Outsourced???

Before I say anything, I'd suggest that you read the following news caption dated 18 October 2007, which was taken from Courier Mails' website: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,22609392-3122,00.html?from=public_rss

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ON the heels of bedding down the Promina acquisitions and in the face of growing competition in the banking sector, Suncorp yesterday unveiled plans to move some staff and open up to 40 new branches in Queensland.

The unorthodox move involves relocating where possible 250 back-office staff into newly created front-office branch positions and grow the banking network at the same time. The catalyst for the latest move has been outsourcing back-office processes which are currently performed manually and will now be taken over by Australian financial services group Perpetual and Indian-based processing group, Infosys.

The bank is basically getting rid of 250 back-office staff but redeploying them with the creation of 270 new jobs in the front offices, the bank hoping there will be minimal job losses.

It is thought that growing competition from the so-called Big Four banks, along with Bank of Queensland, was behind Suncorp's decision to expand its banking network. Suncorp is the sixth largest bank in the country behind St George and the fifth largest in its home market of Queensland.
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How is the above news relevant to me?? Well, on 17 Oct 2007, just 3 days before my trip back to Singapore, the company announced that several back-office processes will be outsourced to Aussie-based, Perpetual and India-based, Infosys. And my department was HEAVILY affected by this move.

You have no idea how all of us felt when we were told abt the change. There was sadness, anger, frustration, shock......u name it! It was just too SUDDEN! I was in fact thinking twice abt going back to Singapore for my holiday cos I wasn't sure what is going to happen when I am away. The only consolation from the announcement was that the company have no intentions to retrench anyone and have plans put together to redeploy us to other departments within the bank instead. Phew!

For me, the frustration came from the fact that we had such a GREAT team and out of the blue, we were forced to go our separate ways. We all worked so hard to improve and streamline work procedures in the past months but all the work simply went down the drain. And alot of us felt that the timing was just not right...since this is the busiest time of the year for the department.

Despite the uncertainty, I still went for my Singapore trip and tried so hard not to think abt the changes happening at work. My team leader was great cos he gave me countless email updates...telling me abt things that are happening at work....which in itself offered some kind of relief.

Just 2 days before I left Singapore to come bk to Oz, I was given the news that I have been chosen to stay in the department together with 7 other girls and to start working partnerships with Perpetual. This news came as a surprise to me since there are almost 45 people in the whole section and I never thought any of the managers would even consider me...this quiet, Asian girl who's only been Oz since April. But anyways, I have to say Alhamdullilah. The rest of my colleagues were redeployed to the bank's branches and other back-office roles. I'm sure I'll bump into them in the building every now and then.....but things will never be the same.

Its been over a month since the announcement and you can see that as the week progresses, the people in the team has gotten lesser and lesser. Come next week....almost everyone will move to their new roles....leaving only a handful of us behind. Its kinda sad...thinking of it.....but, what can we do really....guess we just have to move with the flow.