tools, computer aided design and manufacturing lab, mechatronics laboratory, modern production techniques lab, computer aided measurement and quality control lab, and material testing laboratory. The practical vocational training provided in the laboratories is oriented toward the acquisition of professional qualifications, related to the skills of using modern production techniques and technologies. During the year, vocational training is provided to at least 750 students of Rzeszów’s vocational schools, who are trained in professions related to the following industries: aviation, mechanical, mechatronics, automotive, as well as electrical and electronics industry. The created infrastructure is also used to provide training to the employees of manufacturing enterprises that operate in Rzeszów and its surroundings.

At Rzeszów’s Auto Mechanic Schools Complex (Zespół Szkół Samochodowych), young people are particularly interested in classes that are under the patronage of the Mercedes-Benz Polska and the AutoRud – Volkswagen Audi Seat companies. As from September this year, there is also a class under the patronage of Harley-Davidson, an American motorcycle company. The Electronics Schools Complex (Zespół Szkół Elektronicznych), in turn, has a class under the patronage The local authorities of the City of Borg Warner, a global leader of Rzeszów also maintain close cooperation with companies affiliated with in the automotive industry. numerous industry clusters operating In 2014, a modern and well-equipped on local level. Every year, members educational facility, constituting the base of the “Aviation Valley” Key National for providing practical training in the use Cluster have the opportunity to particof modern manufacturing technologies, ipate in the leading European aviation was opened as a part of the implemen- fairs (ILA Berlin Air Show and Paris Air tation of the “Regional Center for Voca- Show “Le Bourget”), during which B2B tional Training in the Field of Modern meetings are organized with deciTechnologies” (“Regionalne Centrum sion-makers of the most important Kształcenia Zawodowego w Zakresie enterprises representing the aerospace

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

In Rzeszów, attractive investment areas, including Science and Technology Parks that offer comprehensive technical infrastructure for innovative enterprises interested in locating their investment projects in the capital of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, are constantly being created. An example of such activities is the “RzeszówDworzysko” Science and Technology Park created in 2014. The STP “RzeszówDworzysko” is located in the northwestern part of the city in the immediate vicinity of the S-19 expressway and the A4 highway, and offers more than 83 ha of attractive areas meant for innovative investment projects. So far, such companies as Lisi Aerospace Creuzet Polska, OK Office, MasterProfi, WEISS. Solutions and UNIMET, among others, have decided to make an investment in the Park.

Rzeszów City Hall Investor Support Division 3 Maja 7 St. 35-030 Rzeszów Phone: +48 17 875 47 43 +48 17 875 47 65 boi@erzeszow.pl www.erzeszow.pl

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“Mobile Łódź”, with the unicorn as its symbol, is a project addressed to potential residents of the city, aimed at bringing Łódź closer as an agglomeration where you can live, work and spend time in a pleasant way.

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Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

INVESTMENTS

Employer Branding on a macro scale The “employee’s market” is one of the slogans that has accompanied us in the 21st century. Generations of employees change with every decade; we are becoming more and more mobile and open to development, both in education and our professional careers, sometimes in very distant locations.

Young people eagerly choose the universities and workplaces that fit their interests and provide opportunities for rapid growth.

The concept of being mobile is very much in place here and has been implemented by one of the most innovative projects promoting Polish cities, which took place in Poland in 2018. We are talking about the “Mobile Łódź” campaign – conducted

by Alegria Activity Central Europe in cooperation with the City of Łódź Office and a wide range of Łódź-based employers, as well as nationwide consulting and advisory companies.

“Mobile Łódź”, with the unicorn as its symbol, is a project addressed to potential residents of the city, aimed at bringing Łódź closer as an agglomeration where you can live, work and spend time in a pleasant way.

With its project, Łódź set out new routes for the promotion of the city in the open spaces of other agglomerations. Using unconventional methods the Łódź unicorn, in the form of a specially prepared mobile unit, travelled around Poland, and all the accompanying activities allowed people visiting the vehicle to learn about the wide range of services that the city of Łódź has for residents, tourists and employees. One can safely risk the statement that thanks to this campaign we have dealt with a kind of Employer Branding of the city and in a manner extended by the promotion of tourist and housing values.

The Łódź mobile unit travelled through Poland from August to October and each time it gathered around a wide range of people interested

in learning more about the City of Łódź’s offer.

