Monday, December 17, 2007

Taking a cue from the success of Indian Idol, a popular television talent contest, Infosys BPO has now started a similar contest for its employees.

Infosys BPO Idol, as the contest is known, is expected to get the employees involved in activities other than business, and "create a vibrant, passionate and culturally stimulating workplace," says the company.

The show has been organised on the lines of the American Idol. The elimination rounds have already been held. To maintain the same aura and energy around the event, the Infosys BPO has introduced the concept of wildcard entries, SMS voting system and a live band. Each participant is given time to practice with the band to ensure their singing is flawless.
The SMS voting system was introduced in the fifth round, which had 10 contestants. The SMS votes are given 20 per cent weightage, according to organisers. In a week, following the start of the fifth round, the event has received 5,525 SMS votes.

Besides, the company is also sending out mailers on each participant called 'Know Your Infy Idol', wherein the participants share personal information. Each participant is also expected to canvass for votes with innovative ideas to increase his/her SMS poll rating.
Said Newtom Paul, a participant: "Infosys BPO Idol is a great opportunity to show my talent. Very few people know I can sing, Infosys BPO Idol has given me the much-needed exposure. I have also established friendships with other colleagues."

The event is being organised at three locations in India including Jaipur, Pune and Bangalore. For the final round scheduled at Infosys' Bangalore campus on December 21, Bollywood playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy will be the judge.

The winners of the contest will be awarded an all-expenses paid trip to Singapore for two persons. The other six finalists would get an i-Pod shuffle.

"The participants of Infosys Idol are given opportunities to participate at all our other events and functions. We are providing them with various platforms to showcase their talent," said Nandita Gurjar, Group Head, HR, Infosys Technologies.

Looking at the response received for the Infosys BPO idol, Infosys BPO is looking at continuing the event next year and making it an annual affair.

Infosys BPO, which was in the news till recently for high attrition rates, is planning to organise many such events to get its employees involved with the organisation.

With the aim of raising awareness on India as a sourcing hub for global firms in different sectors,

The Supply Management Institute (SMI) in partnership with the Indian Institute of Management — Bangalore (IIM-B) are going to organize India Sourcing Summit in Bangalore.

The two-day summit is scheduled to begin on February 8. , is expected to see a participation of representatives from over 150 global firms, the organisers said here on Friday.

In a flat world, global firms prefer sourcing materials from cheaper and cost-effective destinations without compromising on quality of the goods they are procuring. India is fast emerging as a hub for global sourcing not only for IT or ITeS, but also in traditional sectors like apparel, automotive, special chemicals and electronic components.

According to a CII-McKinsey report, the sourcing of electronic components from India is expected to touch $15-18 billion in 2015 from $1.25 billion in 2005. The report also says sourcing of apparel from India is expected to be in the range of $25-30 billion in 2015 from $6.1 billion in 2005, and auto-components to be $20-25 billion from a mere $1.1 billion in 2005. The sourcing of special chemicals which was of the order of $1.6 billion in 2005, is expected to reach $12.15 billion in 2015.

At a time when sourcing occupies the top priority of lot of global firms, India will remain in the forefront before they go in for global sourcing being a low-cost destination; relatively safer place for IP protection, language capabilities and know-how of the people regarding the requirements of global sourcing.

“Sourcing is global and international business. This will change the dynamics of doing business in future. However, Indian firms need to undertake steps to meet the scale of the Chinese firms, and groom talents in sourcing and supply chain management to stay competitive in the game,” said Constantin Blome, secretary, Indian Sourcing Summit.
Many a global firms have recently come out with their sourcing from India. Auto major BMW has recently opened its international procurement office in Gurgaon. EADS, a major player in aerospace and defence, has opened its sourcing office in India, apart from sponsoring a chair for sourcing and supply management at IIM-B.

According to Bolme, who is also the EADS-SMI Endowed Chair for Sourcing and Supply Management, German auto majors are now aggressively looking at India as a major supply base of auto-components, after the success of Japanese auto manufacturers. This would create enormous opportunities for students in India, to pursue career in sourcing and supply chain management, he added.

Source: Business Standard