Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Bots are no longer just market hype. They are real, and clients are planning for, and implementing, them. They hold the promise of “deflecting” volume through self-service as well as improving user interfaces that boost authentication and optimize routing. If you take off your contact center hat and wear your “customer… Read More »
Cloud-based contact center technology is a boon for today’s centers. It provides access to the latest features and functions with increased flexibility and decreased IT burden. Attractive economics and the promise of a speedy implementation provide strong inducements for decision makers. And yet, it still takes careful planning and intentional design for the technology and… Read More »
Contact center management labors under constant pressure to do more with less… FASTER! The latter often results in hurried technology implementations that fall short of the benefits the center hoped to realize. The following tables summarize the dos and don’ts of project execution and functionality deliver positive results. Project Execution Don’t: Do: Business Impact Launch… Read More »
We’ve been on our soapbox for years to encourage organizations to adopt the 3 Ms of implementation – Project, Change, and Vendor Management. Project Management (PM) focuses on the tasks associated with an implementation – planning, executing, and completing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet business objectives. Change management (CM)… Read More »
Too often, the pursuit of technology is driven by speed and constrained by resources. Experience shows this to be a bad combination.Technology success demands careful implementation planning as well as effective technology monitoring and support. Implementation and Testing Getting implementation right takes time, well-structured plans, and commitment from the contact center, IT, vendors and/or their partners…. Read More »
Maxed out. That’s how we find many contact center leaders and their IT counterparts. Too much to do, not enough time to do it, and the urgent always trumping the important. Sound familiar? Most centers find ways to attend to their technologies’ daily demands, some of which are routine (e.g., run reports, build schedules) and… Read More »
Momentum and excitement builds around new contact center technology as you make a vendor and product selection and set forth on your journey with exciting possibilities ahead. Unfortunately, a variety of implementation challenges can arise that knock the wind out of your sails. To optimize results, invest the time up front to plan and prepare…. Read More »
Technology is so easy to blame. For what? For not meeting metrics, keeping costs under control, delivering great service, driving enough revenue? The list goes on. Center leadership, staff, and support team members often exclaim, “If we only had …!” as they point at technology as the culprit. They don’t have what they need, don’t… Read More »
Contact centers can’t function without technology. They rely on a sophisticated collection of tools to enable the operational strategy that achieves business goals and meets customer needs. And given the wide spectrum of tools and sourcing options, it’s no surprise that lots of folks write about it. There’s a lot to say! But there’s a… Read More »
Whether you’ve had a lengthy courtship with prospective vendors or a hurried shotgun wedding, there’s great temptation to get on with the process and give your contact center technology statement of work (SOW) a cursory examination. Beware! A boilerplate SOW isn’t likely to address your unique requirements or help you get the most out of… Read More »