DiData technology helps save lives

In a call centre environment where long delays and incorrectly routed calls can literally mean the difference between life and death, selecting the correct technology and technology partner is critically important.

So when Medical Rescue International (MRI) chose Dimension Data to upgrade its Johannesburg-based call centre after MRI could no longer be assured of technical support for its existing infrastructure, it was not a decision taken lightly.

MRI provides emergency medical services to thousands of people who either subscribe to the company as individuals, or through 160 third-party organisations which offer their customers access to MRI as a value-added service. In addition, MRI is the operating agent for cellular network provider MTN`s 112 emergency service.

"The MRI call centre is essentially two call centres under one roof. One handles some 1 200 calls from MRI subscribers utilising 65 different toll-free numbers every day, while the MTN 112 section has to deal with an average of 45 000 calls daily," explains MRI operations director Liz Ferguson.

"These calls range from life threatening medical emergencies, to individuals seeking non-critical medical advice on subjects as diverse as nappy rash and dandruff. We also have to deal with an inordinate number of prank calls. On the MTN side, we receive hundreds of inadvertently dialled calls from people who program in 112 as a speed-dial option on their phones and then don`t lock their keypad. Hundreds more people mistakenly dial 112 when they require technical assistance from MTN.

"A key requirement of the technology we were to implement was its ability to enable us to get prank and `mistake` calls out of the system as quickly as possible, ensuring that genuine emergency calls are not held up in waiting queues. The ability to route calls to operators with the required skills to deal with a particular type of emergency was also essential," she adds.

After an in-depth survey of available call centre technology, MRI opted for the Lucent Definity platform which complies with the US`s Federal Emergency Medical Agency (FEMA) requirements. This is coupled with a closely integrated Nice voice logger. The company chose DDI as its call centre partner because of its ability to handle all aspects of the implementation.

"In addition, DDI has a close relationship with MTN through its involvement with the MTN call centre and this contributed to our decision to partner with them," Ferguson says.

According to Nicholas Slack, national sales director: Call Centre Solutions, at Dimension Data Interactive, Lucent Definity is used extensively in emergency and disaster-control environments around the world while the Nice voice logger has proven credentials in mission critical applications. It`s the most widely installed voice logger in air traffic control centres around the world.

"The Nice voice logger will not only enable MRI to record all calls - essential when one considers the medico-legal implications of every call received - but also to reference calls by case number. This means all subsequent calls relating to the same incident or caller will be linked in the Nice database and easy to trace.

"In addition, Lucent`s telephone management system will enable MRI to significantly improve its service by routing calls correctly and enabling optimal usitilsation of the call centre agents` skills. Just by routing the call quickly and efficiently could save someone`s life," Slack concludes.