A business process outsourcing (BPO) assistant provides office support to companies or entrepreneurs. Much of this support includes activities such as data entry, website development, article and technical writing, business correspondence, and processing. A BPO assistant may also be involved in resolving service concerns for high value clients or marketing campaign support. Most business process outsourcing agents work and communicate virtually, either from a home based or contact center location.
With the rising costs of operating a business, many companies have emerged to provide virtual assistant and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. Some companies or sole proprietors seek out office support in order to specialize in more high profile activities, such as business development and strategic management. BPO assistants are often more skilled and efficient in providing support services. This position usually requires interacting with a variety of internal and external points of contact in order to complete many of their support tasks. The BPO assistant typically spends the majority of his workday as an interface between the companies he supports and their clients' main points of contact.
Some of the major office support activities that a BPO assistant handles include data entry and processing. For example, a telecommunications company may outsource customer support services that verify its customers' orders. In this scenario, a BPO assistant may also project manage orders through completion for a select group of the company's customers. The assistant could also serve as the primary point of contact if the customer runs into a service issue and needs resolution or escalation assistance.
As the business world becomes more reliant on an Internet presence and social media marketing strategies, a BPO assistant may be directly involved with search engine optimization (SEO) and developing websites. Some of these websites may include blogs used to build an initial customer base and publicize company news, events, and promotions. SEO involves analyzing website traffic and using certain combinations of keywords visitors might use in a web search. More advanced forms of technical assistance might include writing programs and providing computer network support.
Data mining, which involves analyzing the information companies gather from their customers, is another one of the common activities performed by a BPO assistant. The process uncovers previously unknown associations between customer characteristics and purchasing behavior or needs. This support activity can help companies develop more effective marketing campaigns, as well as appealing products and services.
