Last winter, we did a story about Blinds.com. Since then, they have been in the news almost every month for winning an award such as Call Center of the Year and Best Places to Work in Houston. Needless to say, 2010 was turning out to be an amazing year for them.

In the early part of the summer Blinds.com acquired another large competitor. The due diligence work they did prior to closing the deal was comprehensive, including quantifying the number of inbound sales and service phone calls so they could hire enough people to handle the increased volume. The plan was to merge the newly acquired company’s call center into the Blinds.com call center within 90 days of the purchase date, and they did. Problem was the number of calls was vastly underestimated.

In addition to underestimating the call volume from the acquired company, one of Blinds.com biggest suppliers abruptly went out of business, causing an additional spike in the number of calls. It was a perfect storm.

Normal rates:

·         Normal call time was within 25 seconds

·         Lost call abandon rate (i.e. callers on hold who decide to hang up) hovers around 5-6%

Since the call center roll over:

·         Some days hold times reached eight minutes

·         Abandon rates jumped over 40%

·         Net Promoter Score dropped 15% in one month

Steps taken:

·         Shortened our sales hours by four hours

·         Moved 15% of our sales consultants to service

·         Implemented a nifty auto-callback software program to our telephone system

Adjusted rates since implementing above steps:

·         Abandon rate dropped to 0.45%

·         Calls were being answered within 18 seconds

Jay Steinfeld is the owner of Blinds.com
Original blog appeared on www.bnet.com on July 30, 2010.

Yes, it is. Estimates show there are 30 million licenses and only 1 million of them are being utilized for telephony. Many enterprises have purchased another Microsoft product not realizing the telephony licenses were included and simply need to be activated (some extraneous hardware may be needed). Could it be this simple? Absolutely.

What else is available on a flexible Microsoft-based communication platform:
• Scalable VoIP Telephony
• Conferencing via Video, Telephone, or Desktop Sharing
• Instant Messaging
• Presence Management
• Voicemail Consolidated into Email Inbox

All of these communication management tools on one flexible and scalable platform from two trusted sources – AVDS and Microsoft.

Bring your enterprise into the future with Deliberately Different communication solutions that will improve work flows, increase employee productivity, and reduce costs. By staying connected in the office and on-to-the go, you are able to provide the highest in quality customer service – all on one integrated system.

Texas Woman’s University occupies a notable position in higher education as the nation’s largest university primarily for women. Their campuses in Denton, Dallas and Houston are joined by an e-learning campus offering innovative online degree programs in business, education and general studies. Seven consecutive years of growth have produced a record enrollment of 12,469.

AVDS was engaged to address specifically the replacement of TWU’s legacy voice mail and outcall notification system that was peripheral to their 1,500-user PBX network supporting the three TWU campuses. The voicemail system for emergency outcall notification is sent to thousands of students, faculty and staff in the event of a natural disaster or campus attack.

AVDS Custom built an Emergency Outcall Notification System:
• Easy interface to report an emergency situation and initiate outcall notification to thousands of students, faculty & staff within minutes.
• Multi-tiered notification workflow capable of supporting different types of emergencies.
• Real-time and post-emergency reporting of notification progress for emergency personnel.

Why the application is unique:
• Integration of voicemail and call center with legacy PBX system.
• Potentially lifesaving Emergency Outcall Notification application.
• Sophisticated monitoring and reporting tools developed for Campus Police and Emergency Responders.
• Unique deployment in a legacy- dominated infrastructure where the platforms handle complex or mission critical applications that are beyond the practical capabilities of a conventional PBX.

Benefits of the application to the End User Organization:
• “Financial Aid saw an immediate reduction of abandon rate from 30% to 3%.” Similar improvement has been noted in the Bursar Office.
• Seamless integration of the voicemail system to both the legacy and new call center system unify the voice messaging experience across user bases.
• Campus Police and Emergency Responders now have the needed tools to manage a critical aspect of a campus-wide emergency or natural disaster.
• Major efficiency gains and functional improvements to contact centers have greatly improved support of students and staff. Call quantities, per agent, have increased exponentially.
• User community gained unified messaging capabilities that offer a significant improvement over their legacy voice mail platform.

