Business process outsourcing (BPO) has become a $92.5 billion industry as companies worldwide leverage external partners in order to reduce costs, gain efficiencies, and tap new technologies and skillsets they can‘t build fast enough in-house. This trend will only accelerate as we progress deeper into an era of rapid digital transformation, automation and virtual work models.
Outsourcers provide valuable services spanning consulting, tech integration, infrastructure management and business operations contracted outside a company to specialized service providers. As per ResearchAndMarkets.com, the global BPO market is projected to reach $405.6 billion by 2027 as more functions get outsourced.
The world‘s foremost outsourcing consultancies and solutions experts highlighted below will shape much of this phenomenal growth through cutting-edge capabilities only they can deliver at scale. Let‘s analyze the 7 leaders dominating today‘s outsourcing landscape right now:
Why Companies Outsource
Before examining the major players, it helps to understand why outsourcing has exploded in popularity from basic cost-cutting into an essential innovation strategy:
Access Specialized Expertise and Technology
From cloud infrastructure to AI, outsourcers invest heavily in emerging tools and skillsets allowing clients fast access without costly in-house training and ramp-up times.
Improve Efficiency
Outsourcers apply process excellence, automation and Their scale and best practices to execute operations more efficiently than clients could internally.
Reduce Operating Costs
Outside specialists concentrate solely on delivering specific services at very competitive pricing, replaced the higher expense of internal skilled labor and management.
Focus Internal Resources on Core Business
Clients redirect their top talent towards high-value activities like product development instead getting distracted by supporting operations.
Scale and Growth
Clients can expand into new global markets faster by leveraging outsourcer‘s existing worldwide infrastructure and resources.
Mitigate Risk
Expert partners assume responsibility for their contracted operations, assets and compliance easing client exposure.
Now let‘s analyze the prominent companies leading clients through these opportunities:
1. Accenture
| 2021 Revenue | Employees | Clients | Countries Served | Year Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50 Billion | 624,000 | 94 of Fortune Global 100 | 120+ | 1989 |
Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Accenture has become one of the world‘s most respected and valuable management consulting brands. They focus primarily on high-level strategic and technology consulting to enable digital transformation and evolving business objectives.
However, Accenture sets itself apart by also offering a wide range of managed tech services, IT delivery and operational support. These full lifecycle capabilities, spanning strategy through execution, integration and ongoing optimization reflects the industry trend of outsourcers becoming true transformation partners versus just vendors.
Known for talent development with a focus on diversity and inclusion, Accenture leverages its over 624,000 skilled professionals across 200 cities and 55 countries to innovate on behalf of leading companies across 40+ industries.
In fact, an impressive 75% of the Fortune Global 500 work with this global giant thanks to their unparalleled expertise driving change for organizations facing technology or business model disruption. As just one example among countless client success stories, Accenture developed a future-ready growth strategy and new digitized business applications for Airbus to advance their global parts manufacturing.
2. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
| 2021 Revenue | Employees | Clients | Countries Served | Year Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25 Billion | Over 500,000 | 1,600+ | 46+ | 1968 |
Headquartered in Mumbai, India, TCS has risen from humble beginnings to become one of the world‘s largest business solution and IT consulting providers. TCS succeeded over the years by not just driving outsourcing cost savings but also partnering deeply with clients to achieve growth objectives through new technologies like automation, cloud computing and cognitive intelligence.
Unlike boutique firms with narrow specialties, TCS serves some of the most complex, severely regulated industries like Banking, Healthcare and Insurance with integrated capabilities spanning:
- Cloud Services
- Digital Transformation Consulting
- Business Intelligence
- Enterprise Application Management
- Automation and AI
- Cybersecurity
TCS further expanded global market share in recent years through targeted acquisitions filling critical gaps in skillsets and geographies. For instance, acquiring W12 Studios in 2020 strengthened capabilities designing and implementing Cloud-powered, omni-channel digital commerce platforms. This allows legacy retailers tap into D2C sales, optimize customer journeys using data, and build loyalty through personalized engagements.
3. IBM
| 2021 Revenue | Employees | Countries Served | Year Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| $57 Billion | 190,000 | 175+ | 1911 |
Tracing roots back over a century, IBM delivers advanced business consulting plus cutting-edge technology capabilities through Global Services and Global Technology Services divisions. While IBM drives tremendous cross-industry impact, their formula also fuels 90% of the world‘s credit card transactions and nearly 80% of air travel reservations annually.
As the business landscape shifts towards hybrid cloud, AI and security led transformation, IBM leverages research labs producing 8,500+ patents last years alone to maintain relevance. Specifically, IBM is pioneering quantum computing through a global first 53-qubit processor to tackle complex optimization across industries.
Separately, IBM security services manages over 2 billion endpoint devices as well as 150 million+ network vulnerabilities monthly. Through patented data and analytics, they achieve response times up to 90% faster than competitors when containing cyberthreats. Among their expansive partner ecosystem, IBM Azure partnership makes public cloud consumption simpler for enterprise clients.
Finally, IBM Global Business Services applies industry expertise with emerging technologies towards services like:
- Digital Strategy: Business model evolution combining omnichannel commerce with immersive experiences leveraging VR, AR and IoT
- Intelligent Automation: Streamlining operations using Natural Language Processing, computer vision and predictive analytics
- Business Applications: Connecting workflows across departments into unified Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms then maximizing their value through tailoring and integration.
