The Call Center Model: Module 4 of 7
Call Center Technology

Call Center Model Tutorial Series

The first step toward delivering world-class customer service in today’s environment is to separate the different components that contribute to a successful call center. Module 1 introduces the Contact Center Model, which breaks the call center into its five key components – Strategy, Processes, Technology, Human resources and Facilities. Module 2 examines strategy. Module 3 discusses process. This module discusses technology. Module 5 examines human resources. Module 6 looks at facilities. The final module, Module 7, will address the project planning and change management needed to make the most of your contact centers. Each component comes from Prosci's Planning and Design Toolkit. The Call Center Model acts as a basis for ensuring cost effective, strategically aligned, world-class customer service.

Technology overview

Technology guide: A new book titled Call Center Technology Demystified by Lori Bocklund and Dave Bengston of Vanguard Communications provides a detailed presentation of call center technology. We recommend this book for an in-depth understanding of call center technology. For more information about this book go to www.vanguard.net.

Technology architecture planning

In developing your contact center strategy you wrote your business requirements. You then developed processes to support your contact center. Now it is time to plan the technology architecture for your center. A technology architecture plan:

• Creates a unified technology approach understood by all business and technology staff.
• Uncovers any technology roadblocks before implementation takes place.
• Provides a clear roadmap for technology implementation by defining prioritization and key milestones.
• Identifies each technology element and media that will be supported by the contact center.

Key planning assumption

Before technology plans are developed, one key question needs to be answered: is this the first center, or an addition to an existing network of centers? Depending on the answer, there are differences in the overall approach.

• first call center in the organization - project requires more planning and decision-making on the front end and will likely take more time - allows greater flexibility in technology application deployment since you are starting with few technology constraints
• addition to existing network of centers within the organization - an architecture is in place and you can leverage existing technology and vendors - experienced resources are available within the organization to draw on

Planning approach

There are two key steps in developing the plan: 1) preparation and 2) high-level design.

Preparation - This process entails gathering resources and building knowledge. The steps include:

1. Technology Plan - Define the objectives and overall timeline. Define parameters of project (e.g., scope, budget, timeline). The contact center strategy is a key input to the plan.
2. Assumptions - Define key assumptions with all team members (e.g., what existing technology platforms or vendors will be leveraged; will you use leading edge technologies or tried and true approaches; will you operate as a standalone center, or integrated with other centers). Define what carries the most weight in the project (e.g., costs, customer service improvements, efficiency gains, reliability, manageability).
3. Education - Understand what is available and possible through researching technologies, attending conferences and visiting best in class contact centers.

Develop a High Level Design - Once the preparation work is done, the team will design the technology architecture. Note that some of these steps may not fully apply to organizations that have existing call centers. For instance, part of the architectural strategy may consist of duplicating what works in other centers and applying new components.

1. Identify Design Principles - These are the principles that guide you in evaluating and choosing technology (e.g., buy versus build applications). Your business and technology assumptions will help to define design principles.
2. Develop the Technology Architecture- Develop a technology framework within the context of your requirements, assumptions, and design principles. This will define key technology elements, their basic architecture and interfaces, and the core functions they will provide.
3. Develop an Implementation Plan - This is a high level plan that includes: 1) what you intend to do, 2) how you are going to do it and 3) how long it will take. It includes major milestones, prioritization and plans for phasing in technology elements. It identifies critical success factors (e.g., additional support resources, training) for the project.

Voice switching infrastructure

The foundation of a call center is the telephone system. The key functions of this switching technology are:

• providing the connection point for the local and long distance telephone lines to the company
• routing of calls, whether incoming or outgoing
• providing telephone stations at each desktop

Contact routing tools

Contact routing tools route calls or other media types to specific customer service representatives (CSRs), based on certain criteria (e.g., time of day, skill set of the CSRs, caller account information). There are several levels of sophistication in contact routing tools. These are usually based on your customer contact strategy (e.g., customer segmentation), routing strategy (i.e., how contacts and various media are to be handled), and technology available.

Computer Telephony Integration

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) describes the functional integration of various computer and telephone system elements that enables voice and data networks to work together and share information. Use of CTI in a call center:

• lowers operating costs (calls and time per call)
• improves effectiveness and productivity of CSRs
• provides a more customer centric experience
• enables more detailed and accurate reporting capabilities
• enhances functionality of existing systems
• provides advanced contact routing, queuing and handling capabilities

Interactive Voice Response

Interactive Voice Response or IVR (also called Voice Response Unit or VRU) is used by contact centers to route callers to the correct CSRs and to provide self-service. Using an IVR, a caller can reach an extension, obtain information and perform transactions without assistance from a CSR. The easy access, choice, control and privacy provided by IVRs make them a useful tool for many callers.

When callers use the IVR, your organization saves money. Even if a caller just enters an account number or reviews some information and "bails out" to speak with a person for more details, they have shaved seconds or minutes off of your talk time. Offering useful and user friendly applications that allow callers to complete transactions will save you even more money.

Email management

Next to voice calls, emails are likely to constitute the highest volume of customer contacts into your organization. The last five years have seen exponential growth in email volume and consequently technologies to handle it more efficiently. This section explains the basic functionality of Email Response Management Systems (ERMS). These systems are generally available in two configurations.

1. Purchase it as an add-on module from a switching vendor (e.g., PBX, ACD) or from a CTI middleware vendor.
2. Purchase a standalone third party product that integrates with selective contact center systems.

CRM and Data Mining

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is more than just software. It is the philosophy and process of managing a customer's relationship with an organization across all departments (e.g., marketing, sales, customer service). It takes into account customer history, the depth and breadth of their relationship with the organization, as well as other factors. Two software components support this process in the contact center: CRM and Data Mining applications.

RFP and vendor selection

Now it is time to get serious about selecting a vendor for the technology elements that your contact center requires. It is crucial that you establish a core team of people from across the organization to participate in the vendor selection process. The first step is to expand your business requirements into functional requirements that will be the core of your Request for Proposal (RFP). Functional requirements add depth to the business requirements, providing applications and capabilities required from the technical solutions being considered.

Coming next - module 5: contact center human resources

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The text of this tutorial comes from Prosci’s Call Center Planning and Design toolkit. Developed by industry leaders in the Call Center field, Vanguard Communications and Prosci, the toolkit is the definitive guide for creating the best contact center possible for your organization.

The toolkit provides:

• a comprehensive planning checklist and design guidelines for successfully setting up a new call center or redesigning your existing call center
• the approach and tools to help you create a contact center strategy and manage the implementation effectively

More information about Prosci’s Call Center Planning and Design – A blueprint for building a successful contact center.

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Call Center Measurement Toolkit - Prosci’s Call Center Measurement Toolkit is an indispensable tool that will teach you how to assess and improve the performance of your call center. By providing common definitions of terms and a complete overview of performance measures for contact centers, the toolkit will promote your understanding of the functions and procedures that will enhance your call center performance and boost its efficiency.

Call Center Best Practices Report - Two hundred seventy-one organizations from 24 countries participated in Prosci’s benchmarking study on call center operations, management practices and technology. The study shares practical information about what is working (and what's not working) as call center managers seek to increase revenues, reduce costs and improve service quality.

Call Center Planning and Design Toolkit - A comprehensive guide to call center strategy, planning and design; an excellent resource for new contact center start-ups, existing call center improvement and future planning with detailed templates and planning roadmaps (more information).

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