PERSOLKELLY七月思維領導力專欄

背景

在經濟不確定性中要管理企業很困難，不斷提高的成本和人才短缺也增添許多挑戰。同時，近期的歐亞政治動盪更帶來進一步的斷鏈風險，迫使企業擴展多樣化的供應鏈。

這種快速發展的局面需要企業擁有高度的敏捷性與大膽的策略。正如我們所見，在後疫情時代，企業對採用新的營運模式和遠端工作更為開放，也使工作安排更加彈性。海外外包是其中一種幫助企業度過逆風局面、保持競爭優勢並加速成長的方案。

在本次專欄中，我將討論越南、泰國和印尼等新興市場的海外外包承攬是如何使各種規模的公司受益。

什麼是海外外包，有什麼幫助？

海外外包是指將部份業務流程從本國轉移到不同國家營運的策略（類似於BPO－企業流程外包承攬）。隨著遠端工作的盛行，如今企業更願意採用海外人才，我們也看到這樣的模式在許多職種中變得更加可行。而提供PEO（專業雇主組織）或EOR（名義雇主）服務的企業則可以協助海外的營運管理。

那麼優勢有那些呢？ 簡而言之，海外外包策略具備成本效益、提供快速彌補人力缺口的資源、開闢進入新市場的機會、獲得更多具有特定專業的人才庫，以及實現企業營運的多樣化。

哪些國家最適合海外外包？

成功的海外外包策略需要一個穩定且低風險的環境，使企業能夠無縫營運。作為世界上最大的自由貿易組織RCEP的成員，越南、泰國和印尼已藉由削減關稅和制定商品流通的準則，讓包括中國與日本等成員國企業大幅受惠。

此外，這三個新興市場亦提供以下重要的承攬海外外包優勢：資金吸引力、具備專業技能的可用人才、以及高質量的基礎建設。下面我們將一一剖析。

越南

越南在後疫情時代強勁復甦，預計2022年經濟成長率將達6.9%，成為東南亞之首。儘管新冠肺炎曾拖累發展速度，但越南仍目標在2045年成為高收入國家。

同時，越南當局持續推動改革和鼓勵投資，使該國的商業往來更為容易。這些努力逐漸修成正果，在2022年第一季獲得44.2億美元的外商直接投資（FDI），比去年增長7.8%。

越南超過9,700萬受過良好教育的人口，為海外公司提供龐大的潛在人才庫。2020年整體識字率超過95%，為亞太區識字率最高的市場之一。

越南承攬的海外外包主要集中在製造業與IT領域，例如生產勞力密集型產品或軟體等較為複雜的服務。執行至2025年的國家數位轉型計劃，則加強IT和科技的發展。根據Google、Temasek和Bain & Company的報告，越南的數位經濟預計在2025年達到520億美元，年均複合成長率將接近30%。

印尼

作為東南亞最大經濟體的印尼，多年來在海外外包領域一直沒有受到關注。如今情況不同以往，這個擁有2.7億人口的國家，其在群島上發展的時間比美國歷史還悠久，對於期望將製造業業務從亞太區轉移至其他地方的海外企業來說，印尼是一個越來越吸引人的選項。

隨著印尼經濟持續回升，企業被龐大的國內市場和能夠從印尼快速進入其他東協高成長國家的管道所吸引。

身為世界排名第十的製造業大國，印尼作為海外外包據點的誘人之處包括各種獎勵投資政策。例如，印尼政府在2021年將正面投資清單（Positive Investment List）導入綜合法（Omnibus Law），使大多數行業的企業能夠申請100%的海外投資所有權。政府並分析商業活動風險，低風險企業只需商業登記即可開始營運。其餘獎勵政策則包括支援基礎建設以及保證能源或原物料的。

此外，印尼還建立19個經濟特區（SEZ），以吸引海外投資並促進工業活動。經濟特區與印尼其他地區建立了良好的網絡，讓取得許可的過程更容易，並得以享受稅收優惠，預計到2021年底，經濟特區將帶來超過62億美元的總投資金額。