4. Fujitsu
| 2021 Revenue | Employees | Countries Served | Year Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| $35.5 Billion | 130,000 | 100+ | 1935 |
As another Japanese-heritage global technology leader, Fujitsu delivers industry-oriented digital transformation solutions backed by strong system integration and IT outsourcing pedigree. While their expertise proved crucial in government infrastructure and financial services for instance, Fujitsu is praised for partnerships business, academia and research firms driving co-creation of emerging tech.
Some innovations where Fujitsu leads adoption include:
- Digital Annealer Cloud Service: Cutting-edge quantum computing alternative rapidly solves complex combinatorial optimization problems intractable using mainstream computing.
- Artificial Intelligence: Machine learning modeling and anomaly detection offering aims to accelerate drug discovery success rates.
- Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Fujitsu Labs built enterprise-grade Conseil RPA solution incorporating up to 70% more process variables versus competitors while needing 90% less analysts support.
Additionally, to cross-pollinate the latest innovations into client solutions worldwide, Fujitsu actively contributes thousands of open patents into consortiums like O-RAN Alliance shaping 6G wireless networking standards and Linux Foundation bringing harmonized open architectures to autonomous driving platforms.
5. Cognizant
| 2021 Revenue | Employees | Countries Served | Year Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| $18.5 Billion | Over 300,000 | 75+ | 1994 |
As one of the world‘s leading professional services brands, Cognizant leverages deep digital expertise to empower organizations to operate more efficiently and adapt to modern market demands. Headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey serving over 75 countries, Cognizant‘s 300,000+ diverse professionals have earned a reputation for bringing client imagination to life.
To drive better business outcomes through technology, Cognizant offers:
Consulting Services specializing in IT strategy, process improvement, escaping legacy constraints and gaining analytics-fueled intelligence.
Technology Solutions with over 1,000 proprietary platforms and IP assets accelerate speed-to-value across cloud, IoT, supply chain, and experiential interfaces.
Core Modernization through intuitive apps, seamless integrations and data centralized on leading managed cloud infrastructures.
Underpinning everything is dedication to applied innovation and realization of clients’ digital visions. For example, Cognizant ideas42 partnership embedded behavioral science and design thinking into American Journal Experts publishing software. This boosted global renewal conversion 6 percent points through nudging users towards favorable choices.
6. Infosys
| 2021 Revenue | Employees | Countries Served | Year Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| $16.3 Billion | Nearly 250,000 | 46+ | 1981 |
Established in Pune, India by a group of 7 young engineering entrepreneurs, Infosys has blossomed into a leading next-generation digital services provider. Engaging global 2000 corporations as a trusted transformation catalyst, Infosys guidances clients to new heights of business performance through technology.
Driving success across major regions and all industries, Infosys seamlessly delivers:
- Consulting & Strategy: Defines ambitious yet achievable visions leveraging Infosys knowledge repository then bridges the gap using established methodologies
- Technology Services: Designs, develops, integrates and manages advanced solutions to differentiate businesses powered by AI/ML, Blockchain and quantum computing strengths
- Operations Management: Modernizes and runs entire portfolios end-to-end, freeing client focus towards higher-order priorities and innovations rather than maintenance
Underpinning everything are unrelenting commitment to upskilling talent and making a meaningful ESG impact. Upskilling over 250,000 employee through reskilling programs nurtures intrinsically motivated teams solving the unsolvable. These efforts recently garnered Infosys number 3 spot among Top 100 Global Tech Leaders Worldwide by Thomson Reuters.
7. DXC Technology
| 2021 Revenue | Employees | Year Founded |
|---|---|---|
| $19 Billion | 138,000 | 2017 |
Forming from the merger of CSC and HPE’s Enterprise Services Business, DXC Technology brings together respected legacy expertise into unified mission supporting global enterprises modernizing mission-critical systems.
DXC professionals currently manage over 6,000 private and public sector clients‘ IT infrastructure and operations. This keeps essential lights running while injecting new capabilities. Specifically, DXC is an:
- Industry leader guiding insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, public sector and more into data-activated, insight-driven future.
- Innovation powerhouse recognized by Forbes 2020 World‘s Best Employers among IT services firms.
- A culture champion winning National Equality Innovation Award from the Human Rights Campaign.
Extensive partner network with hyperscale cloud, hardware OEMs and niche independents unlocks tailored solutions for client needs. For instance, DXC and AWS collaboration helps enterprises migrate core production applications into cost-efficient secure cloud environments in just six weeks.
Separately, DXC Launchpad innovation network curates emerging startups with cutting solutions addressing client technology gaps. This delivers access to over 2,400 trail-blazing startups through 50+ regional innovation centers.
Conclusion – The Future of Business Process Outsourcing
As exponential technologies and digital business models drive irreversible shifts for enterprises in every sector, outsourcers add tremendous, objective value guiding transformations.
We can expect massive growth ahead in this industry. However, clients should see outsourcers as trusted partners along the journey rather than just vendors chasing transactions through a sales funnel.
Deep relationships where both parties think long-term, understand objectives, and commit to ethical excellence will deliver the most breakthrough innovations and sustainable high performance over the coming decades.
