Improve the efficiency of your call center: Leveraging VoIP and session initiation

Transcription

1 E-Book Improve the efficiency of your call center: Leveraging VoIP and session initiation protocol (SIP) Session initiation protocol (SIP) is enabling more and more organizations today to overcome the limitations of their current contact center solutions. It permits superior delivery of customer service strategies by providing consistent, personal, and competent service throughout the customer contact channel. It also improves operational effectiveness and decreases operational and maintenance costs while simultaneously enhancing analytics and business processes. Furthermore, session initiation protocol s (SIP s) ability to create a universal approach for multiple vendors to co-exist within the contact center facilitates even more choices and lower costs. Read this E-Guide and explore how constructing your service organization around SIP and utilizing an SIP-based contact center can make managing premium service channels more effective and interactively guide lower-value clients to more cost-effective methods. Discover how voice over internet protocol (VoIP) can allow your contact centers to operate efficiently, affordably and transparently across many locations. Sponsored By:

2 Table of Contents E-Book Improve the efficiency of your call center: Leveraging VoIP and session initiation protocol (SIP) Table of Contents: Introduction to SIP IP moves Beyond Cost Savings in the Contact Center Three Steps to VoIP Implementation in the Contact Center ROI for IP Contact Centers Resources from Genesys Sponsored by: Page 2 of 17

3 Introduction to SIP Introduction to SIP By Brien M. Posey, SearchUnifiedCommunications.com Contributor One of my goals in writing this article is to make the information that I am presenting both practical and easy to understand. That being the case, I am going to avoid taking a bit-level approach to describing the protocol and focus instead on its functions. I m doing this because bit-level descriptions are typically useful to only a small group of people. If you need more detailed information than I am providing here, you can access the SIP s RFC. SIP s primary job is to control user sessions. As such, SIP contains five primary functions that allow it to perform various session-related tasks. The first of these functions is the user location function. As I m sure you know, UC deployments often involve multiple networks, each containing multiple types of devices. As such, SIP has to be able to locate the end user geographically and to know what end systems will be used by the session. The second function is user availability. This function is best known for the way that it is used in providing presence information. End users can tell the system that they are available to talk or that they are busy and do not wish to be disturbed. The third function is the user capabilities function. The basic idea behind this function is that different devices have different capabilities. For example, there are many things that a computer is capable of doing that a phone is not. The user capabilities function allows SIP to make a determination of the media being used and of the parameters that are associated with that media type. For example, will the user be communicating using voice, video or something else? The fourth function is the session setup. This is the function that is responsible for connecting a call. It establishes session parameters for both the caller and the recipient of the call. The fifth of the primary SIP functions is the session management function. This is the function that allows users to end a call, transfer a call to someone else, or make modifications to the session parameters. The protocol stack Now that I have shown you the five basic functions associated with SIP, I want to take a step back and talk about how SIP fits in with the rest of the IP-based communications that are taking place on a network. The most important thing you need to know about SIP is that it is designed only to create, manage and terminate sessions. SIP does not provide any services by itself; rather, it lays the groundwork for services to be provided by other protocols. In Figure A, you can see that SIP is an application-layer protocol and is designed to work parallel to other multimedia protocols, such as the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) and the Real Time Transport Protocol (RTTP). Of Sponsored by: Page 3 of 17

4 Introduction to SIP course, this diagram is just an example. There are numerous other protocols that can be used to create a full-blown multimedia experience. For example, the Media Gateway Control Protocol (MEGACO) is also commonly used to control the connection to the gateway to the public-switched telephone network. Figure A The SIP protocol resides at the application layer of the OSI model. Sponsored by: Page 4 of 17

