Retaining control of outsourced operations through technology

Do you worry about how much control you have over your outsourced activities? Elliot Littlechild says all that could be about to change with the development of Microsoft.NET

When the decision is made to outsource all or part of the call centre operations, it is usually accepted that a degree of control will be given up to the outsourcer. But imagine if it were possible to almost micro-manage the process so they effectively performed as an integrated part of the organisation? The continuing development of technology for call centres, based on Microsoft’s .NET framework, is making this a reality.

Microsoft.NET is the Microsoft web services’ strategy to connect information, people, systems and devices through software, and is a component of the Windows operating system.It provides the programming model for building, deploying and running web-based applications, smart client applications and eXtensible Mark-up Language (XML) web services.

.NET runs on a multi-tiered client/server architecture. Users log on to a middle-tier server – normally a web server – that accesses the back-end databases and legacy systems, retrieves the required data and then forwards this to the user as an HTML web page.

Put simply, it means that anyone, anywhere with a web browser can be given direct access to software running on .NET. Microsoft extols the benefits of web services that run on .NET, stating that: “They help the business work more efficiently with its partners and suppliers. They unlock information so it can flow to every employee who needs it. They reduce development time and expense for new projects.”

From a day-to-day management point of view, .NET negates the need for point-to-point dedicated lines between the data centre and the call centre. That means no set-up costs for the outsourcer and complete transparency of reporting. As all statistical data is held on local servers, reports can be accessed how and when required. Moreover, these do not need to be generated and delivered from the outsourcer. Clearly the relationship between a company and its in-house or outsourced call centre has much to gain from .NET.

Casting the .NET wide – a practical example

To illustrate how .NET has the ability to revolutionise call centre outsourcing, here is a typical scenario faced by many  companies who go down the outsourcing route. A small financial services company in Edinburgh with a 50-seat call centre is running a month-long promotion for a new 0% credit card. It has a prospect list that it will use for telemarketing, but the call centre manager knows that, with a constant stream of inbound calls to manage, the outbound target will not be met. The decision is made to outsource to a small telemarketing company and, with the start of the campaign looming, the pressure is on to get up and running as soon as possible.

However, the company is in London and the hardware and software it uses to run campaigns is alien to the Scottish call centre manager, who uses a different front-end software application to maintain agent standards and conduct each call
efficiently. A flight is booked to London to provide agent training to ensure that the campaign is managed correctly.

Throughout the campaign, the results of each call are sent in batches to Edinburgh. However, there is a problem with compatibility and importing data in to the CRM database proves difficult. The IT team is called away from another  important project to resolve the issue.

Moving forward 12 months, the same call centre is about to run a similar promotion but has now upgraded its campaign management software to the Microsoft.NET framework. This time a different outsourced call centre is chosen in South Africa. This time, to get the campaign active, the call centre manager simply sends a URL enclosed within an e-mail.

The URL provides each of the South African agents with a link to the same campaign management software in use at the Edinburgh call centre. The software remains hosted internally so there is no need for costly software installation. In  addition, the only requirement of the IT infrastructure of the outsourced call centre is PCs capable of running a web browser.

By clicking the URL an agent is presented with an interactive interface that guides them through each call, entering the relevant data at the appropriate point when prompted. The data is logged on to the central CRM database held in  Edinburgh so there is no recurring problem with incompatible data formats between the two organisations. Half way through the campaign the decision is made to alter the offer being made to prospects. The call centre manager revises the script and releases it to all agents in Edinburgh and South Africa simultaneously. Within minutes every agent is making calls using the new information – without the need to stop a campaign in its tracks.

Taking advantage of .NET technology in this way the same process can be applied whether using one or ten outsourced call centres. By the same token, the benefits of the technology can also be reaped by those organisations that choose to offshore their call centre.

Strengthening the soft issues

One of the core ultimate selling points of .NET for call centre outsourcing is the freeing up of time spent dealing with IT infrastructure and process issues. .NET removes the need to install software on agent workstations, thus reducing the chances of potential software problems. It also means that each agent workstation can be of a lower specification and therefore lower cost. Hot-desking becomes a reality too, as an agent can sit at any seat in the call centre and log in to the campaign they are required to work on.

Significantly, more time can be dedicated to the often neglected ‘soft issues’ such as ensuring the right agents are selected, are well trained and continually coached to represent and be the voice of the company.

To take outsourcing to its next logical step some have suggested that .NET will herald the start of a call centre cottage industry. While I would dispute that home-working will become widespread in the near future, the technology is certainly capable of utilising the growing number of people who work from home. 2006 is certainly shaping up to be the year of .NET in the call centre.