Design Talk (dot IE)

Our hosts are Chahat Goel and Shreyaa Krishnakumar. Today we’re talking with Shourjya Sanyal, AVP/ Head of Innovation at Unum Ireland. Unum is a Fortune 250 Insurance carrier. Shourjya co-heads Unum’s R&D & Software Centre of Excellence, with 300 people in Carlow, Ireland.1. Could you share a bit about yourself and your role in Dublin?2. When did you first start exploring outsourcing options, and which tasks were you looking to outsource?3. What specific qualities or characteristics were important to you when selecting an outsourcing partner?4. Have you encountered instances where outsourcing didn't meet your expectations, and what lessons did you gain from those experiences?5. What advice would you offer to fellow entrepreneurs contemplating outsourcing?6. Given your AI background, how do you see the potential of AI and machine learning technologies to improve the quality, efficiency and cost of outsourcing services?And now some questions from the audience...Thank you for finding the time to talk to us today. Notes, extra questions, and further reading:Podcast team: Chahat Goel, Shreyaa Krishnakumar, Abhay V, Xiao Zhang, and Zijing Li.Shourjya Sanyal at TEDxTallaght - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEpVUn6WUGAAcknowledgementsMusic Title: KoffeeSwap Theme v2 - 90bpmArtist: tukyo.ethSource:  https://freesound.org/s/625534/License: -- License: CC0 1.0 UNIVERSALCover Art Title: Three panel screen shot in PowerPointArtist: Allen HigginsSource: ShourjyaChahatShreyaa.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Our hosts are George and Jonas. Welcome to Design Talk. Today we’re talking with Feargal Bracken, Head of Property - Ireland at McLarens, a global claims and professional technical services provider. Feargal combines over two decades of insurance-related Major & Complex Loss Adjuster experience with a proactive approach to crisis management, specializing in catastrophe response and complex claims adjustments. Our discussion will delve deep into the challenges and intricacies of insurance outsourcing, particularly how it plays out during international catastrophes and major loss adjustments. We’ll explore Feargal’s extensive experience and his strategic perspectives on how the insurance industry is evolving with digitalization and globalization.Q1. Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your role at McLarens? [claims management, loss adjusting and auditing services, pre-risk assessment and damage surveying]Q2. Can you share a specific example from your experience where outsourcing played a significant role in managing a complex or major loss adjustment project?Q3. In relation to handling this government project, how do you navigate the complexities of outsourcing when dealing with different cultural and regulatory environments?Q4. Given your involvement in both client account management (external) and operational management (internal), how do you ensure effective communication and alignment between the parties?Q5. Do you encounter resistance from the local employees within the client's organization when you implement your outsourcing solutions?Q6. Considering the increasing digitalization and globalization of the insurance industry, how do you see the role of outsourcing evolving in the future?Q7. Many insurance policies do not cover natural disasters treating them as ‘acts of God’. When you spoke about disasters and natural disasters, how are these two different from each other?Q8. How is climate change affecting your business? How is business affected by higher inflation?Thank you for finding the time to talk to us today. Notes, extra questions, and further reading:Notes, extra questions, and further reading:McLarens – loss adjustment, CAT response, global claims and professional technical services - https://www.mclarens.comPodcast team: George Holland, Jingyun, Gao, Jonas Pilling, Rahul Yuvraj Kalshetty, Swati NagarAcknowledgementsMusicTitle: Golden SunriseArtist: Josh WoodwardSource:  https://bit.ly/4dn61jDLicense: CC BY 3.0Cover Art Title: podcast with feargal brackenArtist: Group V (George Holland, Swati Nagar, Jingyun Gao, Jonas Pilling, Rahul Yuvraj Kalshetty)Source: FergalFromMcLarens_cover_art.jpgLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Cian Croghan and Sarthak Sunil Jaiswal are today's hosts for our interview with Karan Bagla, an IT professional based out of Bengaluru in India. Karan's industry experience at Paypal and technology consultancy firm EXL have given Karan experience on both sides of the offshore outsourcing equation, working directly for a large multinational firm in an offshore environment in addition to working for a consultancy firm delivering outsource services for remote clients. Questions·       Could you please share with us a background to your career & experience to date?