5 Introduction to SIP In this diagram, the Session Definition Protocol provides SIP with a session description. This allows SIP to be aware of the type of session that needs to be established. SIP is then able to communicate through the IP network and use the session description to establish a session with the requested host. I have also shown in this diagram how RTSP and RTTP can be used alongside SIP. Neither of these protocols is an absolute requirement; they are just in the diagram for demonstration purposes. RTSP controls the delivery of streaming audio or video. RTTP provides QoS feedback to ensure that the appropriate amount of bandwidth is being reserved for the session. About the Author: Brien M. Posey, MCSE, is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his work with Windows 2000 Server and IIS. Brien has served as CIO for a nationwide chain of hospitals and was once in charge of IT security for Fort Knox. As a freelance technical writer, he has written for Microsoft, CNET, ZDNet, TechTarget, MSD2D, Relevant Technologies and other technology companies. You can visit Brien s personal website at Sponsored by: Page 5 of 17

6 82%ofcustomerssaythey woulddobusinessbasedona greatcontactcenterexperience* Isyourcontactcenterleading thewayorgetingintheway? FPO Copyright 2008GenesysTelecommunicationsLaboratories,Inc.2001JuniperoSeraBlvd.,DalyCity,CA94014.Alrightsreserved.GenesysandtheGenesys logoaretrademarksandservicemarksofgenesystelecommunicationslaboratories,inc.alothertrademarksareownedbytheirrespectiveowners.

7 IP moves Beyond Cost Savings in the Contact Center IP moves Beyond Cost Savings in the Contact Center By Jason Compton Peppers and Rogers group, SearchCRM.com Contributor It has been a fast path to legitimacy for the IP-based contact center. Not even 10 years ago the technology was a curiosity at best, exemplified by chunky, clunky phones designed by companies more accustomed to building networking equipment for closets than ergonomic office products, and the advantages were thin. In recent years IP contact centers have evolved into low-cost, efficient ways to expand existing service operations or establish new ones. Now, IP is beginning to emerge not just as a cost-cutting measure, but a customer value tool. Companies are beginning to realize that building the entire service organization around IP can make managing premium service channels more effective, giving top customers priority access to all services while interactively guiding lower-value clients to more cost-effective methods. You can both increase agent utilization with IP, and give customers more ways to deal with an agent, said Dan dacosta, head of solution marketing for Orange Business Services. In an IP contact center, it can be easier to place agents on a universal queue, handling voice, live chat, and requests at the same time. Additionally, an IP-enabled contact center lets anyone on a company s staff take customer calls. Cost-savers have long seen this as a way to bring overflow help into call queues only as needed, keeping resource costs down. However, there is also significant potential here to deliver superior customer service. The best person in the organization to handle the call regardless of job title or physical proximity can be introduced to the caller at any time. IP contact centers make your contact organization very distance-insensitive. It lets you do lots of things you used to have to do in close physical proximity, and possibly at very low cost, said Bern Elliot, Gartner research vice president. Kitty Hawk Cargo, an air shipping provider, relies on an IP-enabled system to route customers to the most appropriate agents. The company replaced its conventional voice environment contact center with an Intervoice NuContact Center solution beginning in 2003 to get ahead of its competition. Before, all of our transactions were treated the same. Now, customers can classify themselves based on what their needs are and when and how they are going to interact with our contact center, allowing us to route to our best agents, said Frank Kaiser, director of customer service for Kitty Hawk Cargo. Our environment was strictly voice, but now we have a full multimedia environment, and have been able to shave 20 to 30 seconds off our interactions without a corresponding drop off in service quality, he said. The rapid deployment of the IP contact center and its software-only integration with Kitty Hawk s internal CRM application made it easier to match customers with needs before reaching an agent. Sponsored by: Page 7 of 17

