Q: How are local universities providing the talent pool required to meet the automation, data, and knowledge-based requirements of modern enterprises? JS: When we look at the new ecosystem model, having the right talent and skills sits squarely in the middle of that conversation. Universities, technical training facilities, non-traditional institutions … they are all embracing this disruption to evolve their agendas. That includes rethinking research partnerships in order to pivot towards the digital future as well as reimagining the way we deliver skills and training delivery. These pivots have led to broader engagement by our education partners to create more non-degree certificates and short-term coding and software programs – all of which offer agile solutions and support nimble careers. Education partners are also re-thinking how more traditional programs, including liberal arts degrees, can provide a valuable framework for strategic and creative thinking within the business environment. Universities are a big part of this movement, and we want to make sure they stay at the table so we can engage them in adjusting their strategies to fill the talent needs of our local businesses. Many are expanding on their existing relationships with business affiliates, which is a good thing. Q: What enables Oklahoma City to attract prominent brands? JS: We leaned into the place-making conversation early to build a strong foundation for the long-term, and it shows in terms of an overall quality of life residents have become very proud of. Our culture feels ‘big,’ while also being approachable – but our cost structure has remained ‘small,’ creating a brand the business community has embraced. This combination of quality and affordability has attracted brands like CACI, Costco and Heartland Payment Systems (part of S&P500-ranked Global Payments), all of which recently decided to set up large Shared Services or operations centers here. Costco recently affirmed (in the Summer of 2020) a plan to open a 1,500-person operation center in Oklahoma City, after a multi-state search. Companies and their employees are buying into the “energy of the market.” It’s that energy and
excitement, coming from a number of recent successes in the public and private sphere, that people are buying into.
Q: What factors play a role in attracting Shared Services Centers to your community? JS: I think it’s the long-term value proposition that attracts SSOs. They are looking for a robust talent pool, which we offer; a competitive cost model, which they find here; and an attractive real estate play, knowing that – even in a modified work environment – some amount of office space will continue to be required in the corporate office model. What also works well is that we have successfully developed clusters around certain operational units, which is very attractive to organizations because they know they can find relevant skillsets, and there are lots of opportunities to develop lucrative and interesting careers. We have more than 100,000 professionals working in headquarters, SSOs, and operational centers that have set up shop in Oklahoma City and support a variety of industries. We’ve seen particular interest from operators in the defense industry looking for a lower-cost location to relocate or expand high-end back-office work. This cluster originally was based around Oklahoma City’s aerospace cluster keystoned by Tinker Air Force Base (home of the Air Force’s Sustainment Center headquarters) and the FAA, with thousands of employees in the market – many of them providing back-office functions for other government agencies. This cluster has grown to include software, cyber security and engineering workloads, among many others. Another factor that sets us apart is that we have developed a strong and reliable infrastructure in support of digital networks. Our customers need robust digital pipelines and data security. On the west side of the city, a former AT&T manufacturing plant has been turned into a multi-tenant modern office space called 7725 CONNECT, which is highly popular with Shared Services and administrative / operational centers and data center users. It also acts as a carrier hotel, porting multiple providers into the building and managing on-site data centers. It’s a real boon for the Shared Services and BPO sector in that they can plug into secure
20
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online