Silvia RosaThe growth of the IT and Telecom Technology (ICT) sector in Brazil, the sixth largest market in the world, has attracted IT multinationals, which have expanded their investments in the country.
Although the greater part of the investment in ICT is concentrated in the Telecom sector, there is also great growth potential in the IT sector. The IDC forecasts 7% growth for the IT sector in Brazil this year, a number lower than the double-digit pace reached in the last few years but, nevertheless, above the 3.4% forecast for world average, said Renato Rosa, Brazil Research and Consulting Senior Analyst at IDC.
As the largest market in Latin America, Brazil has attracted IT multinationals recently, such as the German firm Bosch Service Solutions, the Indian companies Tech Mahindra and Wipro and the Spanish Indra. “Brazilian companies are gaining maturity and are modernizing their processes,” said Rosa, from IDC.
One of these companies is Bosch Service Solutions. As part of its global strategic realignment, the company is expanding its operations in IT services in Brazil.
The Bosch Communication Center, a division of the German company, was renamed in September 2014 as Bosch Services Solutions, reflecting the repositioning of the company, which is aiming at expanding its operations beyond the Business Process Operation (BPO) towards a focus on innovative service solutions.
Expanding Repertoire
Since 2013, the company has operated in the call center segment in Brazil and the plan is to expand the services portfolio, which includes help desk, fleet management, data analytics, social media platform analysis and complaints management. “The goal is to develop solutions in partnership with clients,” said Sebastián Funes, general manager at Bosch Service Solutions in Brazil. Bosch Service Solutions employs 5,000 employees worldwide and has 23 subsidiaries in 15 countries, serving more than 1,000 customers.
In Brazil, Bosch Services Solutions has increased its service portfolio, which involves IT tools and services such as data analytics, social care, help desk, and others. The company offers services focused on four main pillars: customer interaction, mobility, infrastructure and business support. “Our goal is to contribute positively to the customer results through the improvement of their processes and applied technology,” said Funes, from Bosch Service Solutions.
Currently, Bosch Services Solutions has two regional service hubs in Brazil. In São Paulo, the company provides management services and interaction intelligence with the customer, as well as mobility services, such as fleet management and vehicle tracking, besides alarm monitoring in buildings and homes. The company also has a business process center in Joinville, which is responsible for performing financial and accounting services, payroll processing, training logistics, among others.
Bosch Service Solutions has wide experience in the financial and insurance industries, as well as in technology and telecommunications, automotive, travel and transportation areas, besides other segments, such as media, retail, pharmaceutical and manufacturing. Among its international customers are large companies such as Mercedes Benz, Lenovo, Lufthansa Cargo, Michelin, etc. In Brazil, among its main customers are two large insurance companies for which the company provides customer care services, accident reporting, hotline and feedback and complaints management.
With a significant presence of the Bosch group in the automotive sector, Bosch Service Solutions is also responsible for the customer services of a large automobile manufacturer and it has recently closed a contract with a large company from the civil construction sector.
In the case of the automotive industry, the company offers services such as eCall (Emergency Call), support for vehicle maintenance, control and remote services, as well as fleet management, including tracking, monitoring and cost management. The Bosch portfolio also includes services such as quality monitoring and customer service process, solutions to optimize costs and processes, etc. In addition to this, the company offers customer services in several social media channels. “All these services, as well as our approach, are directly based on an intensive use of IT resources, which allows us to have both a broad and critical analysis on the possibilities for improving the process,” said Funes.
Mobile & Social Media
Regarding mobility services, Bosch Service Solutions developed a range of solutions called Fleet Management. The services provided include, for example, monitoring, recovery of stolen vehicles, customer driver service, management of vehicle maintenance in the Bosch Car Service garages, cost control, and other customized services.
Another focus is the monitoring and analysis of data from social media platforms. Bosch Service Solutions developed a platform called Dave (Digital Native), which allows the company to have a more complete view of clients, regardless of their channel of interaction with the brand, product or service for which Bosch makes the relationship management.
In that way, it can identify and classify what is being discussed, its relevance, its viral potential and correlation with other interactions, even in the case where there isn’t any direct involvement of this individual with the brand. All this is done both through social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) and through any other digital or traditional channels of interaction (voice, self-service, etc.). “When the aim is to improve the customer relationship service of our clients, it is essential to hear and understand their expectations, create open and effective channels for this, measure the weight of the expectations and assess how this can change the company’s plans,” said Funes.
The Bosch executive said that through the use of big data analysis it is possible to understand the purchasing profiles versus the availability and offer focus, identify trends that point to recurring problems that could become damaging to the brand, as well as to take proactive initiatives.
Despite the slowdown of the Brazilian economy this year, Bosch Service Solutions maintains its plans to grow in Brazil. “Brazil’s economic situation is an extremely important factor, but this had been taken into account when we elaborated our strategic plan, and we continue to seek the results,” said Funes.
According to Rosa, service contracts in the IT sector are usually long term and, thus, they are less impacted in this scenario.
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