Notes

Integrated Call Centers in...

EXPRESS COMPUTER AUGUST 21, 2000

Call-center automation have been fiercely focused, designed to improve the statistics of center performance by driving the costs down with the assumption that such enhancements will rub off on the patient. The call center of tomorrow will turn that process upside down by leveraging the immense data capabilities of the Web and the Internet.

THE INTEGRATED CALL CENTER APPROACH

The call center of the future will not be based solely on "Calls" and is unlikely to be "text" based. It must therefore, also be enabled by advanced personal communication provided by the "Net and not driven by ongoing demand for better services. Instead of just adding new technology, it is like listening to the radio-soon it become more like interactive television. Live, human-to-human interaction will persist, but for the first time, all materials have developed. Towards this, Automated Systems (IVRs) make transactions more convenient by creating self-services, freeing human bandwidth to interacting with patients.

There are now three broad media available for patient services: Phone, Text and Web. The Internet and Web have redefined the meaning of remote conversation. Remote Communications can now have many of the attributes of face-to-face communication, with accuracy and good manners and at the same time. In other cases, the internet has added completely new types of communication like e-mail, text, video and interactive documents to occur in the convenience of the participants rather than in real-time.

ELECTRONIC MAIL

Many call centers are already using e-mail to communicate with patient and prospects. While e-mail is similar to text or voice messaging, it offers a number of advantages:

Cost savings e-mail can be sent worldwide for the cost of a local phone call or less.
Efficient data storage and retrieval - since e-mail is agnostic, it is easily recorded with a patient's contact history.
Enterprise e-mail can be the back-end for a call center agent's desktop.
Multimedia messaging is possible to attach files to e-mail messages and integrate e-mail with other media.

AUTOMATED RESPONSE

Interactive voice response (IVR) technology has proven its value in call centers for many years. The type of information that call centers make available over the phone through IVR systems can also be made available through the Web, but the real innovation is on the Web have focused on allowing information publishers to offer more interactive, customized, and secure information rather than just information with highly sensitive data, including many financial institutions, are allowing their customers to access and update information over the Internet.

CALL BACK

Imagine a patient exploring the Web and learning about something new. At some point, a patient will want to speak with a trained agent. Many call centers are already using systems that allow their customers to "click" for Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) and predictive dialing instead. When someone browsing a website wants to speak with an agent, they can click a button displayed on the site. The prospect then enters his phone number and it is sent over the internet to a call center predictive dialing system and soon the prospect is speaking with an agent.

MEDIA BLENDING

The term media blending refers to the ability of a call center agent to interact with a prospect both over the phone and the internet at the same time. Agents can view graphics, information, such as graphs or diagrams, while speaking with the prospect over the phone. Media blending operations allow a call center agent to use ALL information gathered in the prospect's Web browser.

SCREEN POPS

Another example of a powerful call center application is "Internet 'screen pop'". Call center managers are already familiar with the concept of "predictive-dialing screen pop" which automatically brings up the calling party's information on the computer screen at the same time as the phone rings. This "Internet" screen pop is delivered by a "screen pop" on the agent's computer screen and allows them to view many large organizations often have patient service agents located in a number of places around the world. These agents routinely give inbound calls to specific agents based on call loads, caller location, etc. Using the Internet, patient history records can be retrieved from a central computer screen at the same time the phone call is being routed.

INTERNET FAX

Today, fax messages are sent via the phone network and calls are billed per minute. There are many organizations that are attempting to modernize it. What is revolutionary is the capability to deliver fax messages Internationally without incurring long distance telephone charges.

INTERNET TELEPHONY

Internet telephony provides a major cost saving, allowing agents to use some of the technology that allows callers to use conventional telephones to place calls that are routed across the Internet. Call centers are a logical place for applications that provide an interface to Internet telephony. A second local server application provides the interface to the traditional telephone, but all of the calls placed are routed using the third-party. This technology can be used by call centers to allow call center agents to accept or initiate Internet telephony calls for customer service.

FOUR WAYS TO SUCCESS

The Current solution side leaps into the existing service infrastructure, allowing your organization to deliver world-class service with emerging technologies leveraging in-place systems as illustrated.

