Oracle PeopleSoft CRM Integration into the Contact Center. Technical Integration Brief

Transcription

1 Oracle PeopleSoft CRM Integration into the Contact Center Technical Integration Brief

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents... 2 Introduction... 3 Integration Overview... 4 Customer Need... 5 Process Scenario... 6 Integration Architecture... 7 Integration Features and Functionality... 8 System Architecture Installation and Deployment AMC Component Deployment Considerations Checklist for a Detailed Integration Study How to Obtain Integration Software and Services About AMC Technology Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 2

3 Introduction This document provides a technical integration brief explaining how a CRM application can be integrated into the contact center by using vendor certified offthe-shelf software from AMC Technology. The AMC server based solution reduces the integration project from months down to days. Because the solution is vendor certified, it provides a future proof solution and also permits customization without breaking the CRM and Contact Center integration. This document explains the technical details of contact center integration in general, as well as the specifics of the AMC solution deployment Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 3

4 Integration Overview AMC solutions for Oracle s PeopleSoft Enterprise CRM provide packaged integration that delivers real-time connectivity with leading contact center solutions from Aspect, Avaya, Cisco, Nortel and others. The implementation helps manage customer interactions more efficiently to improve customer satisfaction. Contact centers can enable full telephony (CTI) functionality in their PeopleSoft CRM desktop including softphone controls, call identification and screen population. The AMC PeopleSoft solution integrates with the MultiChannel Framework (MCF) through PSMACPI and the REN Server. This is a more robust, stable and fully functional integration that delivers a PeopleSoft screen pop based on call attached data such as ANI, DNIS, and IVR captured customer responses and data dips. It provides contact center agents full work state management: logon and logoff to the ACD, as well as ready, work not ready, not ready and not ready with reason code for all channel vendors. It integrates with the channel controls of the PeopleSoft MCC to provide full call control. Contact center agents and knowledge workers can place, receive and transfer customer interactions with full, real-time access to PeopleSoft CRM customer data. Call routing can be enhanced using business rules and customer data residing in PeopleSoft CRM to ensure that the right customer reaches the right agent at the right time Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 4

5 Customer Need Contact centers are continuously seeking ways to improve customer service and operational effectiveness. Implementing new or expanded systems across contact center and CRM applications is a critical means to achieve improvement objectives including: Improve the customer experience through more personalized, tailored, and/or expanded customer service. Improve operational effectiveness through more efficient processes, distributed or centralized staffing, and/or simpler, consolidated desktop applications. With the continued expansion of packaged CRM applications into contact center and knowledge worker environments, companies are looking to achieve their objectives through enhanced CRM agent functionality and better utilization of the customer data contained in their CRM application. Integration of their contact center systems and CRM applications is central to the success of these initiatives. A contact center that is investing in integration requires a solution that: Supports a full range of contact center functionality for their specific systems; Is proven, tested and certified/validated for the systems being integrated; and, Supplied by a provider with the requisite domain expertise and credibility. The need is also increasing outside of the formal contact center for individual subject experts who deal with customers, vendors or partners to share the benefits that CRM applications bring to the enterprise. By placing information more readily at the finger tips of sales representatives, marketing personnel, technical support engineers and others, these knowledge workers can also improve their productivity and effectiveness Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 5

6 Process Scenario AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite for Oracle PeopleSoft CRM provides prepackaged integration that delivers real-time connectivity with leading contact center and CTI solutions including Avaya, Cisco, Nortel, Aspect and others. Through this integration, contact centers can improve call management and enable full telephony (CTI) functionality in the Oracle PeopleSoft CRM desktop including agent login and work mode, softphone controls, caller identification and screen population. Agents and knowledge workers can place, receive and transfer customer interactions with full, real-time access to Oracle PeopleSoft customer data. Call routing can be enhanced using business rules and customer data residing in Oracle PeopleSoft to ensure that the right customer reaches the right agent at the right time. The open architecture of the AMC product suite allows contact centers to manage a true multi-vendor environment leveraging existing or new infrastructure investment. Customer Call Management Example 1. An incoming customer call to the contact center reaches the IVR/PBX switch which then signals the event to the CTI server and passes any appropriate call data. 2. The CTI server, through its standard communications API, interfaces with the AMC Telephony Connector that passes the event data to the central queue manager in AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite (MCIS). 3. AMC MCIS communicates the event data, via the AMC PeopleSoft adapter communicates with the MultiChannel Framework (MCF) through PSMACPI and the REN Server. 4. The Oracle PeopleSoft CRM uses the event data to perform a look-up of the customer information. 5. The agent s Oracle PeopleSoft CRM desktop populates with customer information simultaneous with the arrival of the call to the agent s phone Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 6

