Grand Prize for each sector of Contact Center Awards 2008 decided!

Transcription

1 Grand Prize for each sector of Contact Center Awards 2008 decided! Softbank BB, Seven Bank, and Panasonic AVC Networks Company were awarded The final review for the Contact Center Awards 2008 (Hosted by: RIC TELECOM Computer Telephony magazine; Jointly hosted by: CCA, Inc.; Sponsored by: Avaya Japan Ltd., NEC Corporation, GENESYS JAPAN Co., Ltd., Fujitsu Limited, JustSystems Corporation, Aspect Software Japan Ltd., P&W Solutions Co., Ltd., GN Netcom Japan, Ltd., S&I Co., Ltd., in random order) was held on July 16 in Kokuyo Hall in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The awarding system is open-style; efforts for business improvements made by company-operated call centers (contact centers) are entered and evaluated mutually by the participants. There are four entry sectors: People, Operation, Strategy and Technology. There were 26 entries from 22 companies this year. The top eight companies were selected through the presentation session (on June 20), which was held by participating companies only, and votes based on entry documents uploaded on the website. These companies went on to the final review as winners of the sectoral prizes. Following the strict examination by the jury, the Grand Prize awards for three sectors other than the Operation Sector were decided as follows. Best Technology of the Year Award: Development of Call Script Solutions (Effort in Total Knowledge Management Utilizing the Ability of the Worksite) by SOFTBANK BB Corp. Best People of the Year Award: Challenge toward BEST FOR YOU by Seven Bank, Ltd. Best Strategy of the Year Awarde: Monitoring Training on Customers Opinions, Participated in by All Employees by Panasonic AVC Networks Company In addition, Softbank BB s Attempt for 100% Paperless by SOFTBANK BB Corp. was selected for the Jury s Special Award. Each company that won a Sector Grand Prize received a trophy and supplementary prizes (headsets made by GN Netcom Japan and mangos grown in Miyazaki). The award ceremony for the eight sectoral prize winners was also held during the final review. The award-winning companies of each sector and their highly-evaluated points are as follows. <Technology Sector Grand Prize>: The masterful use of technology in call center operations was evaluated highly. SOFTBANK BB Corp. Development of Call Script Solutions (Effort in Total Knowledge Management Utilizing the Ability of the Worksite)

2 <People Sector Grand Prize>: The high-level know-how in human resource management, including recruitment and training, was evaluated highly. RICOH TECHNOSYSTEMS Co., Ltd. Attempt for Zero Downtime Improvement of Tele-maintenance Seven Bank, Ltd. Challenge toward BEST FOR YOU Johnson & Johnson K.K. Vision Care Company Find Delighters! Human Resource Development Starts at the Point of Recruitment FUJITSU COMMUNICATION SERVICES LIMITED Practice of Support Science in Our Company, Approach for the Establishment of the Supervisor Skill Recognition System <Strategy Sector Grand Prize>: Business improvement activities such as the establishment of strategic work processes/workflows were highly evaluated. SOFTBANK BB Corp. Softbank BB s Attempt for 100% Paperless Sony Corporation Establishment of a Support System Maximizing the Utility Value for Customers Launch of Sony Products Support Team, an Ultimate Team of Experts Panasonic AVC Networks Company Monitoring Training on Customers Opinion Participated in by All Employees Reasons for Awarding the Best Sector of the Year The presentations given in the presentation session of the final review all fully explained unique approaches made and clear results obtained. The following were the decisive factors for awarding the prizes. The presentation by SOFTBANK BB Corp., which won the Technology Sector Grand Prize, was evaluated highly because the project developed a script application supporting highly sophisticated and natural response operations, and achieved improvements in customer satisfaction and productivity. The presentation by Seven Bank, Ltd., which won the People Sector Grand Prize, was rated highly for its process that enabled it to achieve, in just one year, levels of service and quality equivalent to those of bases with a seven-year history of operation. The decisive point of evaluation for the presentation by Panasonic AVC Networks Company, winning the Strategy Sector Grand Prize, was that the project led to the voice of customers (VOC) directly influencing product development and the improvement of service, by asking departments outside the call center to monitor the details of answering at the center. Comments by Companies Winning the Best Sector of the Year Awards Mr. Nobuyuki Masaki, Web Solution Department, Planning Division, Customer Service Headquarters, as well as Marketing Planning Department, Business Development Division, BPO Business Promotion Headquarters, SOFTBANK BB Corp. I feel so honored for our call script, which was developed by utilizing the strengths of the worksite

