During his visit to Argentina, ACS´ Chief Operating Officer and Group President of Government Solutions Joseph Doherty explains what it means for the institution he leads, to “Touch People’s Lives Everyday” to make them easier. When you meet Joseph Doherty, you understand why ACS is setting new regional standards regarding the use of innovative services in government. The idea of trust and confidence is the first impression you have from a person that spent 20 years of his life serving in the US Navy and now leads one of the most successful government solutions providers in the world.
When your client's goal is to provide the best and most efficient service to people, it is important to understand the commitment that your company should have towards that goal; because serving governments is more than providing good service and citizens cannot expect less. ACS understands the responsibility they have in acknowledging this commitment.
As soon as we started the interview one of my first impressions was, why is it that more than ever, companies and governments are engaging in business with companies and business people that have a deep sense of respect for the environment, for the people, for their employees and for society?. And with Joseph Doherty the answer is clear. He is one of the few international business people who is determined to succeed in this competitive market by serving its clients with the same dedication and commitment required to serve in political office.
As I speak with Doherty, he uncovers the passion for Latin America and the business objectives that he and his team are pursuing in the region and especially in Argentina. Doherty says that “this is the era of understanding that’s not all about the equipment and that institutions are demanding more services to improve efficiencies”. This is clear in the governmental arena in which political campaigns have been based on more transparent and efficient governments at all levels.
ACS is capitalizing on the 40 years’ story of its parent company, Xerox, one of the most trusted companies in Latin America and a regional provider of solutions for public and private institutions. ACS was founded in 1988 and acquired by Xerox in 2010. It is the number one Best-Performing Managed Services Provider, and has been listed as one of the Top 100 Most Innovative Companies, by Business Week. Worldwide, the company has 750 global locations in 100 countries and more than 85,000 employees.
Xerox is already serving governments region wide. It is natural that this worldwide-successful company known for its outstanding document-handling services brings in a new partner to take the next step in business solutions. “Currently, a significant portion of our work in Latin America is our customer care business, a new model of relating between the government and the people they serve. This is a logical stepping stone for our government pursuits in the region. A large part of our expertise is handling constituent inquiries to access the services they desire. We see growth in this area particularly in eligibility for government benefits, but the governments can also benefit from our work from subject matter expertise in customer care and call centers, electronic payment cards for benefits transfers, IT managed services, transportation solutions, and population health management and health IT”.
Regarding their interest in developing new markets, Doherty says that “while the economy is slowly gaining momentum after an unprecedented meltdown, we see encouraging signs for our broad suite of outsourcing services. Governments are seeing the need to make their budgets more efficient and are looking at new ways to deliver their services to their constituents.”
During our talk I asked him about transparency and the accessibility of information to the people. This was key in determining the degree of advancement in the talks they have with potential clients in Argentina. Doherty is convinced that the talks that he began with government officials in Chile and Argentina will soon have a corollary in a pilot project of the systems and solutions they can provide and this will demonstrate the enormous capacity of response ACS has.
According to Doherty, the key to enabling an initial road of work with local governments is the possibility to “listen and understand the client’s needs and share our knowledge, opening a satisfactory dialogue.”
The company proved its socially responsible spirit during one of the most terrible natural events. ACS was one of the companies that responded effectively when Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast of the USA. "At that time we did everything that our customers and the citizens needed. We coordinated our operations in that area, mainly from the homes of our employees; we helped those who suffered home destruction and relocated people in other cities, as well as dedicated specially attention to pharmacy deliveries."
In a moment of humanity in which we look at technology as an entity that can and should solve everything, and the speed of communications allows the development of services and solutions in politics never seen before, the key to successful partnerships will be based in the trust of the institutions with whom we partner. With a sense of business opportunity and a proven record of social responsibility, ACS has everything to gain in the region.
ACS global regional and local leadership gathered in Argentina, to promote their business model in local governments and institutions.
Jeannette Arbulu SVP/Managing Director, Emerging Markets.
Jorge Cafferata, General Manager, Xerox Argentina.