·       What are the key differences between offshoring and outsourcing to you and what experience do you have working within this environment?·       What sector or industries do you believe outsourcing is most prevalent in India?·       What are some of the key trends you have seen regarding the Indian outsourcing and offshoring industry?·       Can you please explain the differences between working directly for a large multinational and working for a consultancy firm?·       How would you develop an outsourced team? ·       How do you develop trust with outsourced employees? ·       How would you help build culture in an outsourced team?·       Where do you see the role of a data analyst in the next 5-10 years?·       Any final thoughts you would like to share?·       How do you stay ahead of industry trends?·       What advice would you give to people preparing for the role of a data analyst?Thank you for finding the time to talk to us today. Notes, extra questions, and further reading:Guest LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karanbagla/Podcast team: Sarthak Sunil Jaiswal, Cian Croghan, Soon Wei Er, Kostas Bafes, and Barrak Albabtain.AcknowledgementsMusic Title: IntellectArtist: Yung LogosSource:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryMQhe49cdw License: Stated as “Royalty Free Music No Copyright”Cover Art Title: InterviewTeamArtist: GROUP - YSource: Bagla.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Welcome to Design Talk, I’m Saisnehha Natraj. I am delighted to have David Borowski to talk with us today.Dave is a Senior Partner at West Monroe, the business transformation company. Dave is an engineer by training with experience in operations, supply chain and business transformation.First, Dave, can you tell us a little more about yourself and West Monroe?And a question for you Allen. How did you make the connection with Dave?Okay, back to you Dave,·       Is the ‘managed services industry’ the same as outsourcing/offshoring? (Old wine in a new bottle?)·       You were recently featured in CIO magazine on the resurgence of captive centers. What is a captive center? (why might they be a good strategy?)·       How do you think Ireland Inc. fits in this space?·       Can you share your thoughts on ‘talent strategy’ and how to build and run captive centres?·       Let’s talk about the impact of ‘AI’. Is ‘AI’ is ‘location neutral’ in terms of a services sourcing strategy? (is it prompting back-shoring or is it a driver for further off-shoring?)·       Is there an expectation on captive centers to take the own lead on using genAI?(Any more questions?)Well, we’ll wrap up there.Thank you for talking with us and sharing your thoughts today.Notes and mentions: WestMONROE - https://www.westmonroe.comArticle “Captive centers are back” by Stephanie Overby for CIO Magazine, 2024 (link)AcknowledgementsMusic Title: Voltaic FluctuationsArtist: Ben PruntySource:  https://www.benpruntymusic.com/License: Non-transferable license. Permission granted by Ben PruntyCover Art Title: Film strip of ZoomArtist: Allen HigginsSource: DaveBorowski_Cover_Art.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Hosts: Emily Zhong and Nishchay Joseph We are delighted to have Patrick McDermott, CEO of DigiTally, sharing his outsourcing experience with us today. DigiTally is a software provider located in County Galway, dedicated to using digital solutions to help food businesses stocktake effectively and avoid food waste. It is a significant contributor to reducing carbon emissions.  In this interview, we'll learn about Patrick's considerations when selecting outsourcing partners and their locations, as well as the challenges DigiTally has experienced in working with outsourcing teams.   Patrick also shares his experiences of successfully helping businesses achieve their goals such as reducing food waste, improving profit margins, and simplifying stocktaking.1.     Can you tell us about DigiTally and why you decided to set it up?   How did your prior experience in high-end restaurants influence your decision to set up this business?2.     Can you speak to DigiTally’s role as an outsourcing partner itself?3.     Within food service operations, which areas do DigiTally's software have the biggest impact on reducing food waste (e.g., inventory management, ordering, forecasting)?4.     What activities and services does DigiTally outsource and why did you decide to outsource them?5.     We understand that you initially outsourced software development to India and then when that didn’t work, you switched to Poland.   