VIRTUAL CALL CENTER
VIRTUAL CALL CENTER
Doug C. Wells
Technical Architect
Information Processing Division
Information Processing Division
H
Did DETR G t H
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How Did DETR Get Here?
What We Had:
• Existing system at end of life out of warranty and no vendor support • Existing system at end of life, out of warranty, and no vendor support • Replacement parts difficult to obtain • Infrastructure at maximum capacity • System overwhelmed by call volume and processing load • Under‐utilization of licenses and ports • Could not add agents where office space available What We Wanted: What We Wanted: • Greater utilization of agent and IVR resources, ports, and licenses • Less administration • Open architecture • A system to last the next five years • Ability to add agents at any office location
Flatten & Consolidate – Virtualization of the Call Center
Upgrading, Flattening and Consolidating DETR’s communication
application platforms will provide the following key benefits:
application platforms will provide the following key benefits:
•Scalable•High Reliability
• Redundant Core Servers • Enterprise Survivable
• Local Survivable Processors (LSP) • Voice Portal (open architecture)Voice Portal (open architecture) •Single application platform •Centralized Call Center Reporting •Intelligent Call Routing between centers •License Pooling •Ability to add agents at any office location •Ability to route calls to “true” next available agent
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This project is focused on the four critical components that will
enable the virtualization of DETR’s call center capability.
1. Communication Manager – The communication manager provides advanced routing and voice over IP capabilities between sites. The system architecture will be collapsed and consolidated into ONE Communication M f ll ti A t ti C ll Di t ib t (ACD) E t A t Manager for call routing, Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) Expert Agent Selection, Call Management Reporting and Computer Telephony applications.
2 I f t t Th t k it t i t t t it d id ll 2. Infrastructure – The network capacity to integrate remote sites and provide call capacity. The infrastructure between sites will be IP technology, providing
intelligence and the ability to connect more calls between sites more efficiently.
Using IP between sites eliminates “nailed up” circuits and provides DETR with the ability to compress calls Bandwidth is only utilized when calls are connected For ability to compress calls. Bandwidth is only utilized when calls are connected. For example, in today’s environment with 4 T1’s between sites a maximum of 94 simultaneous calls can be supported. Upgrading the infrastructure permits up to 300 calls to be transported between sites without the additional, costly T1 circuits from the carriers.
3. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) – This project will implement a Voice Portal in Carson City and Las Vegas with shared voice ports across the enterprise. This redundant architecture will provide DETR with maximum flexibility and
l b l reliability.
4 Virtual Hold Components – Virtual Hold software integrates transparently into 4. Virtual Hold Components Virtual Hold software integrates transparently into the CCE. No additional agent training is required. The screen pop will be identical, regardless of the call’s origination. The Virtual Hold components consist of: QueueManager ‐ Monitors CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) events received from the ACD, interacting with the ACD or Routing Engine,
controlling the CallFlow application and managing the “virtual queue”. controlling the CallFlow application and managing the virtual queue . CallFlow ‐ Voice interaction application responsible for interacting with t b i th Vi t l H ld ll fl d i t f i ith customers by managing the Virtual Hold call flow and interfacing with the T‐1 cards. This virtual queuing solution will announce the wait time to customers and offer to save their place in line and call them back when it is their turn ‐ in the time promised.
Callers are connected to an available agent
ACD Public Telephone Network or Internet Virtual H ld Hold Call Center QueueWhen no agents are available, callers are sent to the queue
ACD Public Telephone Network or Internet Virtual H ld Hold Call Center QueueWhen hold times exceed set limits,
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th Vi t
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ACDcallers hear the Virtual Hold options
Public Telephone Network or Internet Virtual Hold Call Center QueueThe caller decides to receive a callback
The caller decides to receive a callback
All of our Representatives are assisting other callers.
Rather than waiting on hold, we can save your place
Rather than waiting on hold, we can save your place
in line and call you back when it is your turn in approximately
5 minutes.
To receive a Virtual Hold callback, press 1
To schedule a callback for a later time, press 2
To continue to wait on hold, press 3
The caller’s place is saved in the queue, allowing them to
H
d
i
t
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it’ th i t
ACDHang up and receive a return call when it’s their turn
Public Telephone Network or Internet Virtual Hold Call Center QueueHold times continue to exceed set limits, callers hear
the Virtual Hold options and can choose to wait
ACD
the Virtual Hold options, and can choose to wait
Public Telephone Network or Internet Virtual Hold Call Center QueueCallers begin to move through the queue and the Virtual
Hold placeholder reaches the front of the queue
ACD
Hold placeholder reaches the front of the queue
Public Telephone Network or Internet Virtual Hold Call Center QueueVirtual Hold calls them back
ACD Public Telephone Network or Internet Virtual Hold Call Center QueueHello, this is your return call from
Hello, this is your return call from
The Nevada Department of Employment
The caller verifies they are on the phone and
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t f th
ACDthey are transferred to the front of the queue
Public Telephone Network or Internet Virtual Hold Call Center QueueCallers move through the queue and the
Vi t
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ACDVirtual Hold caller is connected to an agent
Public Telephone Network or Internet Virtual Hold Call Center QueueUpgraded CCE Desktop
5. CCE Desktop - The agent desktop is installed with the CCE client and
integrated with the Hummingbird application for quick retrieval & updating of data based on the SSN entered by the caller at the IVR. The Hummingbird
data based on the SSN entered by the caller at the IVR. The Hummingbird application installed at the agent desktop is a terminal emulation application to connect to the Mainframe Host. D i i i ll l i ( i i ) h h h CCE li During customer incoming call alerting (ringing) at the agent phone, the CCE client will raise an incoming call event to the Hummingbird application, passing the related Call‐Data of the call.
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Sample CCE Desktop
CCE Web Chat
6. CCE Web Chat - Contact Center Express expands the customer service
capability of the call center by allowing web chat simple messages to blend with inbound telephone calls. Customers can click a link, through a standard web browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 or higher, Netscape 7.1 or Mozilla 1.7.), to initiate a web‐based conversation with a call center agent and receive the same treatment as telephone callers. When an agent logged into the split/skill becomes available, the call is delivered to that agent.
Some customizable features of web chat include: Some customizable features of web chat include: • Gives queuing priority to messages received from special customers • Rejects messages from certain customers and automatically email them that this has happened • Only allows messages from certain customers to certain queues.
Schedule of Work
Sc edu e o
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Based on the current environment at DETR, the project will be installed in 3 phases: Phase 1 • Upgrade hardware and install CCE 4.0 at Site 1.• Test integration (screen pop) with Virtual Hold in upgraded environment • Test integration (screen pop) with Virtual Hold in upgraded environment. Phase 2 • Re‐Development of the existing IVR Application in VXML and deployment on Voice Portal environment at Site 1 and Site 2 • Integration of the IVR Application to the Mainframe Host through Cleo •Test integration (screen pop) with Virtual Hold in Voice Portal environment. Phase 3 • Installation of CCE Chat Module at Site 1
Challenges to Date
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Staffing Availability • Furloughs • Project Load • IT Staff Turnover • Claim Processing Volume Skillset and Knowledge • Lack of documentation on existing business processes • Call flow documentation was out of date • Staff lacked experience documenting business requirements, generating and validating use and test cases • Project management experienceHow to Address Problems
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Solutions • Fulltime contract quality assurance person • Greater oversight by senior IT management • Identify critical path items early in project • Provide adequate lead time to review deliverables and requirements • Look for vendors with strong project management• Look for vendors with strong project management
