MicroSourcing Newsletter December 2011

A MicroSourcing Holiday Celebration December 17 - MicroSourcing employees and clients headed to Seventh High at Bonifacio High Street in Taguig to celebrate Christmas - disco/hip-hop style, inspired by the Party Rock Anthem of American electro pop duo LMFAO.Three groups rocked the house down in the dance competition as they showed their party rock moves. The judges named OH Cobra Dancers as the winner of the contest. They got the Php10000 cash prize, while runners-up OH H.O.T Kru and MMO received Php3000 and Php2000, respectively. The fun did not stop after the competition - overflowing beer and party rock music fueled everyone to dance the night away. Cash, gift certificates, and various items were also given away to employees during the raffle. It turned out to be an awesome event to end an equally awesome year for the company.

WHAT’S INSIDEMicroSourcing’s 2011 Milestones

Journey towards ISO Certification

New Offices - Cebu, MOA

MicroSourcing Forms Partnership with InContact

PH Beats India in Voice-based Operations

OE Department Launched

Meet the New IT Manager: Sameer Bhagat

Sendong Relief Drive

MicroSourcing Holds Halloween "Spooktacular" Treat or Treat Event

My Dream in a Shoebox Outreach Program

Holiday Budget Management

MicroSourcing Quarterly Newsletter

The08ISSUE

DECEMBER2011

www.MicroSourcing.com MicroSourcing Newsletter December Issue 2011 P2

Year 2011 has been a very fruitful one for

MicroSourcing. We've seen great developments

that will forever be in the company's growing

list of milestones.

Early this year, MicroSourcing had closed pretty

big deals with firms from the healthcare and

financial services sectors. This prompted the

company to expand operations as well. The new

delivery center was officially opened last June at

the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Another significant development came in last

November when MicroSourcing opened a delivery

center in Cebu City - the company's first office

outside Metro Manila. To cap it all off, we are set

to open another office at the MOA Complex in

Pasay City by January 2012.

As we strive to be the services provider of choice

for offshoring and outsourcing to the Philippines,

we have started the journey towards becoming

ISO certified. The management team and

employees have pledged support in this very

important initiative of streamlining all our

processes and ensuring that we comply with

international standards.

With all the blessings that MicroSourcing had

received, it’s just imperative to give back, and we

have done that in several instances this year.

We’ve partnered with various organizations,

particularly Red Cross and the Business

Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP),

in providing school supplies and PCs to schools

in Lipa, Batangas, and in donating relief goods

and other items to the affected families of typhoon

Sendong in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro.

We want to thank all our clients, partners, and

employees for making 2011 a great year for the

company. MicroSourcing shows no signs of

stopping, and as we welcome 2012, we are in

high hopes that you will continue to support our

endeavors in the coming years.

Karen Cayamanda

Editor-in-Chief

MicroSourcing's 2011 Milestones

MicroSourcing Kicks Off Journey towards ISO Certification

A total of 35 employees of MicroSourcing, consisting of representatives of the management team and the departments, started the journey towards ISO 9001 and 27001 Certification in a whole day event at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel last October 26.

Led by Sophie Woo, Head of Operational Excellence, the certification has been identified as one of the company's main objectives for the first half of next year. CEO Philip Kooijman explained during this meeting that a good quality and information security management system (QISMS) will help MicroSourcing to add more value to our customers and stay competitive in this fast-growing BPO business. The kick-off day was followed by a series of training courses and interactive workshops for the employees. MicroSourcing has started documenting and auditing the company’s processes and procedures to comply with the ISO standards. With full support and cooperation from the management team and employees involved in this initiative, the company aims to be ISO certified by February 2012.

As part of this journey, the management formulated our Quality & Information Security Policy.

Quality & Information Security PolicyMicroSourcing Philippines, Inc. strives to become the services provider of choice for offshoring and outsourcing to the Philippines. By using our Filipino and international talent and by providing our employees with a world-class professional working environment, we aim to achieve the highest standards of excellence and customer satisfaction.

Towards this purpose, we shall:- Focus our efforts on meeting and exceeding the expectations of our clients and stakeholders;

- Ensure the availability, confidentiality, and integrity of our information assets and those assets entrusted to us by our clients;

- Apply industry standards, best practices, and proven technologies in our business operations;

- Comply with all applicable regulatory and statutory requirements; and

- Instill a culture of continual improvement and quality awareness in our employees, tools, and processes.