The route covered not only smaller towns, but also the largest Polish cities, including Warsaw and the Tri-city. From Bydgoszcz to Białystok, from the coast to Warsaw, Piotrków Trybunalski and Tomaszów Mazowiecki – you could meet the Łódź unicorn everywhere on the streets and in the central parts of cities and towns. Children had the opportunity to spend time playing and the adults got acquainted with the Łódź labour market. It is worth noting that Łódź-based entrepreneurs representing organizations such as Fujitsu, Tate&Lyle, McCormick, GFT, Clariant, as well as PwC and P&G, willingly joined the project.

The Łódź labour market is one of the most interesting in Poland. For nearly two decades the city has been the seat of many companies from the sector of modern business services, which – thanks to their development – have attracted the investments of national and international consulting companies in the field of economic, human resources and real estate consulting. At the same time, office space is being developed in the city. Every year, modern office space is made available for tenants’ use by local and international developers, such as SKANSKA, Ghelamco, Echo Investment and many others.

However, offices are not the only places for work that have been created for years in the capital of the Łódź Voivodeship. The logistics and warehousing market is also developing dynamically, appreciating the central location of the city at the intersection of the two key motorways, i.e. the A1 (North-South) and A2 (East-West).

The “Mobile Łódź” project paid attention to all the above aspects, and soon we will have an opportunity to acquaint ourselves with its results. New jobs, increased tourist traffic, a wide cultural and sports offer, and Łódź as a part of the “Duopolis” – the largest urban hub in Europe, in which Łódź together with Warsaw is an excellent, complementary structure for residents, workers, senior citizens and tourists.

Investor Service and International Cooperation Bureau Piotrkowska 104a St. 90-926 Lodz Phone: +48 42 638 59 39 Fax: +48 42 638 59 40 e-mail: boi@uml.lodz.pl

CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

HR NEWS Promotions in Adaptive Group Magdalena Bugajska, previously Program Manager, is now on the position of Senior Manager, whereas Aleksandra Leman, previously Project Manager, has been promoted to the role of Program Manager.

Magdalena Bugajska has over 18 years of work experience including 11 years in the BPO environment. She has an extensive knowledge and experience in Program Management (Design & Implementation incl. Transition) in the area of finance and SOx methodology, ICS & auditing. She is an expert in setting up & maintaining relations with customers in multicultural environment, leading people in transition and operational mode, stabilizing processes from transition to operation phase as well as implementation & coordination of improvement projects or actions.

Aleksandra Leman has joined the Adaptive Group Team in 2016.

She has over 9 years of professional experience in Sourcing & Procurement, Sales & Fulfilment, Finance & Accounting business services. Aleksandra is a passionate expert with strong organizational skills, ability to work under time pressure and positive attitude make every project goal achieved. On top of that, combining analytical approach with customer-centric attitude, Aleksandra easily establishes and manages excellent and effective long-term business partnerships.

Agata Witkowska has joined commercial real estate advisory firm Savills Agata Witkowska has joined commercial real estate advisory firm Savills as Associate in its retail advisory & transactions team.

Agata Witkowska will advise and represent retail tenants in lease negotiations, expansions and relocations.

in Central and Eastern Europe, including OTCF (owner of the 4F brand), GO Sport and French women’s fashion retailer Camaieu. Previously, Agata worked for Alshaya Poland, a franchise operator for such brands as Mothercare, The Body Shop, Next, Top Shop, Karen Millen and Miss Selfridge. At the early stages of her professional career she gained agency experience at JLL, being responsible, among others, for the commercialization of Warsaw’s Galeria Mokotów shopping centre being under construction at the time.

Prior to joining Savills, Agata worked for GTC and Klépierre Management Polska with responsibility for the recommercialisation of Sadyba Best Mall, among others. In addition to her experience in acting for shopping centre owners, for many years she also represented tenants in their expansions in Central and Eastern Europe, including OTCF (owner of the 4F brand), GO Sport and French women’s fashion retailer Camaieu. Previously, Agata worked for Alshaya Poland, a franchise operator for such brands as Mothercare, The Body Shop, Next, Top Shop, Karen Millen and Miss Selfridge. At the early stages of her professional career she gained agency experience at JLL, being responsible, among others, for the commercialization of Warsaw’s Galeria Mokotów shopping centre being under construction at the time.

Cushman & Wakefield has expanded its teams

Prior to joining Savills, Agata worked for GTC and Klépierre Management Polska with responsibility for the recommercialisation of Sadyba Best Mall, among others.

In addition to her experience in acting for shopping centre owners, for many years she also represented tenants in their expansions

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In response to the growing number of projects and demand for services, global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield has expanded its teams of the Retail Agency (Marek Dąbrowski), Capital Markets (Robert Tomaszewski), Asset Services in Poland (Paulina Brzozowska and Magdalena Kokosza) and in EMEA (Magdalena PuchalskaNielaba and Agata Opłocka). In addition, Agata Dworzak has joined the firm’s HR department with responsibility for HR strategy development.

Magdalena Puchalska-Nielaba joined Cushman & Wakefield in July 2018 and is head of the newly set up Bid Management team that supports Asset Services EMEA in bid preparation. Magdalena has worked in commercial real estate for 15 years and has gained professional experience at global real estate advisory firms such as Cushman & Wakefield in Warsaw and Donaldsons/DTZ in London, as well as investment and development firms (Caelum Development and Avestus Real Estate), and a state-owned enterprise PKP S.A. Magdalena holds a master’s degree in law of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. She has also completed postgraduate studies in European law at Warsaw University and has a real estate agent’s licence.

Agata Opłocka joined Cushman & Wakefield’s new Bid Management team in August 2018. She will be responsible for bid preparation for Clients in EMEA. She has worked in real estate since 2013 and gained professional experience at an Austrian investment fund Immofinanz, CBRE Corporate Outsourcing, Atalian and Focus Hotels.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

Recruitment ad IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS ROLE PLEASE SEND YOUR CV AT: krzysztof.stanczykiewicz@hrk.pl

SERVICE DELIVERY DIRECTOR (Salary: 40,000 - 50,000 PLN gross)

The role responsibilities involve: • • • • • • •

Cooperation with Delivery Managers (locally & globally) to ensure smooth delivery and customer as well as employee satisfaction, Establishing and maintaining strong professional relationships with senior stakeholders, Responsibility for monitoring the quality of the services delivered, Developing and driving a high performance culture across the team, leading people through a number of Team Leaders, through development of objectives and targets for performance and career development, Manage finance and administration operations, Prepare budgets, manage P&L and associated components like utilization, expenses, etc. as per budget, Coaching and mentoring employees.

Candidate’s profile: • • • • • •

Experience gained in a SSC/BPO on similar position in a dynamic, multinational environment, Good understanding of Service Centre & Business process Outsourcing business, Leadership skills are mandatory along with good Management skills, Functional knowledge and experience in Finance & Accounting would complement the management skills, Fluent English and Polish is a must have, Short travels within Europe might be required.

Our Client offers: • • • • •

Stable employment in a global and dynamically growing company, Health and life insurance, Contract of employment, Company car/ car allowance, Annual bonus.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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Data Security Adminitrator before

Data Protection Officer now

CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

After September 1, 2018, the position of Data Security Administrator (ABI) ceased to function.

In his place, the Data Protection Officer was appointed, who took over all the rights and obligations of ABI. This change results from the introduction of Regulations of the European Parliament and the Council (EU) 2016/679 of April 27, 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the personal data processing and the free flow of such data and repealing of the Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation).

The task of the DPO (formerly ABI) is to monitor the employer’s activities in terms of compliance the data protection regulations and data processing, both in public administration and in the private sector.

There are 4 main areas of the DPO’s tasks: 1.

2.

3.

4.

informing – administrators, employees and other people who have access to personal data about their obligations related to the processing of such data, monitoring of regulatory compliance related to the personal data management, keeping personal data up to date and correct, cooperation and consultation with the supervisory authority.

The Ministry of Family, Labour and public rights and has not been punished Social Policy indicates the full profile for an intentional crime. of the DPO’s tasks to which belong1: When choosing the DPO, it should be • management of information security remembered that pursuant to Article policy in the organization, including 36a of Act 7 on Personal Data Protection, the DPO must report directly supervision of binding documentation; • controlling the status of issues authorisa- to the Data Administrator. Therefore, tions to process confidential data, as well the DPO function cannot be performed as keeping records of authorised people; by the superior of the Data Adminis• supervising IT activities within the scope trator or any person who is the head of conducted security of confidential of an organisational unit, such as the headmaster of a school, mayor, member data in IT systems; • supervising the application of pro- of the company’s management board, etc. cedures regarding the protections of the confidential data by all authorised The Data Protection Officer is an extremely responsible position which people; • conduction of periodic audits of infor- requires an interdisciplinary approach, risk and threat analysis and a high degree mation security status; • preparing reports containing recom- of discipline. The DPO must be proactive in its efforts to initiate change and mendations for changes; • conducting initial and periodic control the situation, not just react to it. training in the field of confidential data The DPO must therefore be provided with the means and organisational separation protection; • controlling the compliance of the imple- that are necessary for the independent mented security policy with the Personal performance of its tasks (Article 36a of Act 8 Act on Personal Data Protection).

