US-based Sutherland Global Services, a BPO company that has been primarily focusing on the voice BPO segment, has diversified into non-voice operations.

“Non-voice in an important focus now along with voice to get aggressive profit margins in the range of 30-40 per cent,” said a senior company official. He, however, refused to mention the total revenue and the contribution from the two business segments. Sutherland offers horizontal solutions such as finance accounting, creative, secretarial and administrative services on the non-voice side.

In the last few years, most BPOs have been reducing the voice component of their business owing to high employee churn rates and quality issues. Several research reports also predict the demise of the voice business in India due to lower profit margins and high amount of automation including interactive voice response (IVR).

“Automation has caught up in the segment, but customers still prefer human interaction. Indian companies have matured in the business and in the next few years the regular calls will go to emerging BPO locations such as Philippines. Indian vendors will handle only the critical part that will directly impact the customer’s business,” he added.

Sutherland has six facilities in Chennai and one each in Kochi and Mumbai.

Tamil Nadu government allotted 25 acre to the firm at the Madurai, Thiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli special economic zones. Sutherland was also allotted 62 acre at the Sholinganallur IT park near Chennai. The facility when fully operational is expected to house about 10,000 people.