3 and integrating the wisdom, knowledge and experience of the company, to receive such a prestigious award. I believe that at the work site there was a strong will to satisfy customers that made it possible to overcome tasks that had been unseen by the development team, and to promote the integration of total knowledge management into a single package. We will continue to utilize the strengths of the worksite and strive to constantly improve the call script solution. Thank you very much for the Technology Sector Grand Prize. Ms. Yoko Yamada, Quality Assurance Staff Member, Ms. Kaori Matsumura, Supervisor, and Ms. Mika Yoshida, Supervisor of Telephone Center Osaka, Seven Bank, Ltd. We are thrilled, surprised, grateful, and have many more feelings we cannot put into words. We are proud to receive an honorable prize as the representatives of Seven Bank, a company that prioritizes customers. The trophy is placed at the middle of the floor of the center. Feeling the confidence that comes with having the number one center, while remaining humble, we will try our best in our second year as well. Thank you very much! Ms. Etsuko Tanaka, Manager, VOC Office, CS Promotion Center, Panasonic AVC Networks Corp. /Advisory Specialist for Consumers Affairs Our company has been implementing monitoring training as a part of VOC activities. In order to provide products and services which highly satisfy customers, it is important that all employees listen to customers and repeat the process of setting improvement goals and achieving the goals. Encouraged by winning this award, we will make further efforts from now on to realize global excellence. Selection Process These awards have been held from 2004 using Japan s first open-style awarding system, utilizing methods such as open entry via website and mutual evaluation of reports, and they aim to provide occasions for contact center operators to participate in awareness building and brainstorming. In its fifth year, 22 companies (26 entries) in fields such as manufacturing, finance, sales/service, IT and ISP entered the competition. Following the presentation session wherein participating companies make presentations of their entry projects, the top eight companies in terms of the number of votes obtained from participating companies were selected as sectoral prize winners. In the final review, the eight prize-winning companies made their entry project presentations anew, and the grand prize winner for each sector was decided through examination by jury. The jury members of the final review are as follows. Kazuhiko Nishijima (President, Quality Sourcing Corporation) Yoshio Matsushita (Partner, Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting Co., Ltd.) Masuo Sato (General Manager, Business Consulting, General Services, Inc.) Yuko Kuraki (Consultant, Contact Center of Senior Advantage USA) Ryuji Yajima (Chief Editor of Computer Telephony, RIC TELECOM) Osamu Taniguchi (President, CCA, Inc.) Review of Contact Center Award 2008

4 Osamu Taniguchi, President, CCA, Inc. Considering the opinions from past participants, the Contact Center Award in its fifth year took the format of presenting achievements of efforts made in the previous fiscal year in four categories, namely People, Operation, Strategy and Technology, which are the four elements in operating a call center. This led to more focused presentations of activity achievements, and as a result of such presentations and votes by participants, eight companies were selected. However, in reality, there were many more presentations that can serve as models for others, and choosing the eight finalists was a heartbreaking decision. There were various efforts made by different companies for problems and solutions of the call center, which is the front line of customer response, and every effort was quite impressive. We hope that more call centers will participate in the award to learn from other companies, compete with them and improve their quality in the future. * What is Contact Center Award 2008? While companies are becoming even more service-oriented, the contact center serves an important role as an expert organization in charge of professionally responding to clients. However, because customers expectations change from time to time, the development of expert knowledge and skills, as well as ceaseless effort will become necessary to continuously exceed their expectations. In order to operate call centers more promptly and efficiently, it is important for various companies to share their efforts and approaches and have an occasion for brainstorming. The Contact Award was started under such a viewpoint. The award upholds the vision of pursuing the ideal format of contact center management conducive to company management and intends to implement the following missions. (1) Share know-how and information and provide an occasion for open brainstorming (2) Provide an occasion for introducing spontaneous attempts and efforts (3) Provide a process for continuous improvement/reformation based on a scientific mechanism, rather than relying on individual experience and intuition (4) Evaluate and examine using an objective, fair and neutral method (5) Aim to establish a standard of contact center management The award aims to become a valuable occasion for mutual exchange between those involved in contact centers from various standpoints. This award has been jointly held by RIC TELECOM, publishing Computer Telephony, the only monthly magazine for the industry, and CCA, Inc. providing practical management know-how through books, publications, and education and training programs. It has been held under the cooperation of Avaya Japan Ltd., NEC Corporation, GENESYS JAPAN Co., Ltd., Fujitsu Limited, JustSystems Corporation, Aspect Software Japan Ltd., P&W Solutions Co., Ltd., GN Netcom Japan, Ltd., S&I Co., Ltd. (in random order). <For further information> Contact Center Award Organizing Office (Tel: , contact@cc-award.com)

5 For the summary of the award, please refer to: <Scene from a presentation made in the final review>