Leveraging Jamaica as a nearshore BPO delivery location
Jamaica’s government’s efforts to develop a strong BPO and IT services sector on the island nation have become more aggressive of late. In Ovum’s view there is significant value that outsourcers can derive from a pool of relatively sophisticated labor and good incentives. However, vendors need to be mindful of a small workforce that could tighten quickly, as well as ongoing worries around excessive bureaucracy and corruption.
Summary
Impact
The Ovum view
Key messages
Why BPO investors should be looking at Jamaica
Established BPO sector
Cost
Proximity
Travel time
Time zone harmony
An educated and diverse graduate pool
Vertical and horizontal sweet spots
Government support
Training incentives
Free trade zones
Cultural/linguistic alignment
Things to watch when using a Jamaican BPO strategy
Limited labor pool over long term
Inflationary pressure
Natural disasters
Corruption and crime perceptions
“Red tape”
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VENDORS
Develop a viable business outsourcing model for Jamaica
Attack the nearshore English opportunity
Identify niche value-add BPO and IT service opportunities
Take advantage of strong government support to offset costs
APPENDIX
Further reading
Methodology
Impact
The Ovum view
Key messages
Why BPO investors should be looking at Jamaica
Established BPO sector
Cost
Proximity
Travel time
Time zone harmony
An educated and diverse graduate pool
Vertical and horizontal sweet spots
Government support
Training incentives
Free trade zones
Cultural/linguistic alignment
Things to watch when using a Jamaican BPO strategy
Limited labor pool over long term
Inflationary pressure
Natural disasters
Corruption and crime perceptions
“Red tape”
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VENDORS
Develop a viable business outsourcing model for Jamaica
Attack the nearshore English opportunity
Identify niche value-add BPO and IT service opportunities
Take advantage of strong government support to offset costs
APPENDIX
Further reading
Methodology
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Jamaica annual rental prices per square foot
Table 2: Minimum direct flight time
Table 3: Total time difference
Table 4: Concentration of graduating Jamaican students: NCU, U-Tech and UWI
Table 5: Corruption perception global rankings
Table 6: Ease of Doing Business rank 2010
Table 1: Jamaica annual rental prices per square foot
Table 2: Minimum direct flight time
Table 3: Total time difference
Table 4: Concentration of graduating Jamaican students: NCU, U-Tech and UWI
Table 5: Corruption perception global rankings
Table 6: Ease of Doing Business rank 2010
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Horizontal functions delivered from Jamaica
Figure 2: Cost comparison: US versus Jamaica (per square foot)
Figure 3: Labor force comparison
Figure 1: Horizontal functions delivered from Jamaica
Figure 2: Cost comparison: US versus Jamaica (per square foot)
Figure 3: Labor force comparison
