September 2016           Reporting Total Cost of Ownership

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is an investigation of the lifetime cost for owning an asset(s).  TCO shall include the software and hardware but may also bring cost for installation, implementation, product management, operations, maintenance, training and upgrades.  TCO investigations can expose a significant difference between the initial purchase cost of the software and hardware and the lifetime ownership costs.  TCO may include many different costs that most would not have thought of when considering new hardware or a software application. 

Hardware:

Virtual Machines today have replaced the need for dedicated servers for contact center applications.  When doing the TCO investigation adding the partition cost is required.  We must also look at any future OS upgrades and their specific costs.  What happens to the application if the server OS is upgraded? 

• Is the application compatible? 

• Does it need to be upgraded and at what cost?  

• What is the corporate policy regarding OS upgrades on servers? Corporate security may have a deciding factor in this policy.

• Is there other hardware that works in conjunction with each other and how do these upgrades affect the other hardware? 

There are other factors when it comes to TCO for hardware, such as installation, deployment, maintenance, replacement and operating costs.  We often do not look at the entire hardware picture when considering the ownership and upgrades of hardware. 

Software:

There are many factors to look at when determining the TCO for software.  Hardware is just one piece of the puzzle for Software TCO.  Software costs should include the main software engine, the additional options and the user licenses that come with those options, data migration (if needed), installation and implementation (there is a difference between the two), lab environment, maintenance and training.

Main software engine is the required application. Perhaps, we should look at all of the options and the user license fees that are needed to meet the target and or goals for this software application.  

• Will the software be connecting to another application and is a license fee needed for this application option? 

• What about the other application and the connection between the two applications; does the other application have a fee to allow this type of connection?

• Do the other applications need to be upgraded and does the upgrade affect this application connection?

Data Migration:

Data migration is often included in the vendor proposal, but sometimes there are other costs associated with the migration of the data from one location to the next.  

For example; what if there is a latency issue when data is sent from one location to the next?

• What if the latency is due to internally required hops such as routers, firewalls and servers?

• Who wins that battle of reducing the hops; the new software or the corporate security? What is the cost of reducing hops? 

• If the new software wins, what is the cost? 

User Licenses:

User licenses are typically included in the vendor proposals so including them is not difficult to do; however, are there additional costs to consider for the users? 

Implementation, training, hardware changes such as OS upgrades or the need for additional third party applications to ensure functionality of the user application. If the number of application users begins to decrease are there any cost reductions? Unless it is a cloud or hosted based application chances are there is no cost reductions available. 

Installation and Implementation:

Installation and Implementation are two different functions.  Installation is the loading and configuring of the software on the server. Installation may also include data migration and user applications.  Implementation is administration of the software for the users and their specific needs.  

• Will installation have to follow corporate rules and are there costs associated with these rules?

• Will the implementation bring up security issues that need to be tested prior to the final implementation of the software?

Lab Environment:

Lab environment is used for many purposes.  Most often it is to test the application(s) to make certain they function as stated as well as see the ramifications to the network, other applications, hardware, etc.  product patches are and should be tested in the lab prior to being loaded in production. The lab environment costs need to be added to the TCO. 

Product Upgrades:

Product upgrades, changes and enhancements happen with software.  Some of these changes occur that affect other third party software applications. These changes could be security requirements, OS changes, business regulations, or business growth through acquisition.  Has project management costs been included with these upgrade changes? 

Training:

Training is needed on a few levels.  Not only those that use the software but those that monitor it.  There can be multiple levels of functionality for any software.  This also means training for each level needs to be done. What needs to be thought about is the future training?  All companies have turnover and one of the results of this turnover can be the need for additional training.  Is this new training included in the software cost?

Software and Hardware Maintenance:

Maintenance coverage is needed for all applications.  Understanding what is included with the maintenance is fairly easy to find out.  What is not easy to determine is what is NOT included and what those costs shall be.  Asking the vendor what is not included is one of the right questions to ask.  But, what if maintenance is not purchased what are the costs associated with the lack of maintenance?

There are costs for not having maintenance. Future support will usually be hourly with a minimum amount of hours required.  However, what if you do not have maintenance and the software application has gone end of life (EOL) and now you need support? 

• Will the provider support the old software or require an upgrade? 

• Will they require you to purchase previous years of no maintenance?  

• What else is affected by the lack of maintenance such as training, product upgrade costs, product patches, user licenses and data migration changes?

Never forget to investigate the costs of not having maintenance.  

TCO costs that have not been mentioned are failover, high availability, product depreciation, data centers, downtime and future migration to another software.   If you are looking into TCO of hardware or software that you currently have you can ask the current vendor about these costs mentioned.  If you are comparing multiple vendors and trying to determine what the TCO will be for each vendor be sure to compare all costs mentioned but also look at the outcome of the product features. Be sure to investigate the costs of not including options in the original or on-going yearly purchase.

Spectrum is a leading provider of Unified Contact Center Reporting. Contact Spectrum today to discuss best practices for call center reporting. For more examples of reporting visit our website and the products page.  http://www.specorp.com/products 

Follow Spectrum Corporation: 

Dan Boehm 

VP Sales 

Spectrum 

 dboehm@specorp.com 

+1 713 986 8839

Contact Center Decisions                                                            July 2016

As the leader of your contact center you are under constant pressure to improve agent performance. 

But is it really about improved performance or is about meeting and exceeding goals that senior management has put in place for the contact center.  Depending on the industry it could be incoming increase revenue or reduce outgoing payments. 

What we come to realize, in the contact center, is that agents, team leaders and even you the manager are caught, off guard and unaware of the jump in customers contacting the business.  Fifteen, twenty years ago customers called us and we were quickly alerted by the flashing red light mounted to the cubicles in the call center.  In today’s world customers are emailing, sending chat messages or going out to social media.  This is how the contact center can be thought of as unaware and not taking care of the customer.  

