Introduction

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has emerged as one of the leading delivery locations for business process global services, particularly in Finance and Accounting (F&A). Availability of multi-lingual and highly qualified finance talent, close cultural ties with Western Europe and North America, proximity to western markets, and favorable business environment are some of the key factors driving the CEE business process industry for offshore/nearshore F&A services delivery.

In this report, we analyze CEE as a destination for delivery of nearshore/offshore F&A services. This report provides in-depth assessment of the seven key CEE cities, focusing on labor pool, cost, market activity, and risk analysis. The report will assist buyers and service providers to understand the unique value proposition offered by CEE for delivery of F&A services.

Scope and methodology

• The focus of this report is nearshore/offshore multi-lingual F&A services from CEE across in-house centers and third-party service providers
• The report also includes analysis of the key cities in CEE: Bratislava, Bucharest, Budapest, Krakow, Lodz, Prague, and Sofia
• Key dimensions of analysis include – labor pool, operating cost, market activity, and risk analysis
• The report leverages multiple sources of information – Everest Group’s proprietary databases (global in-house centers, service providers, market activity, cost, and labor pool), extensive advisory experience in supporting clients with Location Optimization decisions, and inputs from global services stakeholders & industry experts

Contents

The report provides detailed data and analysis of the global services landscape in CEE for F&A services and is structured along the following sections:

• Summary and implications for buyers and service providers
• Assessment of global services in F&A across market characteristics: value proposition, players landscape, market activity, and key delivery locations
• Assessment of key cities on parameters such as talent pool, cost, and market activity
• Assessment of operating environment and risks
• Relative attractiveness of locations and associated trade-offs