To understand what Business Process Automation is, let us strip it down and start with the basics. Business processes are the set of related activities that produce a service or product. Everyday business processes can be ‘back-office’ such as purchasing office equipment; or ‘front-office’ such as processing an insurance claim. Many businesses are still handling their processes manually with spreadsheets, file folders, emails, and endless amounts of paper. These manually handled processes pose several disadvantages including human error, latency, increased costs, delays, dissatisfied customers, and wasted resources.

Business process automation (BPA) can be defined as the integration of applications, labor, software, and other office resources to streamline processes, contain costs as well as reduce errors and increase customer satisfaction.  Historically, BPA software has been expensive, complicated, and isolated. Each department with a different process to automate could require separate, isolated software – increasing the cost and complexity.  So, what is the solution?

Communications-based process automation (CBPA) is the next generation of process automation. Designed as a marriage between BPA and your phone system, CBPA is a single solution to multiple issues. CBPA can automate front- and back-office business processes, all within one software-based communication system. CBPA is built around a system that has a proven track record of technologies and techniques. CBPA creates a single platform for all your automation needs.

What can BPA do for an organization?

·         Enable businesses to automate manual or poorly automated processes using flexible data structures and strong user interfaces.

·         Manage tasks and interactions; link them together in one automated process.

·         Intelligently route work and orchestrate entire business processes across the enterprise and beyond.

·         Create complete business process workflows entirely within a single process automation engine.

What are some of the advantages to Communications-Based Process Automation (CBPA)?

·         Employees can participate in work through the same interface they use to take /make phone calls.

·         Because it is communications-based, the process management system knows who has certain skills, who is available, and how to reach them.

·         CBPA generates hard ROI as process times, delivery costs, and human errors are reduced or eliminated.

A few real-world examples on the reduced-cost benefits of CBPA include:

·         Reduce insurance claim processing time by eliminating lost papers, misplaced files, and papers left on the fax machine.

·         Automation of sales lead distribution with follow-up to supervisor if no action is taken by the sales person.

·         Hiring cost for new employees is reduced by work being automatically distributed to employees instead of them waiting on files to come across their desk.

·         Managers have the ability to monitor pending transactions and their status for better customer relations.

Even more benefits of business process automation:

·         Better customer service by utilizing well documented, systematic processes.

·         More efficient organization with more expertise.

·         Greater ability to withstand employee turnover & temporary unavailability.

·         Greater visibility into key business processes and what it cost to run them.

CBPA is your Deliberately Different approach to business process automation.

Times are changing. With every passing day, the stock market is dramatically up (or down), the political climate shifts with the wind, and the business environment is definitely not the same as it was five years ago. Every organization whether you are a contact center; enterprise; government entity; or educational institution is looking to cut cost, be more efficient, and improve customer service. One way that companies are looking to accomplish these tasks is home shoring. Home shoring is the new name for the old concept of telecommuting. Today’s advances in technology, along with benefits seen by employees & companies alike, are making this virtual workforce a popular alternative to a traditional brick & mortar office.

The main reason that people look for work at home is schedules. For any number of reasons, employees are looking for a more flexible or non-traditional schedule and home shoring makes that possible. Many companies’ even base schedules on performance such that employees with the higher call quality ratings have first choice of their preferred shifts. Another advantage that employees find from working at home is the elimination of their commute. This rewards the employee with cost savings in gas and auto insurance (and reduction in stress from road rage). Another fiscal reward that home-based employees reap is a decrease in other expenditures such as clothes and eating out. At-home workers simply state that it is easier to juggle their work & personal life when working from home.