Can you tell us about that experience and what you learnt from it?6.     In light of those experiences, what are the attributes of an outsourcing partner that are important to you?7.     During the outsourcing process, how do you manage communication with the external team and balance expectations with results?8.     Your business has an environmentally conscious ethos in helping prevent food waste and some of the topics covered in your podcasts on your website have a sustainability focus.   Do you take into account ESG factors when selecting outsourcing partners?  9.     We understand that you also outsource marketing for your business.  Can you tell us about that outsourcing relationship?Thank you for finding the time to talk to us today. Notes, extra questions, and further reading:https://www.digitally.io/food-service-matters-the-podcast/Podcast team: Anne Marie Godfrey, Emily Zhong, Nishchay Joseph, Vera Tan.AcknowledgementsMusic Title: Voltaic FluctuationsArtist: Ben PruntySource:  https://www.benpruntymusic.com/License: Non-transferable license. Permission granted by Ben PruntyCover Art Title: Outsourcing experience of DigiTallyArtist: Anne Marie, Emily Zhong, Nishchay Joseph and Vera TanSource: DigiTally_Cover_Art.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Today our hosts are Sagar Shetty and Sahil Gupta. First, an introduction to Mayank Kumar, Product Manager, Payments at Mastercard, Ireland and his career path thus far. Questions: 1.     How does Lean product management stand out from traditional product management with its significance in terms of development, management and delivery?2.     What is the scope of outsourcing and offshoring with respect to lean product management?3.     Can you share a recent experience where you have outsourced any services during the product roadmap?4.     How to determine which parts of the product development process are suitable for offshoring or outsourcing?5.     What are the challenges and roadblocks a product manager can face during outsourcing and offshoring?6.     What advice would you give to other product managers who are considering offshoring or outsourcing a part of their product development strategy?Thank you for finding the time to talk to us today. Notes, extra questions, and further reading:Podcast team: Sagar Shetty, Vishad Pimple, Kellen D’Costa, Sahil Gupta, Xiaoyu GeAcknowledgementsMusic Title: Voltaic FluctuationsArtist: Ben PruntySource:  https://www.benpruntymusic.com/License: Non-transferable license. Permission granted by Ben PruntyCover Art Title: Lean ManagementArtist: Sagar Shetty, Vishad Pimple, Kellen D’Costa, Sahil Gupta, Xiaoyu GeSource: Lean-Management-Cover Art_Group Z.jpgLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Welcome to today’s interview: our hosts are Tobi Edward and Abhishek Mukherjee. Today we’re talking with Justin McCarthy, a current Senior Director, EMEA Digital Sales, Customer Acquisition and Customer Success in Microsoft Ireland, reflecting on his experience at Microsoft, the challenges and operational complexities of outsourcing and offshoring, partner relationships, while supporting global talent, workforce diversity and inclusion. ·       You've been instrumental in setting up high-growth digital acquisition and sales organizations. Can you share insights into how Microsoft approaches outsourcing and offshoring in the context of expanding its customer base for Modern Workplace, Dynamics, and Azure products?·       As the COO of Microsoft Dynamics Asia, you oversaw end-to-end operations across multiple regions. How did you navigate the complexities of outsourcing and offshoring while ensuring seamless operations and customer satisfaction?·       In your role as the Global Programs & Projects Leader for Enterprise Consulting Services, how did you leverage outsourcing and offshoring to enhance service delivery and drive digital transformation initiatives for Microsoft's clients?·       Leading the EMEA Dynamics Program, Launch & Channel Management, you likely dealt with various outsourcing partners or offshore teams. Can you discuss some key challenges you faced in managing these relationships and how you addressed them to ensure project success and innovation?·       As the Executive Sponsor of the LGBTQI+ & Ally Community at Microsoft, diversity and inclusion are evidently important to you. How do you see these values intersecting with outsourcing and offshoring strategies, particularly concerning global talent acquisition and management?