Data Protection Act; • overseeing non-compliance with proceWHAT KIND OF REMUNERATION CAN dures regarding information security; • preparation of registration applications DPO COUNT ON? The EU regulation on the personal data for GIODO; • representing the employer in the control protection concerns both small and large organisations. The Act does not process carried out by GIODO; • improving processes of the quality specify exactly which entities are obliged management system and supporting to employ the DPO and which are not. activities within the scope of creating In order to act preventively, the DPO’s documentations of the quality manage- position should therefore appear in every company although, for obvious reasons, ment system. the level of responsibility will be very WHO CAN BECOME DPO? different. It is obvious that with the size The Data Administrator (ADO) shall assess of the company, the number of DPO duties, whether the candidate has adequate their complexity, time consuming nature knowledge in the scope of personal data and risk increase, which naturally affects protection (Article 36a of Act 5 point the amount of remuneration.

2 Act on Personal Data Protection) The industry, region of Poland Although, the amended provisions or the nature and amount of data of the Personal Data Protection Act do collected are also significant factors. Due not require DPOs to have any certificates to them, the salary of the Data Protection or attestations of completion of training, Officer varies greatly. Our experience the DA is obliged to verify the compe- shows that it can vary from 5–10 thoutence of the candidate and ensure that sand zloty gross in small companies, up he/she has full legal capacity, enjoys full to tens of thousands zloty gross in large, international companies. www.psz.praca.gov.pl

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

Magdalena Kowalska-Semeniuk, Data management systems specialist, LeasingTeam Group

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CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

Manager – an internal company ambassador

Lack of understanding, frustration, loneliness and feeling of being insufficiently good – these are some of the most common emotions appearing in today’s organizations among managers and their employees. This situation causes conflicts at work, lack of satisfaction in achieved results, low engagement, lack of employees’ integration with the team and organization. Finally leads manager to burnout stage.

One of the most expensive effects of this situation is the employee turnover, which in a large part of the organization reaches an average of about 30%, and in some teams and industries even up to 60% per year. Organizations in the 21st century are more and more similar to the Babel Tower.

criteria on the basis of which we make decisions. Although they are the most important, for each of us they can be different. In the same time, they manifest the most important needs in our life. Nothing new, but at the level of communication between the manager and the employee are often missed.

WHAT IS THE CONCLUSION?

Do they have to?

In the last four months, we have conducted research in which we have examined how people make decisions, set up goals, deal with problems and challenges at work. Specially calibrated test on various aspects of our life was used for research – both professional and personal, attitude to change, reaction to something sudden and approach to purpose in life. It turns out that for most of us, emotions are the most important

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The results of the research have shown that although each of us makes decisions on the basis of individual preferences, it is possible to identify 8 perspectives from which people look at the world, make decisions, are focused on changes, or tend to solve problems. But the most important conclusion resulting from these studies is the fact that the goals of employees very often do not interfere with the goals of managers, which in turn out almost never coincide with the goals of the organization. Why? On average, over 70% of employees are people for whom the most important is security, predictability, clearly defined tasks expressed through procedures. This is what they usually expect from their superiors – being coherent, credible and predictable. It is only in such conditions that employees open up to new ideas and at the same time gain the courage to say what they think can be improved. As proof of this, further data from our research came.

It turns out that one of the most important emotions at work is fear. It is not a real threat, but a fear – being an idea of ​​​​negative consequences. What do our employees fear of? Loss of trust, lack of recognition of the manager, mistake which in consequence leads to loss of employment. It is also a fear of giving feedback to the manager if something went wrong.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

THEY COME FIRST TO WORK AND LEAVE THE LAST – MANAGER’S LIFE According to the results of our research, on average, over 60% of managers are people for whom the sympathy of employees is the most important.

