By Roderick L. Abad / Contributor
KNOWLEDGE-process outsourcing (KPO) company Baker & McKenzie (B&M) Global Services Manila Inc. recently marked its 15 years of operations in the Philippines, with the opening of its new offices at the BGC Corporate Center in Taguig City.
The KPO company occupies the eighth to 11th floors of the building, with a current capacity of 780 seats and space for an additional 220.
These new facilities signal the continued investment of Baker & McKenzie in the country, since it started to venture into the innovative practice of shared services and offshoring, then uncharted waters for a largely conservative industry in 2000.
“In the late ‘90s, only a handful of organizations were outsourcing. Baker & McKenzie, true to its entrepreneurial spirit and global outlook, wanted to strategically introduce efficiencies across its offices,” B&M COO Craig Courter said.
“Fifteen years later, we now have more than 800 employees in Manila delivering services to our 77 law offices and their clients worldwide,” he said.
Originally, the shared services center of B&M in Manila was built to provide document-support services within Asia Pacific.
Since then, it has been providing global clients with high-value client and internal-support functions.
The company currently delivers various back-end office and client-support services, including network monitoring, finance and billing, talent management, meetings and events administration, software development, technology helpdesk, knowledge management, practice support and creative services.
For select clients, it delivers a unique global IP portfolio-management service, which remains largely unmatched in the industry.
The company’s success can be attributed to three things, according to B&M Global Services Manila Executive Director Gabriel Pardo.
“First, having a singular focus, which is providing what the client specifically needs. Second, always innovating and finding ways to deliver high-value services. Third, having very talented and engaged employees who are experts in producing top-of-line services,” he said.
In fact, he noted that their very first hire in 2000 still works for the company today, having been promoted over the years to a management role.
“Our success for the past 15 years wouldn’t be possible without these three important factors,” he said. “As global leaders, we are confident that we can continue to surge ahead, innovating at every step and creating more robust opportunities for Filipinos.”