Saurabh Gupta, vice president Everest Group, stated technology strategies that are being deployed across all FAO:

• Tie-and-run: Limited role of technology where service provider plugs into the buyer’s existing systems to deliver pure-play BPO services

• Technology augmentation: Service provider implements tools that serve as “add-ons” around the periphery of the existing buyer systems to address specific gaps

• Core F&A technology replacement/ implementation: IT infrastructure and/or core F&A application implementation bundled with FAO services. Technology ownership resides with buyer

• Platform-based FAO: Pre-integrated applications and pre-built processes, owned by service provider, with pricing built into the FAO contract

4. The demand for analytics and other specialized F&A services such as regulatory compliance, internal audit will continue to increase.

5. Pricing models namely outcome-based and transaction-based pricing will find increased mention in FAO contracts. Chambliss spoke about how many companies are moving from just a transactional basis of BPO toward outsourcing higher value added functions in their decision making and F&PM areas. He opined, “Access to better information to communicate to their line of business owners seem to be driving more value add for the F&A organizations and making the opportunities to grow analytics and improvements in the bottom line for companies. Value propositions are centered around improvements to cash performance.”