印尼薄弱的基礎建設使投資停滯多年，因此政府已將這一領域列為快速改善的優先事項。2024年前將積極投入超過4,000億美元的項目，包括25個新機場、發電廠、總長2000公里的高速公路以及超過3000公里的鐵路網。隨著2019年Palapa Ring國家寬頻的落成，也加強了印尼的數位基礎建設，為整個群島提供了4G行動通訊。

泰國

世界級熱情好客的微笑之地，一個對承攬海外外包絕不陌生的國家。2020年，在世界銀行190個國家的經商便利度排名中，泰國上升了6位至第21名。

泰國一直以歡迎外資企業著稱，海外汽車製造商從1960年代起就不斷湧入泰國，使其贏得「東方底特律」的封號。泰國的石油和天然氣產業也持續受到國際公司的投資。

泰國政府為此制定了許多獎勵投資的措施，包括減少繁瑣程序以及流程數位化。影響所及，海外投資在近年已有成長和多樣化的趨勢，其中包含科技、線上服務和雲端企業。

對於尋求海外外包的企業而言，泰國擁有許多吸引力。身為東南亞第二大經濟體，泰國與鄰近的東協經濟強國有著密切的聯繫。泰國6,900萬的人口也蘊藏龐大的高技術人力。

泰國大型基礎建設的推動將在未來幾年引起海外外包的關注，高速公路和新擴建的港口有助於讓泰國成為東協的交通樞紐。

把握海外外包機會

越南、印尼和泰國正全力打造一個有利於投資的環境，使外資企業更能快速且高效地設立據點。除了支援像是製造業等傳統勞力密集產業，本區年輕且精通數位的人才還能幫助企業在軟體、雲端計算和人工智慧領域上建立與未來接軌的科技人力。

隨著企業在原本的市場和其他地方面臨越來越多資源和貿易的挑戰，這些快速崛起的東南亞國家為需要調整成長策略的企業提供龐大的新機會。

PERSOLKELLY的區域人才解決方案協助我們的客戶在這些新興市場和亞太區執行海外外包策略，使企業能夠快速分散投資並且更為茁壯。

PERSOLKELLY Thought Leadership Article - JULY 2022

“How Offshoring Strategies in Emerging Markets Powers Business Growth”

Background

Managing your business through economic uncertainty is hard.

Increasing business costs and the ongoing Talent crunch add to the challenges.

Meanwhile, recent geopolitical volatility in Europe and Asia brings further disruption risks, forcing businesses to explore supply chain diversification.

This fast-evolving landscape requires agility and bold strategies.

As we’ve seen, organisations have become more open to adopting new operation models and remote work during the pandemic, making flexible working arrangements more feasible. Offshoring is a solution that can help your business counter the headwinds, maintain a competitive edge and accelerate growth.

In this article, I discuss how OFFSHORING strategies in the emerging markets of Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia can benefit companies of all sizes.

What is Offshoring, and how does it help?

Offshoring is the transferring of activities of specific business processes to a different country (similar to BPO - Business Process Outsourcing). As working remotely from another country becomes more popular and businesses are more receptive to acquiring overseas talents, we see offshoring of skills becoming more viable for many job functions. A PEO or EOR company can execute the management of offshoring.

So, what are its advantages? In brief, Offshoring can be cost-effective, provides resources to quickly fill gaps in your workforce, opens up opportunities to reach new markets, gives access to a bigger pool of Talent with specific skill sets, and enables the diversification of business operations.

Which Countries are Best for Offshoring?

Successful Offshoring requires a stable, low-risk environment that enables a business to operate seamlessly. As members of the world’s largest free-trade bloc, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) - Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia offer significant benefits to companies by eliminating tariffs and providing standard rules on the flow of goods across all RCEP states, including China and Japan.

Other essential Offshore-friendly factors in these three emerging markets are financial attractiveness, a workforce with skills and availability, and high-quality infrastructure. Let’s take a closer look below.

Vietnam

Vietnam’s post-pandemic recovery is gaining momentum, with the economy expected to have the highest growth rate in Southeast Asia in 2022 at 6.9%. While Covid-19 dented progress, Vietnam still aims to become a high-income country by 2045.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese government continues to bring in reforms and investment incentives to make the country more accessible to do business. These efforts are bearing fruit, as the country received $4.42 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first quarter of 2022, a 7.8% increase from the previous year.

