In its quest for success as a business process outsourcer in this country, it seems Vertex Customer Management (Canada) Ltd. wants to amend the definition of “core business functions.” Anthony Horton, the firm’s vice-president, business development, suggested that many outsourcing firms have it all wrong.
“For years, outsourcers were…pitching the idea, ‘We’ll take what’s non-core to your business, what’s not essential,'” Horton said. “We say, ‘We’ll take these functions that are extremely core to your business.'”
At issue is the difference between “core business functions” and “core competencies,” Horton explained. For instance, Vertex wouldn’t fathom taking over an electricity firm’s transmission and distribution functions. Those are core competencies. Vertex would, however, take over client care and billing, without which the electricity company would not be able to operate; nonetheless those aspects of the business remain outside of its raison d’