The home shoring employees are not the only ones benefiting, the organizations they work for also receive a long list of benefits. The largest benefits seen with at-home employees is a dramatic improvement in the call quality and in return, customer satisfaction. With home shoring, employee retention is increased (above 80% according to Frost & Sullivan) which leads to lower recruiting and training costs. Not to mention, with no physical geographic boundaries placed on recruiting, your talent pool is limitless. Having at-home employees also gives you more control with seasonal spikes and downturn in call quantity. Overhead is one of the largest expenses for a business owner. Leases, electricity, and insurance all add up to a large monthly bill. If your employees work from home, your facility / operating cost will greatly decrease or be eliminated completely. Many companies also see employees changing from full-time to part-time status, which will result in lower overall insurance costs for the company.

Is your company trying to go green? Do you have an environmental policy that you would like to see put into motion? Home shoring can help by reducing your organizations carbon footprint. With fewer automobiles on the road and fewer offices using electricity, there is a noticeable environmental impact. Based on an office with 100 employees, the following amounts of pollutants are reduced in one year:
• 26,600 gallons of gas
• 1680 Kg Hydrocarbons
• 8340 Kg NOx
• 12,540 Kg CO
• 549,600 Lbs. CO2

The most important question asked by companies that are contemplating moving to a home shoring model, is how to management the employees when they are not in the office? Three areas which will help you manage your home-based employees: tools, communications, and culture. Your communications system is the key tool in implementing and managing your home-based employees. Several components of the communications software that help manage a virtual workforce including tools for reporting, workforce management, and optimization. There are other elements that may assist you in managing your virtual team including secure IM, resource portal, and a learning management system. Communicating is a huge factor in the success of your home shoring program. Communication must be clear, concise, and professional from both the employees and their supervisors. As discussed below, a critical trait in hiring an at home employee is their ability to communicate. Culture also plays an important role in managing a team of home shoring employees. The culture that you initiate and foster will go a long way in showing your team what you expect of them. In addition, a results-oriented structure gives the employees something to work for, especially with their ideal schedule on the line.

Like any major business decision, it is best to formulate a plan. When deciding to move your workforce out of the office and into their homes, there are many items to consider such as your IT infrastructure. Does your communications system have the workforce management and recording capabilities that were mentioned earlier? Does it conduct all the necessary interactions that are required – phone, e-mail, and chat? Phone calls are the basic interaction but with unified communications, you can handle e-mail and chat as well. The workforce management tools can include recording (make sure to read up on your state laws on call recording), learning management tools, and instant messaging. Several of these were mentioned earlier and provide a back bone for managing your virtual workforce. One of the most critical components to consider and research is security. Every day, internet security becomes more critical and depending on your business, there are compliance issues related to customer privacy and records retention. Physical security with regard to your networks, workstations in the home, and all your system components is another area of your business model that must be defined.

Running criminal background and credit checks is just the first step in hiring a virtual worker. Although your talent pool is limitless, hiring someone to work remotely can be tricky. It takes specific personality traits (such as the samples listed below) to be able to be a productive worker from the home.
• Strong self discipline
• Independent worker with little feedback
• Trusted by supervisors
• Highly organized & proficient in time management
• Oral & written skills must be strong
• Good problem solving skills and decision making ability

There are list of benefits and a comparable list of considerations to look at when deciding whether or not to move your employees from a traditional brick and mortar configuration to a virtual office. Many organizations have had success with this transition. If you are still unsure, try a pilot program with a special select group of employees including highly productive, moderately productive, and below average employees. This will give you a jumping off point to begin evaluating whether or not this is suitable to your business model. Using a Deliberately Different approach, you can also have success with home shoring.

Content provided by AVDS
Proprietary 2010

Cloud-based communications, also known as Communications as a Service (CaaS), is a hosted solution provided & managed as a service vs. the traditional premise-based systems. This concept has been around nearly forty years, since the inception of Centrex. Many industry experts, whom remember Centrex, understand the issues associated with it. Some of those included cost, limited deployment models, no applications, and basically did not meet the markets need. With the inception of new technology such as IP-based solutions, CaaS is becoming a more viable option.

