29

Dec 2016

Philippines – A race to the bottom for “per seat” costs

By: Odyssey General
Tags: Offshoring, Outsourcing, Per seat fee, Philippines

We recently saw a Philippines labour service provider advertise for a “seat fee” of sub Aus$200.  This is certainly setting the scene for a race to the bottom for “per seat” costs. The current race is reminiscent of any overcrowded market. People smell cash, and a lot of new entrants come into the market. Prices are forced down to early …

22

Dec 2016

Will Australia’s minimum wage force more work offshore?

By: Odyssey General
Tags: Australian bookkeeping, Australian compliance, Automation, offshore, Wages

Quick Question: In what country is it permissible under law to pay a minimum wage of US$2.13 per hour plus tips, or US$4.25 an hour for the first 90 calendar days of employment if under 20? Ok so yes, we agree the US$7.25 minimum wage in the US is probably a more reflective figure. But it’s still remarkably lower than the …

15

Dec 2016

Chatbots make a move on bookkeeping work

By: Odyssey Automation
Tags: Bots, Chatbots, Offshoring, Outsourcing

Bots and automation is a current theme in our blogs with recent posts discussing whether bots will beat offshoring and robotic process automation. Automation is an ongoing issue facing Australian accountants and we thought it time to look further into current market offerings from a couple of familiar Australian accounting software houses – Xero and Sage. Last week Xero announced …

08

Dec 2016

Clients won’t queue … Lessons for Australian Accountants from Australia’s Restaurant scene …

By: Odyssey General
Tags: compliance, Offfshore, Outsourcing

In a news article last month, Sydney diners were increasingly unwilling to stand in line waiting for their dinner. With more options for dining out and online booking at people’s fingertips, fewer diners were willing to queue for restaurants. As the article notes, people are becoming less and less patient. And “People don’t even want to wait for their coffee in …