Our Management Team is committed to providing all the resources necessary in support of our Quality and Information Security Policy and Objectives and by working together with our employees, partners, clients, and stakeholders, we can surely achieve these goals.


MicroSourcing Opens New Office in Cebu City

MicroSourcing Set to Open New Office at MOA Complex

Outsourcing and offshoring solutions provider MicroSourcing had set another

milestone as it officially opened a new office in Cebu City last November 15.

This is the company’s first delivery center outside the Metro Manila area.

MicroSourcing’s new office has a capacity of 210 seats and is located at 12th

Floor TGU Tower, Asiatown IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City.

Asiatown IT Park covers 24 hectares of industrial land at the northern district

of Cebu City. It has an underground telecommunications setup with

high-speed Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) backbone, 23 kv underground

power supply, two backup water deep wells aside from the local water supply,

and centralized sewage treatment. Moreover, the IT park offers not only

business space but also areas for recreation and entertainment.

The IT park is a Special Economic Zone which offers government incentives

for developers, IT park facilities/utilities providers, and IT enterprises registered

under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

Weeks prior to the official opening, the Manpower Acquisition Department

launched a Recruitment Caravan in several establishments throughout the city

to find suitable candidates for various positions, primarily Computer-Aided

Drawing Technicians who are needed by one of MicroSourcing’s largest

clients. The company is also looking for individuals who can fill positions in the

fields of IT, Human Resources, and Finance.

After opening a delivery center in Cebu City, MicroSourcing is

set to open another office in January next year - this time at

the Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex in Pasay City, Metro Manila.

This new office occupies the 10th floor of TwoE-comCenter, a

modern structure that is designed for business process

outsourcing (BPO) companies. Its features include an iconic

archway that connects the two buildings. This creates a large

window, offering a breathtaking view of Manila Bay.

TwoE-comCenter is registered under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), with 100%

backup electricity, 20 elevators, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, and a cabling system provided by

the country's leading telecommunications companies. It is also environment-friendly, making use of

insulated glass units and energy-saving air conditioning systems.

The building was developed primarily for the corporate sector, but it also has features and facilities for

recreation and entertainment. It will soon be home to several establishments where employees and

guests can shop. They can also eat and relax at fine dining restaurants located at the fourth level.


Though MicroSourcing started as a non-voice BPO player, many clients have requested voice-based services. This prompted us to expand our service offerings and enabled us to diversify our business portfolio.To meet the requirements of our clients, we need an innovative call center approach that's both low-cost and increases flexibility of our voice services.The solution? We have formed a strategic partnership with InContact - a cloud-based call center company that offers flexibility, ease of management, state-of-the-art and comprehensive reporting tools, and reduced telecom costs.Since InContact is cloud-based, it can support multiple sites without physical infrastructure. With this feature, all call center solutions will be on the same system, making it easy to have consistent practices and managed multiple geographically dispersed sites.

MicroSourcing Forms Partnership with InContact

Philippines Beats India in Voice-based Operations

Westerners who are transacting with their local airlines, telecoms, and financial institutions are probably speaking with a call center agent from the Philippines. This is due to the fact that the Philippines has overtaken India in the call center sector.Contact Center Association of the Philippines Executive Director Jojo Uligan said India, the pioneer in offshore call center operations, provided 350,000 agents, but was overturned by the Philippines even if it was less populated. The Philippines became a favorite among BPO providers due to the fast evolution of the outsourcing industry and English - speaking skills of workers in the country which customers prefer and understand more. Filipinos are also accustomed to mainstream Western culture, whereas Indians are more inclined to the British culture.

Industry experts also noted that Filipino agents were able to assist complainants who said they were having a hard time understanding Indian agents.Other advantages of putting up shop in the Philippines are better utility infrastructure, less power interruptions, and safer environments for employees.The outsourcing industry in the Philippines contributed $9 billion or 4.5 percent to the country’s gross domestic product, a major improvement from figures reported in 2000. The industry also gets strong government support through training programs and tax breaks. Industry leaders expect that the Philippine outsourcing industry will show continuous growth and expand service offerings, tapping business processes such as accounting and insurance claims processing.

