Top 30 BPO companies in Canada

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) has taken the world by storm. From Southeast Asia to North America, the industry never felt the lack of external service providers. With BPO companies popping in left and right, there is bound to be competition amongst them. The Philippines remains to be the world’s call center capital while India covets the top spot for IT external providers.

On the other side of the world, Canada remains a strict contender for nearshore outsourcing. The Great White North also has its own thriving BPO industry to nurture and take care of.

Most people hear the world ‘outsourcing’ and immediately think of offshore countries such as India, the Philippines, and China. In reality, Canada, alongside the US, has seen a ramp-up with outsourcing companies in the last 20 years.

However, according to a report, the global BPO industry is expected to reach USD 343.2 billion by 2025 – something BPO companies around the world can collectively take credit for

Top 30 Canadian BPO outsourcing companies

  1. 24-7 Intouch
  2. Paradigm Quest
  3. Gexel
  4. CanadaDirect
  5. Bill Gosling Outsourcing
  6. Millennium 1 Solutions
  7. Advantage Communications
  8. Fusion BPO Services
  9. SureCall
  10. Agents Republic
  11. Global Empire
  12. Martal Group
  13. Task Network
  14. Miratel
  15. Veta Virtual
  16. @Liveconx
  17. Telelink
  18. AppointmentSetter
  19. Lead Generators International
  20. VoiceLogic
  21. VOXDATA
  22. Corpshore Solutions
  23. Atlantic Growth Solutions
  24. 24H Virtual
  25. Line One
  26. AnswerFone
  27. Open Call Centre
  28. Purple Sales
  29. Lead Generation Media
  30. Simpro Solutions

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Canada and its emerging BPO industry

Canada is known for its picturesque locations, hospitality, and diversified culture. It’s also home to hundreds of outsourcing companies that offer services to its neighboring countries.

According to Lexology, the country’s outsourcing sector is regulated by both the federal government, as well as its ten provinces and three territories. Through proper government support, Canada has created regulations that helped the country be a significant force in the BPO sector.

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In fact, Tholons 2021 Global Innovation Index named Canada as the Top 3 Digital Nation worldwide – next only to the United States and India. Additionally, from last year’s third place, Toronto took the #1 spot as it led Tholons’ Top 20 Super Cities list!

As a bilingual nation, Canada’s BPO industry can harness this advantage and offer services that can make them stand out against the very competitive market.

Top 30 BPO companies in Canada

Here are the top 30 BPO companies in Canada:

1. 24-7 Intouch

20-some years ago, 24-7 Intouch was launched in Winnipeg, Canada. From live chat channels to content moderation, the company serves some of the biggest brands and organizations across the world.

2. Paradigm Quest

Paradigm Quest is the first business process outsourcing company in Canada that is dedicated to mortgages. Founded in 2004, the company has 17 mortgage brands all across the country.

3. Gexel

With more than a decade of experience under their belt, Gexel is a contact center based in Quebec. The company offers an omnichannel communication line: voice, chat, e-mail, and social media. They also offer bilingual services for their clients and customers.

4. CanadaDirect

CanadaDirect has a wide range of services that the organization tailors to its client base. From inbound to outbound calling channels, the company offers these quality services by using their superior Voice Assistant Solution (VAS) technology.

5. Bill Gosling Outsourcing

Pioneering the outsourcing industry, Bill Gosling Outsourcing was founded in Ontario, Canada in 1955. The organization grew with the ripening of the outsourcing and offshoring practice. From customer acquisition to account management, Bill Gosling has it all.

6. Millennium1 Solutions

With a headquarters in Toronto, Millennium1 provides excellent end-to-end B2B and B2C solutions for many companies and multinational corporations across the globe. Their client base includes manufacturing, government, retail services, and more.

7. Advantage Communications

Advantage Communications of Prince Edward Island prides itself on offering top-of-the-line outsourced solutions for businesses and corporations alike. The company innovates customer solutions to another level and does so in an efficient way.

8.  Fusion BPO Services

Hailing from Montreal in Canada, Fusion BPO services is one of the fastest-growing nearshore agencies in North America. With bilingual employees holding post-secondary education, this company is proud to offer services such as quality assurance, voice processes, and order-taking services.

9.  SureCall Contact Centre

With offices in Canada and the US, SureCall Contact Centre has all its bases covered. From providing back-office services to taking care of front-facing tasks, the company drives its purpose home.

