Affirma Consulting Opens New Office in Dublin, Ireland

Affirma Consulting opened their new Dublin office in July 2017, officially beginning operations in their fourth office, and on their third continent. The Dublin office will be the center of Affirma’s European operations, and joins Affirma’s flagship office in Bellevue, alongside offices in Los Angeles and Ahmedabad, India. The new office will be helmed by Erin Dobie, Director of Ireland Operations.

Initially, Affirma’s Dublin office will supplement the company’s BPO operations. BPO, or Business Process Outsourcing, refers to the method by which repeatable business processes are moved to third-party vendors. Companies may choose to outsource repeatable business processes for a variety of different reasons. Some businesses may want to save on labor costs, while others seek a more favorable tax environment. Other businesses may simply want to simplify their management chains of commands.

The Benefits of BPO

Regardless of the underlying reason, BPO can bring substantial benefits to participating businesses. One of the most obvious is a savings in both time and costs. Business operating costs can be painful, especially for companies operating within technology talent hubs. States such as California, New York, or Washington are often cited for their high tax burdens and costly living environments. Businesses who move projects through BPO from high-cost environments to low-cost areas will gain significant dividends.

For example, a business moving to Ireland from the U.S can expect to save 25% or more on labor alone. Combined with Ireland’s reduced corporate tax rate of 12.5% (compared to the U.S at 39%), BPO can bring hefty savings to participating businesses. But BPO is more than simply cutting costs on labor and tax rates. BPO is also about reducing managerial strain and inefficiencies.

A decision-maker who manages 20-30 different individuals is aware of the headaches and tedium of management. There are different schedules, attitudes, and work compatibilities to resolve. Through BPO, that same manager can reduce their managerial chain from 20-30 individual project members to a handful of individuals who report directly to them. Thus, BPO can take all the messy tedium of management off your hands, leaving you only with project results. There is no loss in product quality, just a decrease in the energy spent on management.

Once a business decides upon implementing BPO, special care needs to be taken in choosing an outsourcing location. Each location offers different benefits. Outsourcing business processes is more than looking for the cheapest or most tax-friendly locale. Research should be done on talent availability, potential language or cultural barriers, and other variables.

Although not commonly seen as an outsourcing destination, Ireland provides several unique advantages for BPO operations.

Erin Dobie, Director of Affirma’s Ireland Operations stated “Outsourcing to Ireland is an often overlooked but highly beneficial option for companies looking to leverage the highly educated and talented workforce in Europe. Ireland combines attractive wages with a skilled labor force and an opportunity to utilize the European time zone. Ireland also offers a native English speaking workforce equipped with diverse language competencies and flexibility”

Ireland provides excellent talent at a competitive price. Irish labor may be much more affordable but it certainly doesn’t lack in terms of talent. As one of Europe’s growing tech hubs, Ireland is a destination for Europe’s tech skills and talent. Although Ireland’s population consists of native English speakers, Ireland also boasts more than 500,000 bilingual workers. At Google’s EU headquarters in Dublin, over 2,500 workers speak 45 different foreign languages.

Expanding Into the European Time Zones

Another value that comes with Affirma’s Dublin office, is the ability to leverage the valuable European time zones. Ireland is only 5 hours ahead of the U.S East Coast, and a manageable 8 hours ahead of the U.S West Coast. Compared to the wide time gaps of other outsourcing destinations in Asia, Ireland allows for significant overlap between the U.S and Europe’s normal business hours. The Dublin office also, when combined with Affirma’s India office, enables Affirma to provide 24-hour support.

For clients seeking an off-shore destination that still allows for close and open communication, Ireland provides an excellent resource.

Filling Your BPO Needs

Finding the right destination for your BPO projects is critical for success. Each project has different needs and requirements. If your project needs native English speakers, a highly-educated workforce, and overlap with the American workday, Ireland is a fantastic option. If your project has different needs, speaking with a specialized BPO consultant can help. A BPO consultant can help tailor your project for maximum success.

Take advantage of a free consultation with Affirma to learn more about our BPO process.