by: Sarah Joson

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/


Operational Excellence Department Launched

Sophie Woo and Marvin Roxas recently joined MicroSourcing as part of the Operational Excellence (OE) department, which is responsible for streamlining and optimizing business processes for MicroSourcing internally as well as for its clients' operations if needed.Sophie had worked for consulting firms in Amsterdam and London before starting an internet company. She is now the head of the OE department and also serves as MicroSourcing's Quality Management Representative (QMR).On the other hand, Marvin has extensive experience in the Information Security and Compliance (ISC) field for large BPO companies in Manila. He was involved in several ISO 27001 projects where he was responsible for the security controls.One of the first initiatives of the OE department will be implementing an integrated quality and information security management system for MicroSourcing. The ISO kick-off took place last October 26. The company aims to achieve ISO 9001/27001 certification by February 2012. This will make MicroSourcing one of the few BPO companies in the Philippines which will be certified for both standards.

If you would like to know more about what the Operational Excellence department can do for you, please contact Sophie Woo at [email protected].

Meet our New IT Manager

Sameer Bhagat“He is a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and holds a number of certifications in platforms like Redhat, VMware, and Microsoft.”

Sameer has more than 10 years of IT experience in the BPO industry, working with a number of Fortune 500 clients in a wide variety of verticals. Before joining MicroSourcing, he had worked for more than four years at Infosys as part of their pioneer team in the Philippines.Sameer brings to MicroSourcing a lot of experience in implementing industry standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, SAS 70, SOX, and ITIL.

He is a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and holds a number of certifications in platforms like Redhat, VMware, and Microsoft.As the head of IT, Sameer is in charge of identifying, deploying, and managing the best possible IT solutions for our clients and assuring our compliance with our IT- and information security-related certifications. Sameer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from the University of Nagpur (India).

www.MicroSourcing.com MicroSourcing Newsletter December Issue 2011

MicroSourcing Extends Help to Typhoon Sendong Victims

Typhoon Sendong (International name: Washi) triggered massive flash floods last December 16. This led to more than 1000 casualties in Mindanao, specifically in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro. The typhoon also hit some parts of Visayas and Palawan.MicroSourcing stepped up to help those who were greatly affected by

this calamity. The PR and Social Media Marketing arm of MicroSourcing, headed by Nona Tajanlangit-Kooijman, worked together with Red Cross and launched the Sendong Relief Drive, encouraging all employees to share their blessings and donate basic necessities for the families who are staying in evacuation centers in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro. In a matter of nine days, MicroSourcing was able to collect 13 boxes of clothes, 251 MS Family Bags containing relief goods, two boxes of assorted medicine items, two boxes of rice, bottles of water, new blankets, and toys. Cash donations were also accepted, with a total of P130,037.75 as of December 29.Most of the clothes were delivered to the affected areas through the Red Cross military plane. Meanwhile, 170 MS Family Bags and two boxes of medicine items were personally distributed by MicroSourcing volunteers to evacuees in Tambacan Elementary School (Iligan City) and West City Central School (Cagayan de Oro). The rest of the donations will be delivered through Red Cross.MicroSourcing is very thankful to everyone who supported this endeavor - from the employees and clients, to the volunteers from Business Development Department, MicroSourcing Managed Projects, Operations, Finance Department, Human Capital Strategy and Delivery Group, Facilities and Client Services, and Creative Services Group.

Cash Donations:EV OHMMOMark and Sophie KooijmanMr. and Mrs. Gabriel Santos


Last October 28, MicroSourcing held the “Halloween Spooktacular Treat or

Treat: No Tricks, Just Treats” event at its headquarters in Eastwood City as

well as at the Picadilly office in Taguig.

Employees invited their relatives (seven years old and below) who all donned

brightly colored and sometimes scary costumes. As part of the Halloween

tradition, kids roamed around the entire office for the trick or treat in different

departments. After filling the bags and buckets with candies and chocolates,

everyone proceeded to MS Café for the awarding ceremony which was

facilitated by the Human Capital Strategy and Delivery Group.

Eyob Kooijman (son of VP for Operational Excellence Sophie Woo) and Yumi

Sison (daughter of Business Development Associate Reggie Sison) got the

awards for best child “spooktacular” costume.

Meanwhile, members of the Manpower Acquisition Department got the best

themed team/department “spooktacular” costume award as they dressed

up and performed as the cast of popular TV series Glee.