8 IP moves Beyond Cost Savings in the Contact Center Coupled with presence management, the ability to see when an agent or other employee is available for customer contact (typically provided by instant messaging for employees not on the phone queue), being routed to voic can become a thing of the past. This opens tremendous potential for first-call resolution even for complex customer issues. Anyone who could support the customer could be brought into the call. It was feasible, but difficult to do before, Gartner s Elliot said. Now you can take technology that might have only applied to a few specialized individuals, and apply it enterprise wide. Presence management also makes it possible to extend dedicated service teams to customers through multiple channels. Although specific service teams for high-value or special-requirement customers are not a new concept in the contact center, the availability of team members is hidden from customers in most environments. Presence management combined with a secure customer Web site or interactive voice response (IVR) code can make it possible for clients to see when their service team members are available and place inquiries accordingly, leading to better agent utilization, less hold times, and a closer one-to-one link with the customer. By the same token, simply using IP telephony in a contact center does not create any value in and of itself if it is treated like any old-fashioned PBX line. There is a continuum [among IP contact centers] on the one end you have very minimal changes to the way your infrastructure operates, and on the other extreme, you change the way applications integrate with the functions of the agents and with callers, Elliot said. The more you go out in that direction, the more you start finding new things to improve the customer experience. Sponsored by: Page 8 of 17

9 Copyright 2008GenesysTelecommunicationsLaboratories,Inc.2001JuniperoSeraBlvd.,DalyCity,CA94014.Alrightsreserved.GenesysandtheGenesys logoaretrademarksandservicemarksofgenesystelecommunicationslaboratories,inc.alothertrademarksareownedbytheirrespectiveowners.

10 Three Steps to VoIP Implementation in the Contact Center Three Steps to VoIP Implementation in the Contact Center By Laurent Philonenko, SearchUnifiedCommunications.com Contributor Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), or more specifically IP-based telephony, is quickly becoming the technology of choice in contact centers as companies replace their aging time-division multiplexing (TDM)-based systems with IP-based systems. This makes perfect sense. IP-based technology allows organizations to easily route multiple-channel interactions (voice, and Web) across multiple locations, so employees can handle calls more efficiently, problems can be resolved quicker, and customers can have a better overall experience. The customer experience, in fact, is entirely consistent regardless of how initial contact was made (Web, phone, self-service, etc.). Moreover, IP-based systems are considered far less expensive and much more flexible than TDM-based systems throughout the lifecycle of the contact center, from implementation and operation to support and maintenance. They also provide more consistency in communication, in general, from the viewpoint of administrators and users. In this environment, your organization may be wondering how to go about implementing its own IP-based contact center, whether as a new deployment or as a replacement for a TDM system. Dividing the process into three major steps: business planning, implementation planning, and deployment/support is a good approach. Business planning A comprehensive business plan is absolutely critical when deploying an IP-based contact center. In fact, it may be the single most important step in the deployment process. Unfortunately, many companies start IT projects without clearly linking their technology initiatives with concrete business outcomes. That s a huge mistake. Organizations must take the time to create a detailed business case for a contact center. They must specify what they wish to accomplish and how their contact center will help them achieve their goals. Naturally, the contents of the business plan vary from organization to organization. Some considerations for your company include: The industry you re in, which helps determine the contact center features you ll need If your contact center will be volume-oriented or value-oriented If your contact center will be used primarily for internal or external customers If you expect to use your contact center only for customer support or also to help generate additional sales and revenue If you ll provide service through diverse media (voice, , Web). Sponsored by: Page 10 of 17

11 Three Steps to VoIP Implementation in the Contact Center With a business plan in hand, you can link your goals to the features of your system. TDM-based users are often surprised by the rich functionality of IP-based contact centers. Being inherently distributed, a versatile IP-based system lets a single IP contact center manage all sites, delivering greater security, scalability and adaptability to different business processes. A TDM deployment requires separate administration of each site, imposing a greater financial and personnel burden. With IP, more information is available to agents, allowing them to better resolve issues and even use the call to sell new products and services. Moreover, the customer experience is consistent, whether initial contact is made through agents, through self-service, or through the Web. With IP-based contact centers, organizations have a wide range of reporting and measuring options, another important consideration during the planning process. Implementation planning Once the business plan is complete, a company can focus on its implementation plan. This step details the best way to build out the contact center so that objectives are met in terms of functionality, cost, and features. Considerations include: What s the best design for the network? How will it interface with other network components, such as voice mail or an existing customer relationship management (CRM) system? Will the system be centralized in one location or decentralized across many sites? Will customer service include a Web-based component, or only voice? How will the system be managed? How will you account for additional users, locations, or features in the future? As in the previous stage, you must consider your organization s reporting requirements. An IP-based contact center can generate a wealth of data far more than a TDM system that can be of tremendous value, allowing your company to measure your customers concerns, preferences and plans. These requirements, though, must be taken into consideration when designing and configuring the system. The types of data you wish to capture and how you want it represented must be thoroughly considered before implementation. Deployment and support If a contact center is well planned, deployment and ongoing support should proceed smoothly. For many companies, this step initially requires deciding whether to outsource these functions or keep them in house. The answer depends on several key factors, including: How large and complex is the deployment? Do you have onsite staff with the appropriate knowledge? Sponsored by: Page 11 of 17

12 Three Steps to VoIP Implementation in the Contact Center Can the current staff cover the deployment, or is additional support warranted? Most organizations choose to outsource implementation to a deployment partner. These companies are often subject to stringent certification processes and have deep expertise in the solutions of their vendors. They usually can deploy an IP-based contact center quickly and affordably. Some vendors greatly facilitate deployments by offering a preconfigured contact center system that includes the solution s most popular features. This makes implementation simple indeed, whether completed in house or outsourced. In addition to implementation, some companies outsource their system maintenance and support as well. When outsourcing, companies should get their partners involved very early in the process. Deployment partners can play a valuable role in helping clients define their requirements, build a business case and match their business goals to their contact center solution. Naturally, they re also important participants in planning for the implementation. IP-based contact centers can take customer care to a new level, particularly for organizations that formerly relied on TDM. IP technology also allows contact centers to operate efficiently, affordably and transparently across many locations. Nonetheless, it s important to remember that, like most IT projects, the greatest benefits accrue to those who thoughtfully prepare. Organizations benefit most when they engage in detailed business planning, thorough implementation planning, and knowledgeable deployment and support. About the Author: Laurent Philonenko is vice president and general manager of the customer contact business unit (CCBU) at Cisco Systems, Inc., which provides contact center and interactive voice applications to enterprises and service providers. Sponsored by: Page 12 of 17

13 *Resultsfrom AT&TSuccessStory. Copyright 2008GenesysTelecommunicationsLaboratories,Inc.2001JuniperoSeraBlvd.,DalyCity,CA94014.Alrightsreserved.GenesysandtheGenesys logoaretrademarksandservicemarksofgenesystelecommunicationslaboratories,inc.alothertrademarksareownedbytheirrespectiveowners.

14 ROI for IP Contact Centers ROI for IP Contact Centers By Donna Fluss, SearchCRM.com Contributor The technology landscape for multi-site contact centers has undergone a transformation in recent years thanks to Internet Protocol (IP). It s a transformation that can mean big savings for organizations. IP can cost effectively move any transaction type data, voice, video, , etc. anywhere in the world. This enhances business flexibility and eliminates the physical and geographical restrictions that previously limited how enterprises used their contact centers. When used properly, IP can deliver payback in 12 months or less. By creating fully-integrated environments for routing and queuing voice transactions, IP: Eliminates the need for expensive network and carrier services. Increases agent productivity by improving routing efficiency. Reduces hardware and support spending. Together, these benefits comprise a robust business case for IP contact centers. ROI advantage of IP An IP-enabled multi-site architecture eliminates the need for each contact center site to have its own set of applications, such as interactive voice response (IVR) and workforce management (WFM). This architecture requires a centralized gateway and one set of related applications, plus an optional second hub for redundancy (it is always a good idea to have a back-up site that is part of the environment with a fully redundant set of applications). This approach enables enterprises to standardize and simplify ongoing system support and maintenance. It also significantly reduces operating expenses, administrative overhead and maintenance costs. Once in place, this architecture easily extends to any location that can connect to an IP network. The centralized ACD functionality and applications can support secondary sites remote locations, branch/retail offices, at-home agents or outsourcers, located anywhere in the world. Enterprises can then extend activities rapidly and cost effectively to meet changing business requirements. Enterprises no longer need to acquire new contact center infrastructure and applications every time they want to set up a new site. IP contact center routing advantage In an IP-based multi-site contact center architecture, all incoming calls are delivered to a centralized IP gateway. The centralized gateway converts all traffic, whether it originates from a time-division multiplexing (TDM) or IP switch into an IP media stream. No advanced network management features are required to route calls to the central site for processing. Once the calls are converted into IP media streams, they are managed and tracked by the contact center s application functionality, which resides in a central hub. Each call is routed across the IP network to the next appropriate agent, regardless of whether they are located in a formal contact center facility, a branch office, a home office or at an outsourcer. If necessary, calls can be converted Sponsored by: Page 14 of 17

15 ROI for IP Contact Centers back to TDM to preserve the value of legacy equipment in specific locations. This approach eliminates the need for network pre-routing, network services such as transfer-connect and ACD routing at each site. It simplifies call processing and eliminates the need for expensive network management, as calls no longer need to be transferred back and forth among switches and carriers. IP improving the old contact center In the early 2000s, contact center sites operated on a stand-alone basis and each required a full set of systems and applications. These included the primary infrastructure for routing and queuing (ACD), IVR for customer self-service, logging functionality to record all calls, CTI for screen pops, quality assurance (QA) applications to allow supervisors to evaluate agent performance, and WFM for agent forecasting and scheduling. Economies of scale could be realized by sharing contact center agents between sites, but certain routing and queuing inefficiencies were inherent in multi-site operating environments. Additionally, network management costs and carrier fees were very expensive for companies that required these services to allocate calls among their physically dispersed sites. Today, call centers can avoid most of these problems and realize a significant payback by using IP technology. Case study: Delta Air Lines After years of encountering challenges typical of companies with large multi-site contact center environments, Delta contracted Avaya to create an international IP network. As a result of the project, Delta achieved $16 million in annual telecommunications savings. Delta s total investment in the network was $12 million and payback came within nine months. However, telecommunications savings were not the only hard benefits of the IP network. Delta s 2% increase in routing efficiency represented agent annual productivity savings of $7.2 million. IP also allowed Delta to realize hardware and support savings by eliminating hundreds of servers and a dozen ACDs. Conclusion While the ROI-based business case for IP is extremely robust, as in Delta s case, it is important to remember IP s greater benefits: * IP optimizes routing and agent performance by managing all representatives as one group, regardless of their physical location. * IP eliminates scalability limitations, allowing enterprises to interconnect as many diverse switches as needed, from anywhere in the world. These are the operational benefits that, in conjunction with the ROI case, make IP a highly worthy contact center technology. Sponsored by: Page 15 of 17

16 ROI for IP Contact Centers About the Author: Donna Fluss is the founder and principal of DMG Consulting LLC, a firm specializing in customer-focused business strategy, operations and technology services for Global 2000 and emerging companies. Ms. Fluss is a recognized thought leader and innovator in CRM, contact center and real-time analytics. For over 23 years, she has helped end users build world-class differentiated contact centers and vendors develop high-value solutions for the market. She is the author of the book, The Real-Time Contact Center and many leading industry reports, including the 2006 and 2007 Speech Analytics Market Report and the annual Quality Management/Liability Recording Product and Market Report. Sponsored by: Page 16 of 17

17 Resources from Genesys Resources from Genesys Proactive Business Management AT&T Story and Flash Demo icfd: Rolling Out the Red Carpet Global Consumer Survey About Genesys Genesys, an Alcatel-Lucent company, is the only company that focuses 100% on software to manage customer interactions over the phone, Web and in . The Genesys software suite dynamically connects customers with the right resources self-service or assisted-service to fulfill customer requests, optimize customer care goals and efficiently use resources. Genesys software directs more than 100 million customer interactions every day for 4,000 companies and government agencies in 80 countries. These companies and agencies can leverage their entire organization, from the contact center to the back office, to improve the overall customer experience. As a result, Genesys helps stop customer frustration, drive efficiency and accelerate business innovation. For more information, go to our homepage Sponsored by: Page 17 of 17