GBS WORLD NEWS | WEEK 3 | APRIL 2022

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, global software giant, Infosys, has announced that it will be transitioning out of Russia, due to conflict-of-interest concerns directed at British finance minister, Rishi Sunek. Infosys has already been shifting work away from its Russian centers to its operators outside of Russia, while all service contracts with Russian clients have been terminated. In addition, Infosys has pledged US$1 million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

A leading South African collections/recoveries provider, CSS Credit Solutions Services (CSS), has given a majority share of its company to iSON Xperiences, a global call center and business process outsourcing (BPO) organization. The acquisition will serve as a springboard for CSS to offer BPO services to global markets, particularly in Egypt, the UK, the US, India and Europe.

Despite a slowdown in demand, Asia Pacific’s IT business services market grew by 28% between Q4 2021 and Q1 2022, according to Information Services Group’s (ISG) latest Asia Pacific ISG Index™ report. The annual contract value (ACV) of IT services reached US$4,2 billion in Q1 2022 – the fourth time in a row where the region has achieved an ACV over US$4 billion. Comprising US370 million (8.8%), IT Outsourcing (ITO) went up by 31%.

New York’s homegrown HR platform, Namely, has been announced as the winner of the 2022 Excellence in Customer Service Award presented by Business Intelligence Group. The awards recognize organizations that deliver exceptional support to their customers and develop solutions to help others improve their customer experience (CX). One of the initiatives that influenced Namely’s recognition was its introduction of a reimagined approach to customer service.

Exciting developments have also been taking place in Canada, where IKEA Canada has revealed plans to expand its Plan and Order Point network in Kitchener, Ontario. The concept store connects customers with IKEA specialists to create a customized home furnishing package. The appointment-only service aims to provide a more personalized experience, where customers can sample a curated selection of home furnishing solutions.

Over a third (38%) of global consumers incorrectly recall their digital shopping behaviors – a variance known as the ‘’Say-Do Gap’’, according to DISQO’s ‘’Mind the Gap’’ study. Variables, including age, income level and gender have a notable influence on the Say-Do Gap, questioning the efficacy of basing business decisions on consumers’ self-reported behaviors alone. The study leveraged DISQO’s consumer insights platform to unpack the shopping behavior of over 50,000 respondents.