How do we eliminate this “not aware” problem?  What can we do to provide agents, supervisors and even ourselves with the information we need to be made aware?  We have choices that we need to make to improve, maintain or exceed our business goals. 

Digital Signage in the Contact Center:

Large LCD screens showing calls, emails, chats, or social media information can be very valuable to the contact center.  Questions that you need to answer:

     

     1.       Who is the audience for the LCD Screens?

a.       How many will you need to have for your audience to see the screens?

b.      Do the supervisors and managers walk the floor and need to see this content because they are not at their desks?

c.       Is mobile not allowed in your contact center?

     2.       What content is needed to improve performance and can that content be displayed?

     3.       Weather, traffic, social content is needed do your internal policies allow for this content?

     4.       Will your budget cover the software, hardware and hardware installation? 

Data can be combined together showing the agents that current status of critical KPI’s such as the emails and chats waiting to be answered.  The positive or negative social media posts that need addressing. 

Going beyond the usual contact center data having the LCD screens to communicate with the agents provides added value to the daily job the agents must endure.

     Dashboards:

Data from multiple sources combined together into a single report makes it quick and easy for anyone to see the current status.  It does not matter the method in which the customer is trying to contact you because you are now immediately aware of the status.  Questions that you need to answer:      1.       Can you combine the data together into a single dashboard?
      2.       Will the right people have access to the dashboard?      3.       Can you segregate the data to the correct audiences?Dashboards if properly designed will provide the best information for its audience.  The design of the dashboard must also meet the audience’s personality. Some people are unable to review a lot of data and want critical stats in graphs and charts.  Others do not want graphic input they only want data.  Dashboards are able to eliminate, solve and or reduce problems for just about every call center.  Are you willing and able to combine data together in a format that works for you?

 

Desktops:

Real estate!  Agents have limited room on their desktops for a dashboard with a lot of data on it.  So the resolution is to have only the critical data on the desktop wallboard.  Display Calls, Emails, Chats waiting to be answered and you will see an improvement in contact center performance.  Yes, each of these applications show this status but are they combined together so the agent does not have to look at three separate reports or notifications?  Questions that you need to answer:

1    1.       If the agents have this desktop wallboard will they read it and react to it?

      2.       Will the desktop wallboard have the proper data for the agents?

      3.       Will one more application on the agents desktop overwhelm the agent?

Agents are always working heads down.  They are focused on the current customer and the applications they are working.  Having an alert on the phone works only if it is for calls waiting and the agent is looking at the phone for a blinking LED light.  Giving the alert notice to the agent who is looking at their screen will improve performance.

Mobile Web Reporting:

In today’s world we are mobile.  We are out working with the team leaders, agents, in meetings, traveling, checking on status from home, or providing senior management access to the critical statistics.  If we are a BPO our customers need to see the reports.  Mobile web reporting is crucial in the contact center today.  Questions that you need to answer:

1. Do you have access to your desktop 100% of the time while you are working? 

    

     Of course not. You are mobile so having access to the critical data at all times manages the performance of the contact center.

     2. While being mobile do you need to know the status of the contact center?

      

     3. Do you need quick drill down access to multiple layers of data?

Web based reporting allows for easy mobility for key team members.  The reporting may not be pretty pictures with graphs and charts but it does contain the crucial data that offers team members quick solutions to the daily challenges. 

In the real estate industry it is all about location, location, location.  For the contact center industry we have decisions, decisions, decisions.  Which direction you should go is funded by the budget and anticipated outcome.  If the direction needs to be contact center improvement in daily functionality then reporting is the proper direction for you to go.

Spectrum is a leading provider of Unified Contact Center Reporting.  Contact Spectrum today to discuss difficult contact center reporting decisions.  For more examples of reporting visit our website and the products page. http://www.specorp.com/products

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Dan Boehm
VP Sales and Marketing
Spectrum
dboehm@specorp.com
+1 713 986 8839

At-home agents

My nephew just started working out of his home rather than at the office. He asked me about some things that he should be doing to make certain his sales do not drop off. I was thinking about this and realized how similar his situation is to a work at home agent. So I created a list of things that a work at home agent should have to be able to be effective. This list is not in any priority.

1. The right tools: This is a basic assumption that can be overlooked. Phone, computer, high speed access to the internet and company network, headset, desk and comfortable chair.
2. Work Space: A dedicated place to answer the phone and work. This needs to be comfortable too.
3. A quiet environment: There is little worse than talking to an agent and hearing the dog barking or dishes clanging in the background.
4. The proper attitude: Not everyone can work from home. Some agents need social interaction. Years ago I had a work from home sales rep quit because he could not "hang out at the water cooler" and get caught up on gossip. During the interview process be sure to determine if they have the proper attitude.
5. Dedication: It is easy to log on and then place yourself into some type of non working status. Agents that work from home need a schedule and they need to be dedicated and stick to the schedule.
6. Feel like part of the team: Include all agents in contests, share information, send messages and make them feel like part of the team.
7. Back up plan: The agent should have a notebook and pencil ready for when (not if) the internet connection or network access is lost of denied.
8. On-going training plans: All agents need on-going traning. Agents that work from home may miss out on the team leader or manager immediate support therefore training is important to keep at-home agents up-to-date.
9. Access to real time statistics at their desktops: Real time information will let the agent know their status and that of the call center and can be prepared for heavier call volume. The ability to change the statistics and metrics they see would be helpful.
10. Priority access to team leaders or managers: Working from home does not mean at-home agents do not have trouble at times. Because they are at home and do not take as much team leader or manager time they should have priority access when needed.

Spectrum can provide the Real Time desk top statistics and metrics. Contact Us for more information.