Avaya, the former Enterprise Networks Group to be spun off from Lucent Technologies later this year, has announced an innovative, comprehensive suite of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and tools to help businesses optimise the way they support customer contacts, manage information and deliver work across their enterprises.
Called CRM Central 2000, the solution makes it easier for businesses to consistently deliver on their commitments to customers.
National City Bank in Cleveland, USA, is the first business to take advantage of CRM Central 2000.
"Businesses are finding that the development of long-term customer relationships are critical for growth," said John van der Linde, customer care director of Avaya. "CRM Central 2000 provides the tools and intelligence to manage all customer interactions to completion, and helps deliver the kind of compelling experiences that keep customers coming back again and again."
For the first time, businesses will have a powerful software engine that supports multi-media customer contacts, manages and delivers critical business and customer information, automatically triggers the work required to fulfil requests, and monitors service levels to ensure quality.
CRM Central 2000 helps ensure all customer contacts and queries are supported by the company`s best resources, and that all required tasks are completed. The solution integrates all areas where companies interact with customers - from the front-office call centre to supporting functions such as order processing, fulfilment, billing and back-office processes.
CRM Central 2000 directs customer contacts - through multiple media channels such as voice, fax, letter, e-mail and Internet - to the appropriate resource based on criteria set up by the business. Criteria can be based on historical information - such as customers` buying preferences - or circumstantial information such as customer contact volumes. For traditional voice contacts, CRM Central 2000 can work with routing patterns already programmed into a company`s telephone switch software, or ACD - including call handling enabled by Avaya`s CentreVu Advocate, the industry` s most advanced routing software.
CRM Central 2000 includes reporting capabilities, and process and flow design tools, so businesses can constantly monitor how they are meeting customers` needs and make rapid adjustments as required. The software captures all customer interactions, so workers at any stage of service or fulfilment can see the customer`s entire relationship with the company - including a complete case history, required tasks to fulfil requests and related documents.
The solution`s first customer, National City Bank, is a bank holding company that offers a full range of financial services to businesses and consumers. CRM Central 2000 helps support the bank`s customer relationship management approach, according to Tim O`Mara, National City Bank`s assistant vice president and general manager, voice engineering services.
"CRM Central 2000 is the glue that brings together our various systems and data sources," O`Mara said. "We`re excited about its ability to join disparate systems and manage work so we can focus better on our customers. Its flexibility and ease of use are also major factors in its implementation."
Based on open and flexible Windows NT architecture, CRM Central 2000 integrates with popular enterprise software applications such as those from Siebel Systems, Oracle, Peoplesoft and SAP, and data sources from providers like IBM, Oracle, Microsoft and Sybase. CRM Central 2000 links departments and systems that traditionally are separate within companies, enabling them to strongly align their operations around serving customers.
CRM 2000 is being rolled out in a series of releases. The solution is currently compatible with Avaya`s DEFINITY Enterprise Communications Server (ECS). Subsequent releases will work with communications systems manufactured by Nortel and other vendors. The first release supports voice, interactive voice response (IVR) and Web forms, and subsequent versions support fax, Internet contacts and scanned documents.
The initial release supports Avaya`s INTUITY CONVERSANT IVR system as well as IVR systems manufactured by Periphonics. It supports the needs of single sites and will evolve to manage multi-site, distributed enterprises. Avaya Communication also will work with leading systems integrators and consultants to assist enterprises in deploying the solution.
CRM Central 2000 will be available in South Africa through Avaya`s authorised resellers in quarter four this year.
CRM Central 2000 is designed to help businesses keep their commitments to customers. Other CRM solutions from Avaya Communication include CentreVu routing, reporting and IVR solutions for the front office call centre, ViewStar workflow management software and the Mosaix Predictive Dialling solutions.
Share