Being Kiwi

The trend towards emphasising Kiwi-ness as a differentiator has seen an upsurge since the global financial crisis. Buy local; be supported locally; interact with Kiwis who understand your business – these are all valid marketing approaches. In our industry, the pendulum is swinging away from off-shoring capability – call centres, services centres, business process outsourcing – and back towards a focus on the need to retain, build and keep these skills on our own shores. Beyond the corporate market, where buying choices are increasingly made offshore by ownership beyond New Zealand, the rest of New Zealand businesses and their customers are increasingly looking for a Kiwi solution to business problems. But is being Kiwi enough? The answer is clearly no. We can’t compete with the economies of scale and cost advantages offered by bigger labour markets off-shore. So if customers are going to pay a premium, no matter how small, there has to be something more than ‘Kiwi’ in the offer. In the IT and telecommunications industry, the key to a winning combination appears to be in being a Kiwi company that truly understands partnering and customer service. The ability to integrate solutions – customer call centre solutions, applications solutions or process solutions – with like-minded Kiwi providers for the benefit of Kiwi customers, is proving to be a growing success story. Building a strong Kiwi product or solution, finding complementary companies who share your vision and approach, building a partnership approach to your target customers and underpinning your offer with great service, are a winning combination. In New Zealand it is possible to match world class – almost every facet of the global IT and telecommunications industry is represented here. Couple this with a strong innovation focus and a can-do attitude and the future looks bright, for those who are willing to invest the time and emotional collateral to be truly great partners and service providers.