10.  Agents Republic

Agents Republic is a contact center based in British Columbia, Canada. The company offers multilingual support for its customer service programs and campaigns. They also provide high-quality omnichannel communication avenues for their client base. Oscillating across various industries, the Agents Republic is one of its kind.

11. Global Empire

As the name suggests, Global Empire is an international organization located in Alberta, Canada. The business support they provide is extensive, from AI automation to cybersecurity and fraud prevention. It’s safe to say that they changed the game for outsourcing in North America.

12. Martal Group

Martal Group remains to be one of the fastest-growing B2B lead generation companies in Canada. With unmatchable numbers growing day by day, the organization works with some of the biggest names in the game.

13. Task Network

With offices in Toronto and Manila, Philippines, Task Network brought its services from one hemisphere to another. The company provides over 20 business support services, ranging from acquisition to paralegal services.

14. Miratel

Miratel has more than 21 years of experience in outsourcing. With those years come millions of interactions with customers and clients alike.

From world-class services of lottery and raffle fundraising to more traditional services such as inbound and outbound calls, the company prides itself on a job well done.

15. Veta Virtual

Veta Virtual is eliminating the malpractice of businesses not picking up their phones. The company offers virtual receptionist services for companies that can’t seem to take a minute out of their busy schedules. With strict business hours from 9 AM to 5 PM EST, their virtual receptionists are all ready to take on calls for you.

16. @Liveconx

A 24/7 inbound contact center solution in Canada goes by the name of @Liveconx. This nifty little detail gives them an edge against their competitors in the region. Most of them have business hours that encompass EST while @Liveconx covers all the bases. If anything should be taken from their brilliant idea, it’s that business waits for no one.

Another 24/7 live answering service hails from Newfoundland in Canada. They offer contact solutions to businesses that would like to ramp up the quality of their customer service. In the business world, companies can’t afford to miss a single phone call.

18. AppointmentSetter

B2B lead generation is an important facet of every budding business out there. That’s why AppointmentSetter, a pay-per-lead outsourcing company in Toronto, Canada, delivers top-quality leads to their customers.

19. Lead Generators International

Lead Generators International is a Canadian company that provides B2B telemarketing services. With a headquarters in Vancouver, they have their client base covered with lead generation, telephone surveys, and more.

20. VoiceLogic

Since 1996, VoiceLogic has been providing call center services to businesses in Canada. Pioneering in the latest voice and marketing technology, the company guarantees a 100% success rate per call.

21. VOXDATA

Their area of expertise ranges from outsourced customer service to collections. VOXDATA Canada has been in the business for over 20 years. They specialize in industries such as finance, insurance, telecoms, energy, and utilities.

22. Corpshore Solutions

Corpshore Solutions arms itself with nearly all the known branches of outsourcing. The company serves industries near and offshore, providing top-quality services to emerging and well-established businesses. Located in Toronto, their Canadian office serves as the headquarters for innovators.

23. Atlantic Growth Solutions

AGS is a B2B lead generation company based in New Brunswick, Canada. With a 100% guarantee on valid and qualified leads, the company provides outsourced services to businesses all across North America.

24. 24H Virtual

Another 24/7 virtual receptionist Canadian company and yet they offer services like no other. 24H Virtual provides clients with auto-receptionist services for when daily business calls get overwhelming.

25. Line One

Tailored to you is Line One’s tagline and they make sure that they diligently follow that. From outsourced customer solutions to advisory assistance, Line One custom fits their services to your business.

26. AnswerFone

Based in Winnipeg, AnswerFone’s expertise ranges from outbound services to live telephone receptionists. The company provides its solutions to clients all around the US and Canada, offering top-of-the-line customer support.

27. Open Call Centre

As the name suggests, Open Call Centre is a one-stop solution for your business needs. From inside sales to real estate coaching, the company offers programs that guarantee optimal results in due time. Based in Calgary and Nevada, Open Call Centre is one of North America’s top outsourcing companies.

28. Purple Sales

Based in Toronto, Purple Sales helps tech companies reach their goals—that’s this company’s mission. Purple Sales is a hybrid of sales and marketing, with teams from all over North America and Europe.

29. Lead Generation Media

Lead Generation Media from Ontario, Canada provides qualified leads ranging from different industries. From SEO and web development leads to HVAC prospects, the company has dedicated teams to each.

30. Simpro Solutions

Last but certainly not least, Simpro Solutions provides simple and straightforward business solutions to their clients. Based in Toronto and in Miami, the company offers tailored services such as customer retention and outsourced services.

Recession imminent? Outsourcing to the rescue!

