June 2000
A Quartet Of New Products And
Services
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Is
It Live, Or ...SIMUL8 2000? |
I envied meteorologists, military strategists and anyone else with
daily access to modeling programs, and I do not mean virtual makeover
software or Barbie dress-up programs. I refer to simulations,
"what-if?" scenario creations based on a mix of real data,
events and statistical averages, best guesses or wishful thinking, where
one defines what "real" means in terms of the scenario's
purpose.
SIMUL8 Corporation has taken the power of simulation and applied it to
call center planning and management (among other uses) in SIMUL8 2000
Version 6. The application is designed to allow users to virtually manage
staff, implement new equipment, tweak a current customer support plan or
adjust call routing procedures before any actual changes are made. SIMUL8
2000 can assist in managing a call center from hour to hour or week to
week. Variables (such as available staff, number of phone lines or hours
of operation) can be changed, and how those changes affect the call
center's operation can be viewed to determine the best way to manage work
and maintain target service levels. SIMUL8 2000 employs data-gathering and
reporting features that help determine the optimum mix of resources
required to meet an enterprise's goals. Users can monitor a variety of
events, such as call abandon rates, queue volumes, customer wait times and
staff or equipment utilization. Results can be visually presented to
associates by showing the simulation in action and providing them with the
result using SIMUL8 2000's reporting features. The application uses Call
Center Wizards to help users build call center simulations. Alternatively,
users may drag and drop "smart simulation objects" onto the
screen. Users can define staffing resources, inbound and outbound call
routing and multitiered call structures, and monitor any other element
deemed important to operations. Once set up, the user clicks RUN to watch
the simulation and gather operational information.
SIMUL8 2000 is not limited to the call center. It can be used wherever
the flow of people, information or equipment occurs in a business. SIMUL8
2000 supports other applications, including Visio, enabling users to
import and export Visio diagrams and flowcharts; EAI FactoryCAD, which
allows the import and export of factory details; and Microsoft Excel and
VBA. The application is compatible with anyWindows DDE/OLE Automation
supporting language, which enables it to work with most business
enterprise software tools. The company offers additional, optional call
center products that run on top of SIMUL8 2000.
No. 520, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
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DigitalData
Solutions From ThinkDirectMarketing.com |
ThinkDirectMarketing.com, Inc., a provider of online marketing database
products and services, recently unveiled DigitalData Solutions, the latest
release of its ThinkDirectMarketing SDK (software developer's kit). The
new product, a set of controls meant to enable a third-party software
application to query the TDM database, is intended to allow integrators,
VARs and manufacturers to provide their customers with the ability to
gather and verify customer information in real-time. DigitalData Solutions
is designed to integrate easily into any application that requires fast
and accurate customer contact information. The SDK appends a complete
address profile to just one or more pieces of information. Typically, a
seven- or ten-digit telephone number is used to query the online database.
The business or residential information that is attached to the phone
number is delivered rapidly for integration into the application's
data-entry screen. The returned data currently includes name, mailing
address, city and state, ZIP+4, phone number and accurate longitude and
latitude coordinates that can be used for mapping. When used in IVR
solutions, DigitalData Solutions is designed to allow access to an
enhanced set of capabilities. Some examples are: requests for literature
do not require operator assistance, since the caller's phone number can be
entered by caller ID or the keypad and return a mailing address for direct
mail use; using the latitude and longitude coordinate data, service calls
can be routed automatically using integrated mapping solutions; customers'
purchasing profiles can be tracked for optimizing geographic trading
areas; and identifying key customer segments that can be targeted for
special future offers. ThinkDirectMarketing's North American database
contains more than 110 million consumer and business listings that are
updated monthly.
To set up the control in an ActiveX or Java application, a developer
activates an install wizard to define the search parameters. In non-Java-
or non-ActiveX-compliant operating systems, manual coding of parameters is
needed to set up the query. While searches are executed one at a time,
multiple simultaneous instances of the search can be established to allow
non-sequential queries to take place, which permits peak traffic loads to
be handled easily. The DigitalData controls are available for connection
and integration with Microsoft NT servers, Java-compatible Unix and Unix
variations, and non-Java and ActiveX-compatible operating systems (Unix,
AIX and others).
No. 521, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
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New
Amdahl Venture For Hosted, Web-based Customer Support
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Amdahl Corporation expanded its presence in the hosted customer support
arena when it launched a new Internet venture aimed at companies doing
business over the Internet. The mission of its latest venture,
trustedanswer.com, is unmistakably clear: to become the premier provider
of hosted customer service and support, with a Web-based self-service
solution as the keystone of its offerings. trustedanswer.com intends to
offer a range of support options, including graphically enhanced Web-based
self-service, query, advanced chat and phone support. Also,
trustedanswer.com advises clients to help them determine which support and
service options are the best fit for their business objectives. Potential
clients can log onto the trustedanswer.com Web site to perform an
"e-Checkup" that assists in determining whether a support
solution such as trustedanswer would benefit their needs. The venture
expects to deliver an operation support solution and help companies
transition to knowledge base technology to improve their customer support
effectiveness and reduce operating costs. The initial target markets for
trustedanswer.com are traditional brick-and-mortar companies that are
launching or expanding their e-commerce initiatives, emerging e-commerce
companies that deliver services or products on the Web and companies
offering technically complex products or services (such as software or
network equipment companies) that need a technical support solution for
providing more effective Web-based self-service. All options are
transparent to end users, who are unaware that they are interacting with
trustedanswer.com rather than the client or e-business site. Additionally,
a component of trustedanswer.com, the ServiceTrax system, supplies a
direct link to clients that provides almost instantaneous feedback meant
to assist clients to better understand what drives their users. The
company manages the complete customer service business process for
clients, and said that it possesses the necessary elements and support
infrastructure to provide clients with a solution in only eight weeks. The
company cited the fact that the average cost of resolving a support
incident by telephone is $25, while the cost is $1 to $2 via the Web. This
fact underscores trustedanswer.com's commitment to making Web-based
self-service the preferred method of obtaining support by clients and
customers, believing that the Internet offers the best support experience
while reducing the overall cost of that support.
No. 522, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
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Education
And Incentives From Motivation Online |
It has always been difficult finding ways to retain good employees,
especially in call centers, and even more so these days when every month
seems to bring a new low in unemployment figures. To help combat
attrition, Motivation Online has rolled out its online Employee
Relationship Management (ERM) system, which lets management create,
implement and administer online performance improvement programs.
After a program administrator designs a productivity program, employees
are automatically awarded points for performance-based achievements.
Motivation Online's program keeps track of the points and notifies
employees of the point awards and the behaviors that earned them.
To use the system, agents log onto the password-protected Daily
Briefing Page. There, agents can check company news; go to the link for
self-improvement, where they will find information such as how to better
handle customers, etc.; or go to the link where they can check their
accounts, spend their earned points with Motivation Online partner
companies, or complete online training for extra points. Through direct
links with online retailers, employees can select and obtain their
personally chosen rewards. (The earned points are converted to dollars and
are available for use within 24 hours.)
Since it is a Web-based program, remote or at-home workers can also use
the system, and kiosks can be set up for agents that are not Web-enabled.
Motivation Online provides a wide range of reporting tools that measure
any desired metric about individual or company performance, allowing
managers spend more time managing their employees and less time chasing
data. Since it is a Web-based program, it can be modified to accommodate
new themes, point structures, metrics and goals. The system also offers
tools for fast and easy communication with employees to reinforce
performance and productivity that yields improved results.
No. 523, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
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