• How can I make sure that I have control over the management of my work?
• Outsourcing is about people first, second and third with low wages in the developing world, workers tend to move for small pay differentials, how can I be sure that my work wont be harmed by high turnover and uneven worker quality?
• How can I be sure that the offshore supplier is not overstating expertise and capability?
• My data is confidential how can I be sure that it will remain so?
• Communications and power breakdowns could lead to missed deadlines?
• In the developing world there is high risk of work stoppages for non-work related reasons (politics, weather, natural disaster etc). How is this risk being mitigated?
• I have trouble communicating with non-native English speakers?
• What safety standards can I expect at the offshore center?
• How are you protected against an act of terrorism?
• What if India & Pakistan go to war?

	Risk		Mitigation Measures
1.	How can I make sure that I have control over the management of my work?		1. We enable BPO though our proprietary software platform called VisiBPO. VisiBPO has web and workflow based architecture. This platform offers complete visibility to the customer at a task level. 2. We have a USA Point of Presence. 3. We believe in management by metrics, providing the numbers that show accuracy, response times and quality. 4. Progress reporting formats and their frequency are agreed with client and are filed accordingly. 5. An Issues Log is maintained and as an issue arises it is circulated to all concerned so that there is instant awareness and immediate addressing of any potential delays or problems.
2.	Outsourcing is about people first, second and third with low wages in the developing world, workers tend to move for small pay differentials, how can I be sure that my work wont be harmed by high turnover and uneven worker quality?		We acknowledge that these issues exist in this industry, however, we attempt to counter these by: 1. Creating a cushion of a proportion of the workforce that is not working directly on current accounts. 2. Maintaining at any given time 10% more staff than required on a team so that they are trained to cover for absences as well as turnover. 3. As a sought after employer, Systems Limited is in the fortunate position of having the highest retention rate amongst its professional staff within all similar organizations in the country. Staff turnover is low and this is reflected in the corps of highly skilled and experienced senior personnel that has been with the company for many years and has experience at all levels of the skill portfolio.
3.	How can I be sure that the offshore supplier is not overstating expertise and capability?		1. We provide impeccable references 2. We encourage clients to meet workers dedicated to that companys account and also support strategic business review meetings with visiting client management 3. We believe in establishing long-term relationships with our customers and that is why we have been providing valuable services to our customers globally for the last 30 years. We have strong relationships with local and global organizations both in public and private sectors that are built on trust and character.
4.	My data is confidential how can I be sure that it will remain so?		1. Systems Limited's VisiBPO platform is task and workflow based. We can divide the tasks such that no one employee can have complete access to a sensitive file. We can also limit the fields displayed for our employees 2. All personnel engaged in any manner are required to sign our standard Confidential Information Copyright and Invention Agreement 3. Our offshore centers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have a 24-hour Security Guard and documented Visitor handling processes 4. Within the premises, access to the Server Room is restricted to a list of key employees. The server room and key areas are monitored by closed circuit camera recording around the clock. Tapes are retained for a six month period before being recycled
5.	Communications and power breakdowns could lead to missed deadlines		1. We have documented Continuity of Business (COB) and contingency arrangements to safeguard against possible downtime. 2. At our centers, power supply is continuous and uninterrupted with high capacity Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), and generator sets in place. 3. A robust communication infrastructure is in place. The offshore centers in Lahore and Karachi each have multiple internet access sources including fractional T1 and DSL lines. The networks are configured to utilize the redundancy as a means of backup and hence there is no single point of failure.
6.	In the developing world there is high risk of work stoppages for non-work related reasons (politics, weather, natural disaster etc). How is this risk being mitigated?		1. A documented process for damage assessment, estimation of downtime and adoption of an appropriate strategy, initiation and implementation of remedial measures, and a return to normal processing is in place and is documented as A Continuity of Business Process 2. We have two offices within the country which are 1,100 kilometers apart. Each office provides a contingency off-site arrangement to the other whereby in case of contingency the hardware, software, other equipment necessary is made available at the contingency premises. Personnel can travel to the contingency site at short notice
7.	I have trouble communicating with non-native English speakers		1. Our account managers receive training in the English language and western culture. They are encouraged to speak with a neutral accent and not to attempt to copy dialects and local accents
8.	What safety standards can I expect at the offshore center?		1. Our centers have designated Emergency Managers. They meet on the second Thursday of every month to review safety procedures and personnel awareness of emergency procedures. An updated list of the current emergency managers is put up on all the notice boards every fortnight or earlier in case of change 2. The Emergency Managers execute a practice emergency drill in the second week of each quarter of the year, ensuring that personnel from all shifts participate in the drill 3. The procedures to be followed in an emergency are documented and displayed prominently, and personnel are trained in their implementation
9.	How are you protected against an act of terrorism?		1. Our centre in Lahore is in the vicinity of the State Governors residence and next door to a police station. As such the area is under constant official surveillance 2. The building in which the centre is located is the prestigious Lahore Chamber of Commerce Building, which has its own round the clock security. The centre in Karachi has its own 24 hour security at the gate and is bounded on each side by educational institutions which also have their own 24 hour security 3. There is restricted and controlled car parking in the building premises 4. There is a single entry point to our offices and all visitors are screened at that point, and carry in items are examined
10.	What if India & Pakistan go to war?		1. War is unpredictable in the areas that it can affect and its targets. Our offices are located well away from industrial areas, government offices and other likely targets. We have two offices within the country which are 1,100 kilometers apart. Each office provides a contingency off-site arrangement to the other whereby in case of contingency the hardware, software, other equipment necessary is made available at the contingency premises. Personnel can travel to the contingency site at short notice 2. Should the situation dictate, we are committed to meeting deadlines for ongoing work and can even complete assignments interrupted by war in our US office

Systems Limited - USA

Systems Limited - PAKISTAN - Lahore

The service functions for which Systems Limited is responsible are divided into the following five key areas:

a) Courier and Mail Management :
The courier and mail management department is responsible for receiving daily shipment of stubs, demand drafts and payment details from the banks. Mail, which can on peak days consist of as many as 700,000 documents, is sorted, stamped and arranged for distribution to downstream processes. The department also monitors courier agency performance and follows up with bank branches and courier company offices as necessary.

b) Data Transfer :
The data transfer staff is responsible for maintaining the computer system and databases and for sending and receiving data daily from and to the utility companies own computer centers.

c) Production Unit :
The Production Unit handles all data entry tasks. One of its sections creates the batch control records for verifying accuracy of the data entry. In addition, the production unit also manages the work assignment and follow-up services for bill payments which do not match the utility companies own records or the ones which are manually altered.

d) Customer Service :
Customer Services department performs the payment reconciliation service. The reconciliation service ensures that the utility companies receive the due payments from the bank branches that perform payment collection services for the utilities. The reconciliation department makes use of the payment information and the funds transfer statements to determine any shortfalls between collected and transferred funds.

e) Reporting :
Management information reports are generated for Citibank, for participating banks, for utility companies and for the Data Centre operational management. Reports are disseminated daily to their respective destinations.

Please contact:

Systems Limited - USA

Systems Limited - PAKISTAN - Lahore