Understanding the BOT Model for Outsourced IT: Ecolab Digital Center’s GCC Transfer

When Fortune 500 company Ecolab, a worldwide leader in energy, water and hygiene technologies and services, found themselves with a lack of available talent to execute on big ideas they turned to experts at SMC Squared.

Gabrielle Bejarano sits down with Malahar Pinnelli, VP of Technology and Managing Director at Ecolab Digital Center (EDC); Supriya Ambuga, Senior Director of Human Resources at Ecolab Digital Center; and Jessica Parker, Senior Director of Client Success at SMC Squared, to discuss Ecolab Digital Center’s Global Capability Center and their successful experience with SMC Squared’s GCC model and recent transition in Bangalore, India.

Bangalore is a center of technology and innovation. Companies aim to hire capable talent, “who can be responsible for driving technology innovation,” Pinnelli said.

SMC Squared’s business model is unique, providing strategic partners with the ability to accelerate their digital innovation and identifying high-performing teams through a build-optimize-transfer GCC model. “SMC Squared’s model is focused on building an asset over three years using the expense dollars given to the vendor partners,” Pinnelli said.

They follow a Global Capability Center – Build, Operate, Transfer Model:

Year One: Leader-first approach – find and build the right leadership team for the project

Year Two: Build to Scale – create the depth in capabilities and establish any new capabilities

Year Three: Optimize the team – create a sustainable graduate recruitment program to find talent

SMC Squared takes all the associated risks, and one of their most vital assets to training and retaining employees is incorporating culture from the beginning.

Using a global “one-team” approach, SMC Squared creates a seamless integration.

“Transfer is never easy; it’s a messy affair. But in this model, this is all part of the plan. The timeline is defined, the expectations are set, and the culture is built, so it’s all about executing the plan,” Pinnelli said, noting that the transition of 400 people for Ecolab was flawless because of the culture that SMC created from the beginning.

“A very critical piece here is the culture building,” Ambuga added.

“The way we brought team members on from the beginning is really about bringing on people as Ecolab employees from the beginning. They’re hired to fit those needs,” Parker said.

For more episodes, please visit the Squared Away Podcast series, and to learn more about Global Capability Centers click here.