1. Multiple Points of Access: Phone, E-mail and Web sites should be treated as a patient can initiate a conversation via email, move to the Web for more information and discussion and ultimately conclude the conversation with a personalized Service. Many organizations gather patient data. But to truly effective this data must be translated into a consistent "look&feel" to make it easier for the agent to use and to provide updates.

3. Self-Service Self-service will become more common than assisted service. Patients should be given access to a managed "enhanced" containing the information they need and the tools with which to find and use the information. These tools include inventory service agents, asking questions and using the answers. A safety net of assisted service should always be available.

4. Funds The new Call center will be proactive, anticipating patient problems or needs and "pushing" the information to patients via email or the Web.

CONCLUSION

While organizations could take advantage of significant cost savings, what matters more would be the focus on improved patient service and satisfaction. There's no doubt that automated service will be the path that businesses with vision will take.

MODULE 2 - IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

FEATURE / FUNCTIONALITY	PHASE
	1	2	3	4
	End Oct '99	End Nov '99	End Dec '99	End Jan 2000
Activity Chart
Consolidation statement of financial to Client
Consolidation statement of financial to Candidate
Auto Job Search
Firing System - Not part of Module-II
Corporate Database - decided to drop from Website
Report: - Brain Storm - Off-line
- Job-cost (Consultant's time-booking)

(The rest of the table rows are blank)

CMT PJP 6-9-99 Module 2 - Implementation Schedule

By now, you must have gone thru Module 2 Original File. If so, please return to Cyril today.

On Saturday, I also gave you my Original folders ( #5-6-7-3-4) for study. Please go thru these - then discuss with all the Consultants.

As mentioned to you / Cyril, we should not aim/target to implement all the features of Module 2 "at One go". That would unnecessarily stretch the time-frames.

Idea is not to aim for perfection. Idea should be get on with few features at a time, in small doses, but in quick succession. This will also enable us to give feedback to Cyril.

So, what we need to do is to look at all the features/functionalities that we want - then prioritise these - the most important at the top.

I enclose a form in which you could do this exercise. By making enough copies of this form, you - and maybe each Consultant - could independently enter the "priorities" - as he/she perceives.

Each Consultant will enter the "priorities" from his/her needs/past experience. While prioritising, they must ask:

What will help me speed-up the order execution process?
On what activity am I spending most of my time?
What information/data takes me longest to retrieve?

When everyone (including yourself & Nimit) have entered your priorities independently, hold a marathon meeting (not later than 9th Sept) & debate to reach a CONSENSUS which we should handover to Cyril latest by Coming Saturday (11th).

Rgds (Signature)

CC: Nimit CC: Cyril

CYRIL 26-5-99. "POP-UP" SCREENS

One of the important features of our ORDER EXECUTION MODULE is the pop-up screens.

Idea is that whenever a Member (candidate) OR a Client (company) phones, anyone within our Organisation (usually a Consultant) should be able to see/view on his/her PC screen, a complete

JANAM KUNDLI

of that Candidate or that Client.

In the enclosed chart (POP-UP MENU), I have tried to list a set of FILES/DOCUMENTS (about a client or a candidate) that a Consultant might want to "view" on his screen WHILE he is talking on the phone with that person.

I enclose some literature of "SMARTSET" software from SIEMENS which claims to be able to do this trick (costs Rs. 18,500) and will work only on SIEMENS own ISDN compatible EPABX - Model Hicom 118E - costing another Rs. 3.0 Lakhs!

I am sure, we CANNOT afford this

investment at this stage.

Sometime back, I sent you a big comparative tabulation of some 12 PIM (Personal Information Manager) Softwares (each costing between Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 5000/-). Some of these also claim to have the "POP-UP SCREEN" capabilities!

But, If I am not mistaken (pls. check out from their respective WEB-SITES), these PIMs would require

ISDN Compatible EPABX
ISDN phone line.

If this is true, we will, in any case, need to scrap our existing EPABX (Hicom-120) which SIEMENS says cannot be upgraded to ISDN Compatibility (had cost us Rs. 1.2 Lakh 3 years ago). If we buy new EPABX from Siemens (their agent), they will give us a rebate on our existing EPABX equal to its present "book-value".