7 Integration Architecture Component Architecture - AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite The AMC product suite consists of key components that provide pre-packaged, server-based integration between Oracle PeopleSoft CRM Applications and contact center solutions from leading vendors. AMC Multi-Channel Integration Server (MCIS) is the central server component that manages the flow of interactions and interfaces with other systems through the following two components. AMC Application Adapter for Oracle PeopleSoft provides the interface with Oracle PeopleSoft and manages the real-time exchange of information with MCIS. It utilizes the PSMCAPI interface. PeopleSoft PSMCAPI runs off the REN server. That is the Real Time Notification Server that PeopleSoft runs along with the CRM server. AMC Telephony Connectors serve as translators to facilitate the real-time flow of events and call data between the CTI server and MCIS. Telephony Connectors are available for a wide range of leading CTI servers including Avaya, Cisco, Nortel and others Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 7

8 Integration Features and Functionality Quick Summary of Supported Functionality Largely anything the Call Center Agent can do with the hard phone, they can do within the PeopleSoft user interface. The hard phone is in synch with what s happening on the screen. There is also a screen pop based on call attached data. Agent Session Functions o o Agent Login/Logout - Agent can log in and out of the queue Work Modes Agent can set work mode status Ready / Not Ready Switch can control work modes After Call Work / AUX Work Support for reason codes Support for RONA return on no answer Desktop Telephony Controls o o Answer, Release, Hold, Retrieve Conference, Warm and Blind Transfer Call Attached Data (CAD) o o o Automatic Number Identification (ANI) Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) User Enter Digits (unique identifier) from IVR or automated attendant Collaborative routing / adjunct routing request Application screen pop based on call attached data Key Features Pre-packaged integration between PeopleSoft and leading contact center solutions. Full telephony (CTI) functionality for screen pop, session control, and call control through CRM application desktop and softphone Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 8

9 Supports standard CTI server interfaces including those from Aspect, Avaya, Cisco, Nortel and others. Provides a robust, proven architecture that has been successfully deployed at large enterprises worldwide. Key Benefits Allows contact centers to expand the functionality of their PeopleSoft application desktop to support full contact center capabilities. Allows agents to effectively place, receive, and transfer interactions with full, real-time access to customer data in PeopleSoft CRM. Enables real-time management of customer interactions in a true multivendor environment leveraging existing or new infrastructure investment. Provides a validated solution for efficient implementation and a lower total cost of ownership. Reduces the time, expense and risk of adding new features, additional sites, new communication channels, and new applications, such as Oracle Fusion. Integration with the Oracle PeopleSoft CRM Architecture Through the PeopleSoft Multi-Channel Framework, REN Server and PeopleSoft Multi-Channel API (PSMCAPI), AMC provides pre-packaged, server-based integration with leading telephony solutions. This integration enables CTI functions including softphone controls, caller identification, and screen population of PeopleSoft application modules. AMC s architecture separates the communication connectors and application adapters. This allows companies to upgrade their communication and application components independently, taking advantage of new releases and new features, or even adding new contact channels without a major re-integration project. This reduces risk and provides a safe, evolutionary path to the promise of new technologies such as Oracle Fusion. Support for Heterogeneous Contact Center, CTI, and Telephony Platforms The AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite for Oracle PeopleSoft CRM supports integration with numerous CTI servers, contact center systems and telephony switches from leading vendors. Please refer to the AMC product documentation for a complete list of fully supported CTI systems and telephony switches Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 9

10 Support for Customized Contact Center Functionality Through the AMC Application Adapter for Oracle PeopleSoft CRM, the AMC product suite enables PeopleSoft CRM Certified developers to use AMC commands, events and call data to develop and enhance their Oracle PeopleSoft CRM applications for custom contact center functionality. Agent Login / Logout Agent can login and logout of the queue through desktop controls. Login and logout is synchronized with the agent s hard phone. Agent Work Mode Settings Agent can set work mode to specific work status: ready, not ready, wrap-up or after call work mode. Hoteling Hoteling allows you to have the same agents work from different workstations. It is possible to have agents to login to PeopleSoft CRM applications and ACD queues from any telesets and computers configured for this purpose. For more information regarding this functionality, see the appropriate PeopleSoft CRM documentation. Desktop Telephony Controls The Integration supports the following standard telephony features: Answer call: an agent can answer an incoming call. Drop call: an agent can drop a connected call. Hold and Retrieve: an agent can place a call on hold and retrieve a call on hold. Make call: an agent can make or place a call. Blind transfer: an agent can transfer a call to another agent without consulting with the agent. Warm transfer (with Reconnect option): an agent can transfer a call to another agent after consulting with the agent. Optionally, the agent can reconnect to the call after the consultation. Conference (with Reconnect option): an agent can conduct a conference with another agent. Optionally, the agent can reconnect to a call after the conference Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 10