Other employees also joined the event wearing costumes of famous

movie characters such as Harry Potter, Death Eaters, Edward from

Twilight, and Sailor Moon. Of course, the event would not be complete

without employees who wore masks and dressed up as witches and vampires.

www.MicroSourcing.com MicroSourcing Newsletter December Issue 2011

In this season of joy and giving, MicroSourcing was given a wonderful opportunity to be part of My Dream in a Shoebox - an initiative that aims to give shoeboxes filled with school supplies to less fortunate children.Now on its third year, this program was spearheaded by outsourcing industry body Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) and marketing communications company TeamAsia.The first distribution day was held last December 19 in three schools in Lipa, Batangas. More than 700 shoeboxes and 10 PCs were given to the students of Tambo Elementary School, 400 shoeboxes and 10 PCs to Paninsingin Elementary School, and 500 shoeboxes and 10 PCs to Pinagkawitan Elementary School.Nona Tajanlangit-Kooijman, Head of PR and Social Media Marketing, encouraged all MicroSourcing employees to be a Shoebox Sponsor. They gave shoeboxes with school supplies, while others donated Php50 for a set of items per box. In the end, the company was able to donate more than 300 shoeboxes and a total of Php14000 in cash. Aside from these, MicroSourcing also plans to donate five PCs for the computer laboratories of the chosen schools.A lot of companies served as sponsors to this outreach program. These include Teletech, Chevron, Shell, FirstSource, PacificHub, Fujitsu, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Henkel, Avis, Stellar, Bank of America, ePLDT, and StarTek.

MicroSourcing Takes Part in

My Dream in a

Shoebox Outreach Program


Holiday Budget Management: Trimming the Extra Cost under the Tree

Filipino tradition calls for celebration during the holiday season: merry-making festivities, gift-giving and secret-Santas, and the seemingly endless invitations to Christmas parties fill the schedule of students and professionals alike. The holiday season, which starts as early as October, marks the beginning of the Christmas hype and the anticipation for the gifts you want to receive and the things you want to have as rewards for your hard work. This time of the year gives us an excuse to stretch our budget and indulge in shopping for the things on our Christmas list, be it for presents, food or otherwise. Nowadays though, a lot of options make Christmas shopping prone to impromptu buys, resulting in crash budgets, overspending, and the repetitive swiping of the credit card.For the naturally frugal shopper, one can never go wrong with sticking to a budget and keeping a succinct list of the things you should get by the end of the day. However, this may not always be the case, especially when discount sales and different shop promotions entice the shopper to spend on valuables that promise to be a great buy. Impulsive shopping will always be a pitfall, but with the atmosphere of giving palpable in the air, one could easily disguise this as a necessary purchase in the name of the holiday spirit. So how do you really avoid those holiday blunders and prevent welcoming a new year with exceeded credit limit and diminishing bank accounts? One need not to re-learn the basics of economics to know that wise spending is the key.

Determine your budget.This is a simple rule one learns even in elementary school: allocate and buy what you need with what you have; going overboard is simply a no-no if you’re trying to stick to a budget. Know your capability to spend for the things you will need this holiday season. If the price of that pair of shoes is a little out of line, try going for something within your price range but with the same comfort and quality. At the end of the day, the accumulated cash you save from your day’s shopping can be used as an added budget to buy extra dessert during Christmas dinner.

Make a list of what you need to buy.Aside from allocating your funds, create a list of items you’ll be buying before you head to the nearest mall or grocery. It might be time-consuming at first to come up with a list of people you’ll give gifts to alongside different gift ideas, but in the long run, it will save you precious time and energy during shopping. Planning helps a lot in avoiding the hassle of the Christmas shopping rush. So before the calendar shows the month of December, get your pen and paper and start making your shopping list for the holiday season.

Exercise self-control.Now we all know that discounted items are hard to resist especially when these marked down deals of stores and boutiques are offered during Christmas sales. When faced with the ineluctable decision of making an extra purchase, consider the necessity of the item. Do you think you deserve it as a reward? Should you decide to buy it, will it result to major adjustments in your budget? Buying gifts for ourselves is never a bad idea - impulsive buying is.

This festive season, sharing requires sacrifice and a little bit of spending more than the usual. At the same time, it is also an opportunity to give back to the people who have touched our lives for the year that has been. Christmas shopping need not be a tedious task of computation and budget allotment. One must simply be rational in spending so as to make giving a more meaningful act.

Technology

MicroSourcing Newsletter December 2011