So the options before us are:

Buy Siemens EPABX, along with "SMARTSET" pop-up software. Cost: Rs. 3.2 Lakhs - rebate on old epabx

(2) Buy some other make, ISDN Compatible EPABX and install one of the cheap PIM Software, downloaded from web.

Cost: ______________________ ?

ENKAY-NITSUKO sent an offer for Rs. 6 Lakhs! but, I am sure some cheaper ISDN compatible EPABX must be available in the market, we have to investigate.

Of course, if you can discover, thru your research, that there exists some POP-UP Software, that works on NON-ISDN (analog) epabx, that would be Simply Wonderful!

OR we, simply, do NOT bother to do things automatically for a while.

eg: When tele-operator transfers the phone-call to a consultant, he/she, simply uses her keyboard/mouse to open any file/document listed against the NAME / PHONE NO. of that Candidate/Client.

Could you please help me decide? Rgds (Signature)

"POP-UP MENU"	26-5-99.
INDIVIDUAL CALLERS
An Associate	Any Company
Documents from other PC (Intranet?) Programs that can be assigned to these callers
Assoc. Queries	HELP DESK
	-"CLIENT QUERIES"
	- List/Model
	Answers
	- Std - Terms
	- E-Mails
	(Sent/Received)
	- Mailers" Sent



	- Client Queries/FAQ (Model Answers)
	- Past Inquiry/Shopping Basket History
	- All the Resumes Sent Sofar (EPS)
	- "Proposals Sent" History
	- Online Headhunt History
	- Jobs Posted on our Site
	- Normal Jobs Uploaded by US
	- All Executives appointed so far
	- Order Execution Status (Module 2)
	- (Each assignment - WISE)
	- E-Mails/Voice Calls (Sent/Received)
	- Financial Transaction History
	- (Invoices/Outstandings)
	- Each Assignment WISE

SIEMENS Smartset PC-supported telephony

Connecting the PC and telephone adds new quality dimensions to people's workstations.

To ensure optimum contact with customers there is a strong demand in many companies for a system that instantly recognizes and registers all incoming and outgoing calls.

In particular, workstations with a high volume of telephone traffic, such as in telephone marketing, sales and dispatch departments, as well as in departments for undertaking service and secretaries' offices, need a clearly arranged user interface that can be quickly installed and operated, with a high degree of comfort.

As the software for this Smartset offers a convenient PC telephone directory program under the Windows interface, the user benefits from easy access to telephone numbers and work processes to be speeded up, thus saving costs. A high level of user acceptance is ensured due to a small Smartset that is clipped to the system's open voice phones.

Smartset's major functions are:

Telephone directory with search criteria
Dialing from the PC telephone directory
Automatic callup of PC telephone application (DDE)
List of received calls
List of calls still to be made
Calling party identification via address database
Menu tools that can be set in different languages

System requirements

at least 386 processor
COM 1-4 M 3x/i Interface
Windows or higher
Windows 95
Windows NT or higher

Communication

Hicom or higher
Hicom or higher
Hicom or higher
Hicom

Terminals

specific system telephony with Smartset client license

Product software Version

Smartset is a product from: O-N-E Software, Deutschland.

Issued by Information and Communication Networks Group Hofmannstrasse 51, Forchheim. Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Data Sheet

Features

Telephone directory with search criteria With Smartset a separate telephone directory can be created for business contacts. In addition to the standard entries there can be maintained several, e.g. for PC networks, and so on. Individual search fields allow all stored telephone entries to be found and switched over automatically. The currently open file is always shown at the top of the list.

Individual entries such as name, company and numbers, and additional information such as memo texts, comments or names are stored in the telephone directory. The entries are stored in a database format. Import and export functions from other address files can easily be implemented.

The displayed entry can be printed out in the telephone directory (up to the memo field).

Dialing from the PC telephone directory To dial a number it is also possible to search for various criteria (name, company, etc.) in the complete database using address book entries. For a name search it is sufficient to enter a letter of the alphabet to start the search.

The selected entry is then called directly on the screen by clicking with the mouse. When the number is busy, or a number is not entered, the call can be entered in the main mask simply by keying it in on the keyboard.

Automatic callup of a PC file/application With Smartset it is possible to carry out incoming calls an announcement via a sound card in the PC and an adjacent Smartset application using a headset or acoustic adapter. Also, an allowance is made for individual entries for individual members.

