Homeshoring - On the way to the Customer Service and welfare debate.

Homeshoring is one of the most interesting sourcing models that is currently on the rise; first in the American market and slowly but surely also in the European and Nordic scene. The advantages in productivity are far and beyond those that can be achieved in traditional call-centres.

The idea is to establish a home-based "virtual" call centre which is connected to the central one. From there the staff can work on the same tasks as in the actual call-centre but it offers much more flexibility. Students, seniors or others on a part-time basis can work during peek hours, so that the call centre can do an optimal planning of the day which would allow a higher productivity and lower operating costs. And the concept doesn't stop with the customer service field. More and more issues and tasks can be dealt with from home, just as well as from the actual office.

The advantages for staff are also quite prominent. Staff will not have to spend time on the commute to and from work. Employees can live in the suburbs and still keep their jobs and for the older generation it gives a benefit of staying employed longer.

Beyond company profit
Therefore a number of advantages with homeshoring go beyond company profit. Homeshoring can be instrumental in establishing our future labour market and thus it is a factor that should be studied closer in connection with the ongoing welfare debate. IDC analysis also points out that the developments in the western world economies are important for the growth of the home-based employment.

• Technology and infrastructure are ready .It is technically possible to have a home-based working space with exactly the same functions and quality as an office-based one.
• Elderly make up an increasingly large population group. A more flexible job solution would help them to stay in the employment for longer.
• Rising house prices in the big cities force people with low income to move to the suburbs. A home-based working solution would save them time on the commute.
• Rising petrol prices also make a non-commute option attractive.
• A changing threat environment, for example a possibility of terror attacks and epidemics, makes it necessary for business to be on alert and have a plan in place in case of the business being affected. A home-based solution plays an important role in such circumstances.

IDC expects that the number of the home-based call centre workers in the USA alone will grow from 112.000 in 2005 to 328.000 by 2010.