·       Looking ahead, what do you see as the emerging trends or challenges in outsourcing and offshoring within the context of digital innovation, and how should organizations like Microsoft adapt to stay ahead in this evolving landscape? Extra Questions from the Floor: ·       We believe that outsourcing comes with advantages but also downsides like lack of control. How have you managed or manoeuvred through this? ·       If you could talk about the challenges that you may have had with virtual teams and actions that you may have taken to help improve those scenarios. ·       How many different teams do you consider yourself to be a part of?·       Can you talk about Ireland's role in MS GlobalThank you for finding the time to talk to us today. Notes, extra questions, and further reading:Team: Abhishek Mukherjee, Tobi Edward, Calum McCarthy, Kejia Shi, Xin JiangAcknowledgementsMusic Title: Voltaic FluctuationsArtist: Ben PruntySource:  https://www.benpruntymusic.com/License: Non-transferable license. Permission granted by Ben PruntyCover Art Title: Complex photo collageArtist: Allen HigginsSource: podcast-Justin.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Our hosts today are Clare Mustapha and Akanksha Aravinda. Welcome to today’s interview: Today we’re talking with Joe Dowling, Chief Technology Officer at Sidero, a GlobalLogic Company. ·       To start Joe, could you tell us a little about your career and introduce us to Sidero and Globallogic? ·       What key lessons have you learned about managing outsourced/offshored delivery models? [e.g. Managing remote/offshore teams, what strategies have you found most effective for ensuring cohesive teamwork and productivity across different locations?] ·       Can you talk about the impact that Sidero has had on Athlone, and maybe the value of setting up in a region as opposed to the capital? ·       How has Sidero's acquisition by GlobalLogic changed things? [in terms of service offerings, access to new technologies, global reach, etc? What new opportunities has it created?] ·       Can you share your thoughts on how Generative AI technologies are impacting software service firms? [opportunity, threat, same ‘ole]? ·       Reflecting on your long experience working in software services and technology, what advice would you give to us as Digital Innovation students? ·       Any final thoughts?  Thank you for finding the time to talk to us today.  Notes, extra questions, and further reading: Joe Dowling on LinkedIn (link) Sidero - IT Services and IT Consulting - https://www.sidero.ieGlobalLogic – A Hitachi Group Company - https://www.globallogic.comThe interview team: Akanksha Aravinda, Clare Mustapha, Snehal Jain, Sofia Rollan Zegers, and Yizhuo Qiao. Acknowledgements Music  Title: Voltaic FluctuationsArtist: Ben PruntySource:  https://www.benpruntymusic.com/License: Non-transferable license. Permission granted by Ben PruntyCover Art Title: Complex collage IIArtist: Allen HigginsSource: podcast-JOE.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.

Our hosts are Laksh Sharma and Wassym Nait OubihiToday we’re talking with Roland Tritsch, a software craftsman/engineer/architect/manager, about founding, sustaining, and growing local/remote work environments for globally distributed software teams.·       To start, we love your website The Extreme Digital Nomad (TEDN), can you tell us about the meaning behind the title?·       So, we are studying global outsourcing and offshoring in digital industry across a range of dimensions of closeness and distance, like cultural, linguistic, political, geographic... Should we think of the virtual/physical as a dimension in its own right? ·       Talk about the pluses and minuses for both in-office work and work-from-home…·       How do you think about organising for remote work? [pod, hub, tribe, squad…]·       Let’s take a new-hire, fresh out of college. How do they start and grow their career as a remote worker?·       Isn’t it this a recipe for “lonely, wired and tired?” How do you build-in personal well-being…Okay, we’ll end there. Thank you for finding the time to talk to us today. Notes, further reading:Roland’s website and blog: https://tedn.life/Distances - Know them. Manage them. – (link)Hub-First vs. Remote-First vs. Pod-First – (link)Hybrid Work: Surprising Lessons from Gen Z, Brian Elliott on MIT Sloan Management Review – (link)The interview team: Laksh Sharma, Shi Li, Songhao Liu, Wassym Nait Oubihi.Extra Podcasts:The Story of Software episode with Roland Tritsch, Sr. Director of Engineering, Community https://www.zartis.com/podcasts-story-of-software/74-remote-working/AcknowledgementsMusic Title: Voltaic FluctuationsArtist: Ben PruntySource:  https://www.benpruntymusic.com/License: Non-transferable license. Permission granted by Ben PruntyCover Art Title: Complex photo collageArtist: Allen HigginsSource: podcast-Roland.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast.