" ASSESS YOUR TECHNOLOGY IN RELATION TO YOUR STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES . TECHNOLOGY IS NOT A SOLUTION IN AND OF ITSELF , BUT AN ENABLER OF SUCCESS ."
CASE STUDY
WHAT , IF ANY , OBSTACLES WERE ENCOUNTERED AND HOW WERE THEY OVERCOME ?
A : There were challenges with some of the technical components and the “ newness ” of the Amazon Connect integration with Verint .
The teams worked together and with AWS ( Amazon Web Services ) to help resolve issues as they arose . Typical implementation bugs and defects were identified and corrected . We worked through some scoping issues on the project and reporting was a challenge . But through a lot of work we were able to resolve the issues and get the critical information to the WFM team and , in turn , our Operations team .
It was challenging implementing two new cloud based tools simultaneously . But the diligent work and efforts by all parties enabled us to complete the work and be in a position to service our agents and clients effectively through peak holiday season . Since that time , we have continued to refine and improve the integration , configuration , and usage of the platform .
WHAT IMPACT DID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAVE ON YOUR COMPANY , AND ON YOUR CLOUD PROJECT ?
A : The pandemic had significant impacts on our clients and in turn , on our business . We experienced significant demand on the customer care contacts and our clients were navigating supply chain challenges .
We worked with our clients to enable them to deliver for their customers in new ways , i . e ., buy online with curbside pickup , and implement more self-service customer care options .
The dramatic increase in volume helped solidify the need to explore more flexible options in our technology solutions and helped accelerate decisions to move systems to the cloud . The ongoing shift in labor to a remote model further reinforced the benefits that cloud solutions could provide .
WHAT WERE THE RESULTS AND HOW DID THEY ALIGN WITH THE GOALS ?
A : We were able to achieve a project implementation within the critical window . Although it was elongated , we did not run over budget nor did we have to cease the project and default to the legacy on-premise solutions we had in place for peak season 2022 .
We have been able to use the enhanced features and are positioned to take advantage of the latest Verint products and services should we choose to do so .
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS ?
A : We will continue to refine the workflows , build out agent scorecards , evolve the omnichannel planning , and assess any future artificial intelligence ( AI ) -based capabilities that Verint brings to the table .
We ’ re now gearing up to deploy Generative AI chatbots in the very near future . And we are looking at ways to leverage GenAI to support agents and the broader business , with the goal being to make knowledge more accessible .
All of our core tools are now hosted in the cloud , and we have the flexibility we need to more efficiently operate our customer care business .
" ASSESS YOUR TECHNOLOGY IN RELATION TO YOUR STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES . TECHNOLOGY IS NOT A SOLUTION IN AND OF ITSELF , BUT AN ENABLER OF SUCCESS ."
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ?
A :
• Assess your technology in relation to your strategic imperatives . Technology is not a solution in and of itself , but an enabler of success .
• Partner closely with your technical resources and experts when assessing new technologies or upgrades .
• Work with your business leadership to ensure you are addressing the needs of the agents , customers , and clients . A holistic approach to evolving and maintaining your technical capabilities is critical to helping drive successful outcomes .
• Invest in the future through proper planning in the now . Assess and experiment with new tech , i . e ., Generative AI , to see how this can continue to elevate and empower your workforce .
Brendan Read is Editor of Contact Center Pipeline . He has been covering and working in customer service and sales and for contact center companies for most of his career . Brendan has edited and written for leading industry publications and has been an industry analyst . He also has authored and co-authored books on contact center design , customer support , and working from home . Brendan can be reached at brendan @ contactcenterpipeline . com .
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