The Value of Working With a CCaaS Partner
Contact center modernization shouldn’t be treated as a “one and done” project. “You want to know a partner is going to be there in good times and bad,” says Kyndryl’s Chiaramonte.
An integration partner should have a broad knowledge of how the business operates and extensive experience working with other companies in the customer’s industry. A business-to-consumer contact center has different operational and information needs than business-to-business.
Choosing a partner with a global reach and a broad and diverse customer base ensures that the right resources can be brought to bear on the customer’s migration journey. Although boutiques have their advantages, they may not have the full range of resources a large and complex organization requires.
A partner should guarantee a fast and comprehensive transition from legacy contact center systems to CCaaS. That includes database migration, needed integration with other applications, reporting, employee training, and the responsible disposition of old on-premises equipment.
Deep knowledge of CCaaS technology is essential. Ideally, a partner should have relationships with multiple technology providers to ensure that customers choose a system that closely matches their needs.
A partner should be able to integrate with a wide variety of enterprise and SaaS software to provide a single-pane-of-glass experience. Those skills should cover applications the customer already uses as well as any that might be adopted in the future.
The company should have expertise in serving customers through all channels — from face-to-face to social media. The skills and critical success factors differ in each scenario, and the partner should be equipped to guide clients on best practices.
Expertise in setting up and managing both internally and externally facing service desks is important if the contact center is to be extended to constituents such as employees, investors, and business partners.
Finally, professional training services are essential to ensuring a smooth migration. Depending on resources, organizations may opt for a partner that can supplement their agent workforce during busy periods. The ultimate goal, however, should be for the client organization to become self-sufficient.