Vietnam’s population of over 97 million and its well-educated workforce supply an enormous potential pool of resources for Offshore companies. In 2020, the literacy rate was over 95%, one of the highest rates in the Asia Pacific region.

Offshoring in Vietnam is mainly focused on the country’s Manufacturing and IT sectors, including the production of labour-intensive goods as well as more sophisticated products such as software. The government’s National Digital Transformation Programme to 2025 will strengthen skills development for IT and Technology specialists. According to a Google, Temasek and Bain & Company report, Vietnam’s digital economy is forecast to reach US$52 billion in 2025, accelerating at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 30%.

Indonesia

For many years Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, remained somewhat off the radar regarding Offshoring. But that is now changing. This nation of 270 million people occupying an archipelago longer than the United States is an increasingly attractive proposition for foreign businesses looking to shift their manufacturing operations from elsewhere in Asia Pacific.

As Indonesia’s economy; continues to rebound, companies are drawn by the nation’s huge domestic market and easy access to other fast-growing ASEAN economies.

As the 10th largest manufacturing nation in the world, Indonesia’s attractiveness as an Offshoring location is sweetened by various investment incentives. For example, in 2021, the Indonesian government introduced the Positive Investment List as part of its Omnibus Law that enables companies from most business sectors to apply for 100% foreign investor ownership. The government undertakes risk analysis for business activities, with low-risk entities only needing a business registration number to begin operations. Other incentives include supporting infrastructure and the guaranteed energy supply or raw materials.

In addition, Indonesia has created 19 special economic zones (SEZs) to attract foreign investment and boost industrial activity. Offering good connections with the rest of the country, easier licensing processes and tax concessions, the SEZs were expected to bring in over US$6.2 billion in total investment by the end of 2021.

Weak infrastructure development in Indonesia stalled investment for many years, so the government has prioritised this area for rapid change. There are ambitious plans for more than US$400 billion to be spent on a slew of projects by 2024, including 25 new airports, new power stations, 2,000km of new highways, and more than 3,000km added to the rail network. The country’s digital infrastructure is also getting enhancements following the completion of the Palapa Ring national broadband network at the end of 2019, providing 4G internet access across the archipelago.

Thailand

World-class hospitality is a given in the Land of Smiles, a country that’s certainly no stranger to Offshoring. In 2020, Thailand climbed six places to 21st out of 190 countries in the; World Bank's ease of doing business rankings.

The nation has long had a reputation for welcoming foreign-owned businesses, even earning the nickname “the Detroit of the East” following a steady influx of foreign automobile manufacturers since the 1960s. Thailand’s oil and gas sector also continues to see ongoing investment from international companies.

The Thai government has instituted many initiatives to encourage investment, including reducing red tape and digitising processes. Inspired by these investment-friendly measures, foreign investment has grown and diversified recently to include a broad mix of technology, digital services and cloud computing firms.

Thailand boasts many attractions for companies seeking Offshoring solutions. The second-largest economy in Southeast Asia is exceptionally well connected to neighbouring ASEAN economic powerhouses. It also has a massive highly-skilled workforce to draw on from its 69 million population.

Large-scale infrastructure projects in Thailand should drive further interest in Offshoring in the coming years, with high-speed rail lines and new and expanded ports assisting in establishing the country as an ASEAN transportation hub.

Grasp the Offshoring Opportunities

Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand are pulling out all the stops to create an investment-friendly environment and make it easier for overseas companies to set up shop quickly and efficiently. As well as supporting traditional, labour-intensive industries like manufacturing, their young and digitally savvy populations can help organisations build a future-ready tech workforce in software, cloud computing and AI sectors.

With businesses facing increasing resourcing and trading challenges in their home markets and elsewhere, these fast-emerging Southeast Asian countries present tremendous new opportunities for companies needing to spice up their growth strategies.

PERSOLKELLY’s Regional Talent Solutions support our clients’ Offshoring strategies in these emerging markets and across APAC, enabling businesses to diversify quickly and emerge stronger.