The imminence of a global recession has been rapidly gathering unusual momentum in corporate circles and the public discourse within the past 12 months. Ipso facto, you could well say that the writing is already on the wall: Inflation in the US is currently at a giddy 40-year high, fiscal policy pertaining to quantitative easing is unequivocally unsustainable and the five major stock indices in the US are on a downward trend. The economic losses incurred due to COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukraine war are also considered to be contributing factors though it remains to be underscored whether they are the primary/underlying causes of this imminent recession or merely immediate cause accelerating factors or merely chance occurences with marginal effects.

The US economy is categorically the bellwether paradigm for the global outsourcing industry. A 2017 KPMG study found that the US accounts for approximately 85% of global business process outsourcing deals. It is therefore expected that the ambient economic environment coupled with current White House fiscal and regulatory policy will largely define the short and long term deal making strategy of global outsourcing. It is unequivocally the case that stringent/poor fiscal & regulatory policy, high cost of operations and economic contractions (recessions) are positively correlated with an uptick in global outsourcing. The 2008 Global Financial Crisis is the quintessential example. Global outsourcing activity increased by at least 57% since the 2008 crisis (fig 1.). Corporations such as IBM, Google, Apple, Cisco, Microsoft and Netflix survived in small or large measure due to their business pivot towards outsourcing during the crisis.

Fig 1. The popularity of outsourcing since the recession of 2008-2009

The lockdown restrictions conferred by the COVID-19 pandemic has also facilitated higher digital transformation adoption levels leading to likely higher levels of growth of the digital contact center outsourcing industry (by end of year, 2022). (fig.2).

Fig 2. COVID-19 inmpact on the contact center outsourcing market

In brief summation, two points are clear:

  1. A global recession is very imminent and contingency planning and strategy is very expedient to mitigate the effects of the inevitable recession (123)

AND

2. Outsourcing is a/the panacea to averting the devastating effects of such a recession (4) and it behoves all corporations and stakeholders alike to quickly consider and implement strategies aimed at optimizing costs whilst maintaining productivity levels courtesy of outsourcing. Regulatory bodies and governments also ought to relax laws, regulations, policy frameworks and directives to ensure that corporations are kept afloat during the recession.

The economy can essentially expect the following benefits due to outsourcing;

  • Sustained levels of corporate profitability due to the reduced operating costs conferred by outsourcing leading to high cash flows and relatively higher tax revenues
  • Streamlining of business processes so companies focus exclusively on their core product/service portfolio and competencies. Companies essentially become more efficient and productive due to outsourcing and this helps sustains the provision of pertinent services such as customer service, payroll, technical support, reservations, claims etc to the local citizenry
  • New and better quality job niches for retained staff. Entry level positions are typically at the highest risk of being outsourced during a recession. Onshore jobs that are typically kept are higher paying jobs and retained staff can typically expect to fill in or expand into these roles. New job niches and opportunities can also be created for existing staff.
  • Prevention of temporary or permanent shutdown of operations. In every recession cycle, several companies either undergo temporary or permanent shutdown of operations. Outsourcing can help forestall such shutdowns so companies have a lifeline of support to continue producing their products and services and serving their communities.

A recession is imminent and outsourcing can help you partially or completely forestall the otherwise negative accompanying effects. Partnering with a seasoned BPO & ITO firm such as Corpshore Solutions is one instrumental step you can take today to safeguard the future of your company. Get in touch now and request a free proposal on how we can help optimize your costs and boost your operations courtesy of our cutting-edge outsourcing methodologies and technologies.

Freshii’s PR Debacle Highlights Blindspots Around Globalization and Outsourcing

A group of virtual cashiers from Nicaragua were at the center of the public relations firestorm that hit Canadian retail chain Freshii in the past weeks. The debacle pulled the general public into a debate over the potentially dark aspects of outsourcing jobs to other, less economically developed countries. Then again, it also exposes some of the blindspots in how the public views outsourcing in the larger context of globalization.

It all started with an experiment. This year, Freshii introduced Percy, a virtual cashier deployed at select locations in Ontario. The twist: instead of being greeted by an AI, customers would interact with an actual cashier -hired through outsourcing- that operated the machine remotely; as in, from another country.

The storm was unleashed after The Toronto Star reported that some of Percy’s operators worked from Nicaragua and were paid US$3.75 an hour. According to data collected by Glassdoor, people employed by Freshii to work a server position make between US$12 and US$16 an hour. Percy, a mix of automation and outsourcing, would in theory save the company about US$10 an hour in wages. Yet there’s very little information on who actually runs the virtual cashier program. Freshii has only stated that it is run by a third-party company.

