Traditional offshore work, including ADM, is different for BPO on many levels. ADM is an arm's length away from enterprise operations, while BPO is close to the heart of operational structures. Our research indicates that horizontal, high-volume, transaction-intensive functions, such as customer relationship management (CRM) call center functions, and HR payroll and benefit administration functions, are currently more advanced in comparison to financial, IT consulting and strategy functions. Because BPO requires deep vertical rather than horizontal expertise, offshore providers in India are leveraging existing customer relationships in developing BPO solutions. Because BFSI companies are the leaders in offshore outsourcing, BPO solutions for finance and accounting are advancing more quickly. The Yankee Group originally published this article on 29 October 2003.