11 Call Attached Data Transfer and conference functionality can be accompanied with relevant attached data including ANI, DNIS and any custom data provided by the underlying switch, IVR and/or vendor CTI software. Meeting Business Objectives Technical functionality only exists to support the business ROI strategy. When it comes to Contact Center and CRM integration ROI analysis, the overall effect of the customer contact must be examined. The objectives of this examination are to improve the customer experience, and to improve the operational and IT efficiency. AMC Technology business solutions can help to Improve Customer Experience Significantly Reduce Hold Times Improve Agent Responsiveness Improve Self-Service Options Customer Identity Verified Once Improve Operational Efficiency Fully Leverage the CRM Application Blending of Inbound and Outbound Calling Expand Self-Service Options Improve IT Efficiency CRM vendor certified solution provides insulation against the risks associated with future upgrades, as well as providing a guaranteed working solution on top of which customizations can be added. Contact Center Certified Solution provides an ability to mix and match vendors, have non-homogeneous multi-site contact centers, and insulates against the risks of breaking the integration whenever a software or hardware upgrade is undertaken Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 11

12 System Architecture AMC System Requirements The below diagram is what a typical deployment could look like. In addition to the components shown, the PBX / ACD could have an IVR hanging off of it. As seen in the diagram, AMC provides the specific connector for the protocols that the CTI manufacturer publishes. The application adapter from AMC is written specifically for and is certified against PeopleSoft s PSMCAPI running on the REN server. The REN server is connected to the PeopleSoft application server where the agents log in and perform their daily activities. The AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite for Oracle PeopleSoft CRM is a serverbased application that must be deployed in a server environment. The AMC product components, AMC Multi-Channel Integration Server and AMC Telephony Connector, are installed on a stand-alone physical server or co-resident with other CTI systems. See AMC Component Deployment Options below. Please refer to the AMC product documentation for a complete list of fully supported CTI systems and telephony switches Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 12

13 AMC MCIS Adapter for PeopleSoft CRM Through the PeopleSoft Multi-Channel Framework, AMC provides a pre-packaged, server-based integration with leading telephony solutions including Avaya, Cisco and Nortel. The AMC solution consists of the MCIS server, one or more communications connectors, and the AMC PeopleSoft adapter communicating through PSMCAPI to the REN Server. It supports PeopleTools 8.45 and greater. Minimum System Requirements PeopleSoft Components o PeopleSoft 8.9 [validated by Oracle] (also supporting PeopleSoft 9.0) o PeopleTools [validated by Oracle] o 8.45, 8.46, 8.47 (certification against 8.48 and 8.49 forthcoming) o MultiChannel Framework (MCF) o REN Server Platform Infrastructure o AMC MCIS Server on Windows 2003 Server o Microsoft.NET Framework V2.0 Voice Channel o Inbound and Outbound Telephony o Supports AMC Connectors for all vendors 2008 Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 13

14 Hardware Requirements Please refer to AMC Hardware Requirements for server hardware requirements. Please refer to PeopleSoft CRM Supported Platforms for details on PeopleSoft CRM client and server hardware requirements. Networking Requirements TCP/IP via network LAN or WAN. PeopleSoft CRM System Requirements Please refer to the System Requirements and Supported Platforms document or PeopleSoft CRM Support Web for details on PeopleSoft CRM client and server hardware requirements. Installation and Deployment Installation and Deployment Process Overview Installation and deployment of AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite for Oracle PeopleSoft CRM is typically completed in less than ten business days assuming that site preparation prerequisites are completed. Additional time is required to complete integration testing between Oracle PeopleSoft CRM and the telephony systems as well as the implementation of all contact center scripting and workflow within Oracle PeopleSoft CRM. Please refer to the AMC installation and implementation documentation for detailed installation instructions on the AMC product suite. This includes the AMC Application Adapter for Oracle PeopleSoft CRM Implementation Guide Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 14