The report caused outrage amongst the general public. Social media was flooded with people claiming they would never buy salad bowls, burritos or smoothies from Freshii ever again. Government officials weighed in on the issue too. Ontario legislator Peggy Sattler grilled the company for what she characterized as the exploitation of foreign workers and called for new labor regulations in the face of technological change. The province’s Minister of Labor, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton, stated the outsourcing scheme was “outrageous” and that he trusted that customers would “vote with their feet”.

“I would say to the public to please be a bit more understanding. It’s not necessarily the case that when companies outsource to foreign countries, the local citizenry are losing out on jobs”– Frank Prempeh II

Freshii’s founder and long-time CEO Matt Corrin officially stepped down from his position on May 11, the same day the company released its first quarterly report of 2022. It’s still unclear whether the executive change had anything to do with the controversy around Percy. Corrin hasn’t adressed the issue publicly.

When There’s a Shortage, Look Elsewhere

The only official statement on the matter has come, strangely enough, from Percy itself. The virtual cashier took to its Twitter profile -launched in late April 2022- and posted a thread version of a “presentation letter” that can be found in its official website.

“It’s not about replacing people or jobs. It isn’t about lower pay or working conditions. It’s about a labor shortage across the restaurant industry,” reads the statement. “Most restaurants in North America offer rewarding jobs that pay above minimum wage. But young people, the backbone of retail, are unable to play the flexible role in the workforce today, due to more options and daunting financial pressures.”

Frank Prempeh II, CEO at Corpshore Solutions

The statement added some nuance to the picture. The North American restaurant industry is still in the midst of a revival after enduring strict Covid-19 restrictions for over a year. The National Restaurant Association’s latest report points to a soar in demand that will bring tremendous pressure due a short supply of workers which is expected to persist through 2022. Staffing firm PeopleReady reported a double-digit increase in job postings for restaurants in early March.

The Association also reported that “food, labor and occupancy costs are expected to remain elevated and continue to impact restaurant profit margins in 2022.” Facing such an outlook, it’s no surprise that restaurant chains are mixing outsourcing practices and technology to explore new methods for cutting costs. A survey done by Deloitte shows that cost reduction remains one of the “most tangible and attainable benefits achieved” by companies that outsource operations.

“It’s about a labor shortage across the restaurant industry”– Percy

Companies aren’t the only ones that benefit, though. Outsourcing creates advantages for the company’s local population too. Advantages which are rarely discussed by the public during PR firestorms like the one faced by Freshii.

“I would say to the public to please be a bit more understanding. It’s not necessarily the case that when companies outsource to foreign countries, the local citizenry are losing out on jobs,” said Frank Prempeh II, CEO at Corpshore Solutions and an Ontario-based entrepreneur. “Number one: new job niches are gonna be created, and almost all these job niches are gonna be higher paying jobs. Secondly, outsourcing enables product and service providers to be able to provide more optimized or cheaper products and services.

There are several paths that could help companies avoid these sorts of PR pitfalls, said Prempeh. They can launch education campaigns that explain to their clients the benefits of outsourcing. They can also provide and spotlight higher-paying niche jobs, or even invest in local communities.

How Far Can US$3.45 Take You?

Wages remain as the crux of the matter. While politicians and union leaders complained about the loss of jobs for the local population, the general public’s wrath focused on what they perceived as an indignantly low remuneration for Freshii’s remote cashiers.

Nonetheless, it all comes down to a matter of different economic realities. Minimum wage earners in Nicaragua make about US$1.10 an hour. That means that Freshii’s Nicaraguan remote cashiers earn more than three times the minimum wage in their home country. In other words, while US$3.75 can buy you very little in Canada or the US, it goes way farther in Nicaragua.

“More job opportunities are provided to the local economy, which reduces unemployment. Outsourcing actually decreases social vices and crime within communities in these less developed countries,” added Prempeh. “It actually helps integrates these economies with the economies of the parent countries.”

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The public should not be surprised by the increasing prevalence of outsourcing as part of the business model of many companies. Deloitte’s 2021 Global Shared Services and Outsourcing Survey Report saw a 58% increase in the number of respondents compared to 2019. About 29% of the respondents of the 2021 edition deal directly with consumer markets; 15% work specifically in the retail and consumer products segments.

That very same survey states that “as models shift to be less focused on location, organizations plan to develop more virtual and remote work strategies and leverage location-agnostic hiring to get the benefits of increased productivity and reduced costs”.

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