Sympathy expressed in the form of liking, a good and friendly atmosphere. For these managers, it is not KPIs, processes or innovation that is important, but people. Often for these reasons, these managers make decisions by compromise, making sure that every member of the team feels good. They take a lot of responsibility on their shoulders instead of delegating and executing, finally feeling discomfort to not overload the employee – all to not expose the functioning relationship.

The paradox is that for these managers it is not the procedures, predictability that gives a sense of security are the most important for their employees, but the atmosphere at work which counts the most. In return, they are perceived by their teams as people who make decisions ineffectively. As the managers they feel they need to make sure that everybody feels well with their decision. From the other hand accumulated tasks due to inefficient decision process causes accumulation of emotions that nobody has taught them how to cope with. In the long term taking excessive responsibility and hidden emotions cause frustration, anger and in consequence loss of efficiency. In addition, the feeling of loneliness, which grows due to the fear of failure leading to difficulties in finding a similar job affects not only professional but also their private life. Therefore, on the one hand, they do not ask their supervisor for help, but they try to solve problems at work themselves, hiding reality from organization, as they think that it may show their incompetence leading to dismiss.

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018

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CAREER & DEVELOPMENT

TOWER OF BABEL These three perspectives create a real Babel Tower, where employees, managers and organizations speak three not understandable languages and setting up contradicted goals (security, people and results respectively). The situation causes that more and more people are looking for an organization suited to their perspective of seeing the world. Often, as our research shows, doing it by job change as one of the most common solution. Finally finding such a fitting job requires more and more frequent changes. That is why today we often see, especially among young people, frequent rotation, quick discouragement and lack of motivation.

WHERE’S BUSINESS? Creators of Corporate Differently Model:

Monika Reszko, Business Psychologist

Krzysztof Herdzik, Outsourcing Senior Executive Expert

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Organizations measure their effectiveness by means of indicators, KPIs and results giving the execution to “human” managers. Huge pressure for results, changing economic environment, globalization and progress increase the appetite to achieve more, develop new markets, products or services.

To achieve this, companies think out of the box how to attract the best specialists. For years, they have also faced difficulties in recruiting right employees.

Building the image of the employer gives many HR and communication specialists sleepless nights. More and more organizations compete for employee attracting them with sophisticated benefits. In the consequences they put the cart before the horse. Why? Because candidates, in the first place instead of the sense of work and fulfillment, verify benefits of the job offer. Is it working? In short-term yes. In the longterm, improving living conditions (office, benefits or wages) investing enormous resources, organizations can ensure that employees will at least not hate their work at most, but they will never love it.

On the other hand, organizations monitoring the causes of employee departures often focus on external rather than internal causes. They mention, for example, the employee market, competition in the level of remuneration, lack of right skills on the market. This, however, comes from lack of understanding of the perspectives: employee, manager and organization. Finally being confused with the causes, they risk introducing inadequate preventive actions to stop rotation among employees, incurring costs that are disproportionate to the expected benefits.

their own and organization. Thanks to this knowledge and awareness, it will be easier for them to adjust communication and duties to a personalized employee perspective. As a result, such a manager is able to dedicate more time to develop the competence of his team, to be more innovative, to carry out quicker the tasks given to him or her, and thus to be a more reliable leader in the organization. Such a manager begins to be perceived by his team as a real leader who cares about his employees, is trustworthy and credible, also for his superiors and the organization itself. And finally, the organization itself is an attractive employer, in which the strengths of its employees are appreciated, give development opportunities and work with a sense of meaning.

Understanding how complex and demanding is the role of the manager, let them be people as well. Understated, shaking for their own safety, living in feelings of powerlessness and misunderstanding, with management requirements and expectations from the crowd of employees, seeking support in HR, managers are struggling to survive.

If you promote an employee to a manager, provide him with basic knowledge and tools for this job. If you send managers for training, make sure that it is adequate to the organization’s goals and your expectations. If you’re a manager, talk about what you need and openly communicate what you need to support the organization – all to make sure that perspectives of employees, managers and organization are in the line.

A PERSONALIZED MANAGEMENT STYLE Employees see their super ior as the only right and direct representative of the company. It is not the HR department, Finance Department or even CEO but the leaders and managers of various levels are a guarantee of the quality of employment, and thus efficiency, productivity, commitment and loyalty. It is also their role of being so called translator to eliminate the differences in the perception of reality. That is why it is crucial to managers to understand the perspective of employees,

Outsourcing&More | November – December 2018