With a full list of features and applications available, businesses are looking at CaaS to run their day to day operations instead of a premised-based solution. CaaS can reduce or eliminate capital expenditures, which in this economy is a welcome piece of news. With no system to support, your IT investment will be lowered since no education or labor costs would be needed for the communications system. In addition, CaaS is a good way to ‘try and buy’. If you are thinking about a premise-based system, you can start with a specific department on CaaS and deploy a premised-based system down the road.

The CaaS model features a long list of solutions that include IP-based systems; robust applications which can be turned off or on quickly; flexible deployment; remote administration & supervisory tools; and remote agent/employee capabilities. Another critical feature in a CaaS solution is the ability to scale your needs up or down depending on your business needs. For example, if you own a catalog company, you may need to scale up during certain holiday seasons. When the season is over, you can easily scale back down again.

For businesses requiring remote agent/employee capability and a disaster recovery plan, CaaS is ideal. The contact center is leading the way in the remote workplace. With the ability to have agents all over the world, using a secure internet connection, companies are able to keep productivity high which helps their bottom line. Gartner is forecasting remote agents will grow by 25% between 2008 and 2013. A disaster recovery plan, a.k.a. business continuity, is becoming an essential part of your operating procedures. Natural disasters are more expensive to recover from and human intervention such as worms and viruses are more prevalent with each passing week. With a disaster recovery plan, where the server is hosted off-site (such as with a CaaS solution), your business is protected from unforeseen circumstances. Also the ability to have remote agents insures that in the event of an unplanned emergency, your agents can still function just as if they were at the office.

Are you ready for a CaaS solution? There are several considerations to think about:

• Is your network VoIP ready? A good provider will complete a network assessment to help you determine this.
• Do you need to extend capabilities of your current infrastructure?
• Does your business have compliance standards that must be adhered to? Are the issues with call recording, records retention, customer privacy, etc.?
• Is your current environment spread out? Do you currently have branch offices or remote workers?
• Do you plan to or have interest in moving to a premise-based solution in the future?

Once you have decided you are ready for a new communications system and determined CaaS is the way to go, the next step is choosing the right provider. There are typically four options, each with their own considerations to think about. The first option may be a traditional telephone carrier who provides your telephone lines. You may want to consider their experience in supporting telephone systems and especially complex applications. Second are the traditional hosting companies, also known as application service providers (ASP). ASP’s usually do not own the software, so there can be a lack of control. Third is the start-up CaaS/SaaS provider. As a start-up, you would want to look into their financial resources, track record, or experience which may bring an element of risk. Finally, there is the communications software company. CaaS organizations have control over the applications since they developed the software and have a great deal of experience and best practices to draw from.

As with any hosting company, you want to make sure they are running the latest technology; provide redundancy for the hardware and carrier; allow you to make the necessary changes for your business; and do not host multiple companies on the same server.

As with any large technology decision, it is best to research, research, research. CaaS is a Deliberately Different solution for any type of business – enterprise or contact center.

Content provided by AVDS.
Proprietary, 2010.

Can technology help you survive and thrive in a down economy?

Absolutely, but technology is not the total answer.   Global Custom Commerce (Blinds.com, JustBlinds.com) felt the impact of the economy on their business, a decrease in consumer spending, technology limitations in their contact center, coupled with hard to solve day-to-day operational issues were all amplified by the impact of Hurricane Ike.  

A game changing contact center solution designed and implemented by Automated Voice &  Data Solutions, reinforced by thoughtfully considered and precise operational improvements, not only stabilized the faltering business but  turned everything around to the point that in a matter of months, in this down economy, top and bottom line revenues have drastically increased.  The solution enabled GCC to:

·         Decrease contact center costs and complexity by moving to an all in one contact center solution

·         Combination of call center technology and operational improvements increased closure rates by 200%

·         Innovative contact center platform allowed GCC to decrease agent staff by 15% while supporting a 50% per agent increase in call volumes

Courage, humility and a willingness to rethink your business and take a “deliberately different” approach can be your recipe for surviving and thriving in this economy.