Invest in business communications

With so much talk about recession and cutting costs, it's no wonder there are so many fears surrounding capital spending. Despite economic uncertainty, companies still have plans to replace or upgrade legacy business communications systems. In fact, this may be a better time to do so then the analysts lead us to believe.

Replacing or upgrading contact centre technology can be costly (in some cases), but if companies know what to look for, they can end up saving money and increasing profit margin in the long run.

It isn't as much about the expense as it is the long-term investment. If managers see potential problems with the product or solution they are considering for their business, it's probably a sign for them to run the other way.

Consider the following before choosing a solution:

* Look at the big picture. Take a thorough look at the communications strategy for the near-term and the future to be sure the solution chosen will serve the company now and grow with the company later.

* Avoid stopgap point solutions. Solutions that only solve one problem end up creating additional problems down the road. Purchase "platform" solutions that have the ability to grow with the company as the business grows - not only in scale, but in functionality, too.

* Invest in software-based solutions. Avoid hardware solutions as they are more costly and add complexity. Software-based systems offer more flexibility in an easy-to-manage solution.

* Invest in open-standards solutions. Open-standards solutions allow companies to unify every aspect of the business communications.

* Leave customers satisfied. Choose a solution that offers customers open communication with staff members who can resolve their issues quickly and efficiently.

Some companies have used these suggestions to invest in improvement processes that bring value to their business:

One of the largest entertainment and travel reservation agencies in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA evaluated its communications strategy prior to deploying an all-in-one communications software suite that provides multi-channel contact centre automation in its call centre. By doing so, it increased its agent revenue by 347%. Additionally, the solution allowed it to handle more than twice the interactions while cutting its staff in half.

Solutions that only solve one problem end up creating additional problems down the road.

Dave Paulding is Interactive Intelligence's regional sales manager for UK and Africa.

The Las Vegas-based company's previous system would not allow the company to handle the more than 3 000 000 interactions it was receiving per month. Furthermore, it was forced to abandon more than 2 000 interactions per month. Since the deployment, the company has noticed an increase in customer and employee satisfaction. In fact, it reported a zero turnover rate in 24 months.

A large information services company was tired of spending money on stopgap point solutions to solve short-term issues. By deploying open standards, software-based technology in the call centre, it simplified installation and administration as well as reduced maintenance and support fees.

Since the initial deployment, it has incorporated the same technology in the enterprise. In doing so, the company has seen an increase in revenue, customer satisfaction, and flexibility, allowing for conferencing and team collaboration to be used to resolve customer issues. This has resulted in reduced call times by approximately 40 seconds per call.

Another company, an "e-distributor" of chemical products and services, reported savings of approximately $100 000 in a year due to deploying an all-software solution. It eliminated expenses on cabling, station cards, and other costs it would have otherwise incurred had it used a traditional, TDM-based solution.

So, whether companies decide to make changes during a time of economic uncertainty or a in a booming economy, open standards, software-based solutions allow flexibility to scale and customise a business communications system with changing business needs. The more companies do to improve the processes their employees use to enhance the experience for their customers, the more value they bring to their organisation. So, even though short-term savings will not be readily apparent, the long-term savings will be immense.

A clear strategy is essential for improving business communications.

* Dave Paulding is Interactive Intelligence's regional sales manager for UK and Africa.