IBM's RP unit, US drug firm in outsourcing deal

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine subsidiary of US computer company IBM will provide outsourced human resource services to American pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb in a lucrative multi-million deal. In a press statement, IBM said it secured a 10-year, $324 million agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb “to transform and support the company’s global human resource (HR) functions." Under the agreement, IBM’s HR and Finance & Administration (F&A) center in Manila will deliver compensation, benefits, recruiting, learning, payroll administration, call center support, and related IT systems services to Bristol-Myers Squibb. The services will support the pharmaceutical company’s operations in the United States, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Belgium, as well as limited support to 40 of its additional country locations in Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. IBM will also implement an SAP solution and integrate Bristol-Myers Squibb’s global workforce data into one portal that can be accessed by employees, managers, and HR professionals around the globe, the statement added. Cassandra Soto, delivery leader for IBM’s HR & FA center in the Philippines, said in a statement that the deal is a testament of the capability of the country’s knowledge workers. “This is IBM's contribution to the growth of the Philippines’ BPO industry," she said. For his part, James Velasquez, IBM Philippines country general manager, said the changing landscape of the pharmaceutical industry is forcing companies to become more streamlined in their operations. “In order to manage talent within an organization, a company must have an integrated view into its employee population and workforce data. They need to ensure that their operations are using the current best practices as well as leading edge systems and tools," said Velasquez. - GMANews.TV