The different types of business process outsourcing (BPO) software vary according to the tasks they enable and how comprehensive they are. Most products offer form completion capability. Further specialization can include the ability to draw information from multiple sources, accounting functions, and informational databases for BPO professionals.
Many kinds of BPO software have an option for downloading information from other online sources and using it to automatically populate a form. In addition to form completion, some programs also convert the document into an easily deliverable form such as a portable document file (PDF). There are also programs which provide automatic delivery options after the completion of a form.
Some types of BPO software offer accounting functions, or an add-on which provides these services. This enables contractors who use the software to directly transfer information about jobs completed to a financial spreadsheet. It is a way to track hours, completed work and accounts receivable.
Other kinds of BPO software are more streamlined and primarily consist of automated data entry functionality. The accuracy, speed, and price of these products can vary. It can be useful to research an array of software products in order to find the qualities that are most important to a particular user.
There are both general and custom-made BPO software products on the market. The custom products are usually meant to be used by BPO agents from a certain agency. Some software companies will create individual products for several kinds of agencies. Larger software companies are more likely to offer products that can be used by most contractors.
BPO software can be used internally or by contractors to which the work has been outsourced. When the software is used in-house, it is commonly for industries in which the completion of large amounts of paperwork is a daily task. It enables companies to save time so that they can focus on their core competencies instead of spending hours on data entry. The software can also help companies save money on labor as it dramatically reduces the amount of time and resources needed to complete menial tasks.
Real estate is one of the most common industries in which BPO software is used. Agents often must frequently access multiple listing service (MLS) information in order to perform assessments for brokers. For this reason, there are BPO software products that are customized particularly for the real estate market.