15 AMC Component Deployment Considerations AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite supports various deployment options depending on the customer s specific environment. Here are some considerations: Co-Residency: The AMC product suite provides for server economies by supporting operation on the same physical server as PeopleSoft CRM Server components and certain vendor CTI servers. Please contact AMC Technology for specific details of deployment options. Remote Systems: If the contact center systems (PBX, CTI server, etc.) are located remote from the Oracle PeopleSoft CRM applications, then AMC MCIS server is deployed local to the contact center systems, specifically the CTI server. The AMC MCIS server will communicate via the customer s WAN to the REN Server. Multiple Contact Centers: If the customer is operating multiple contact centers that utilize a central Oracle PeopleSoft CRM system, then AMC MCIS server is deployed local to each of the contact center systems. Each AMC MCIS server will communicate via the customer s WAN to the REN Server Cluster that is co-resident with the PeopleSoft Application Server Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 15

16 Oracle PeopleSoft CRM Integration Considerations Through the AMC Application Adapter for Oracle PeopleSoft CRM, the AMC product suite enables PeopleSoft CRM Certified developers to use AMC commands, events and call data to develop and enhance their Oracle PeopleSoft CRM applications. For more information on Oracle PeopleSoft CRM, refer to the documentation distributed with Oracle PeopleSoft CRM. For more information on AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite for Oracle PeopleSoft CRM, refer to relevant documentation (Data sheet, Implementation Guide, etc.) available from AMC Technology. Checklist for a Detailed Integration Study Contact center integration projects can have a high degree of project complexity. To maximize project effectiveness and minimize project risk, AMC recommends conducting the AMC Integration Study. The Integration Study is conducted by an AMC Solutions Engineer with expertise gained from numerous integration implementation projects throughout the world. AMC will work closely with the customer, as well as with partners and third-party consultants, to develop a project roadmap to help ensure a successful implementation. Focus of the Integration Study Technical Environment Hardware and software infrastructure o PBX, IVR, ACD, CTI, CRM, others o Vendors, models, release levels, sizing Network infrastructure o Topology, configuration, locations, data and call flows Current and proposed architectures Business Environment Type of contact center o Outbound, inbound or both o Sales, service, marketing, or helpdesk o Communication channels supported Agent organization structure o Agent numbers, roles, locations o Desktop applications 2008 Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 16

17 Call flow o IVR, UED, scripting, routing o flow (in/out bound, auto-response) Data flow o Customer entered data o Agent required data Transaction flow o Agent activities, tasks and interaction work flow Reporting o Technical and business data o Current reporting system or software Project Requirements AMC recommendations o Technical, business, architecture, project Critical success factors Time and schedule estimates o Key tasks, time estimates, project schedule Resource requirements o Staffing and skills Methodology Using a time-proven methodology, AMC conducts an exploration of the customer's technical and business environment to formulate project recommendations and a project roadmap based on the customer s integration objectives. Key Project Steps Project initiation meeting between AMC and the customer team Exploration of the customer s business and technical environment Formulation of recommendations and a roadmap for the integration project Presentation of all findings to the customer in a final document for review Deployment Skill Requirements Installation and configuration of AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite for Oracle PeopleSoft CRM requires a working knowledge of the AMC product suite, the specific vendor CTI server in use, telephony events, Oracle PeopleSoft CRM and PeopleTools. This person(s) must have appropriate access and privileges to the physical servers and software being deployed Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 17

18 How to Obtain Integration Software and Services AMC Technology Products License the AMC product suite from AMC Technology, LLC by calling or by sending an to PeopleSoft CRM Business Applications License PeopleSoft CRM Business applications from your PeopleSoft CRM Systems sales representative. Other Software or Hardware CTI software and other required telephony systems should be obtained directly from the vendor(s) of these products. Please contact AMC or refer to the AMC product documentation for a complete list of fully supported contact center systems, CTI servers and telephony switches Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 18

19 About AMC Technology AMC Technology is a leading provider of multi-channel integration solutions that allow contact centers to manage efficiently all types of customer interactions and deliver superior levels of customer service. AMC Multi-Channel Integration Suite features an open architecture that seamlessly integrates customer relationship management (CRM) applications and contact center solutions. Used every day by thousands of call center agents around the globe, AMC s pre-packaged MCISTM product integrates CRM applications such as Oracle Siebel and PeopleSoft CRM with contact center solutions such as Avaya, Cisco, Aspect, and Nortel. Founded in 1995, AMC Technology is listed on Inc. magazine s 500 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. Please contact AMC at OracleIntegration@AMCTechnology.com Phone +1 (804) Web AMC Technology, L.L.C Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 101, Richmond, Virginia Tel: Fax: OracleIntegration@AMCTechnology.com AMC Technology L.L.C. All rights reserved. Rev All product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners Copyright AMC Technology, L.L.C. Page 19