Documents from other PC programs can be assigned on an individual caller basis to callers of any of the 28 caller types. For a new call, Smartset can transfer the caller's telephone number and name to the designated PC program. When the program is then started, the corresponding document is automatically opened. This can be assigned to a customer or a sales manager.

(Handwritten note in red ink over the text: "Documents... designated PC program." starts here) Documents from other PC programs can be assigned on an individual caller basis to callers of any of the 28 caller types. For a new call, Smartset can automatically transfer the calling party's telephone number and name to the designated PC program. When the program is then started, the corresponding document is automatically opened. This can be assigned to a customer or a sales manager. (Handwritten note in red ink over the text: "...customer or a sales manager." ends here)

(Handwritten note in red ink below the image:) I suppose this means that, whenever someone (to begin with, a "client or a "member-candidate") phones & the recipient transfers the call to a particular CONSULTANT, "Smartset" software will display/pop-up, all the FILES/DOCUMENTS (about that company/person) which are stored in our Internet server against the name of that person/against that telephone no.

List of received calls When the Smartset application has been activated in the PC, incoming calls (ISDN, MODN, mobile, etc.) are recorded in the list of received calls together with the number, time and date of day. The calls are stored in a database format, free memory space in the PC. Callbacks are initiated simply by clicking with the mouse. The telephone number can be stored as a text file for logging purposes.

List of calls still to be made Call partners can still need to be called and are entered manually or can be transferred to the call list. The entries appear in a menu window, which can be printed from here by clicking with the mouse.

Calling party identification via address database When the function "Show received call" has been activated, the phone rings and the program indicates Smartset uses the incoming number (ISDN, mobile, etc.) for a search in the address database (address book entry) in the database. If an entry is found, other stored information is also displayed, e.g. company name, and department. The data are also stored centrally in a server for a PC network.

For incoming calls Smartset not only searches in the address database, but in additional number fields (mobile, private number, etc.) and in the centrally administered number fields can be carried out. If a value between 1 and 4 has been set when an entry is stored in the positions field, for incoming calls Smartset searches through the commonly administered address database or the telephone directory from there also. The selection whether an entry search is performed via the address database or via the telephone directory is the length of the user's own extension.

Smartset for tax consultants Smartset also offers a version for tax consultants that supports all functions for PC-supported telephony and, in addition, allows tax consultants to individualize clients via an employee number. Client numbers can be managed in a text file.

An optional Extra module allows DATEV's existing "Central master database" (DMD) to be traced in.

Database linking Smartset provides an integrated DDE interface. The interface allows other software to be opened via the DDE capability. The supplied sample module for Microsoft Word and Excel is available. This quick dial module allows a "mark", "text", "search for an entry" and "Trace DMD database" as well.

Smartset can be programmed by programmers themselves.

File import modules Additional module for importing and exporting customer data for the Smartset telephone directory with the ASCII and DBASE/DMD formats.

CYRIL

MASTER - SCHEDULE FOR BUSINESS PROCESS RE-ENGINEERING.

Let us discuss this at the earliest.

SRL No		May '99	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan 2000	Feb	March	April
	MARKETING
	- Install "MAIL KING"	$\checkmark$
	- H/w to speed-up Mailing (1000 email per day)		$\checkmark$
	- Proactive Marketing										$\checkmark$
	SALES
	- Install TALISMA? (Email Management & Customer Relation Management soft.)			$\checkmark$
	ORDER EXECUTION Module #2		$\leftrightarrow$	$\leftrightarrow$	$\leftrightarrow$
	WIN NT SERVER					$\leftrightarrow$	$\leftrightarrow$
	DATABASE CREATION
	Integration of MODULE #1 with								$\leftrightarrow$	$\leftrightarrow$	$\leftrightarrow$
	- Ezze Post (Collect Job Posting from Internet)
	- Resume Miner (Collect Resumes) $\rightarrow$ www.ezres.com
	- Ezze Job Finder (?)
	- Audio Mining (Speech $\rightarrow$ Text $\rightarrow$ Database of Phoned-in Resumes)
													24-5-99

SHOPPING BASKET SUMMARY STATEMENT - ORDER EXECUTION MODULE.

Date of Shopping Basket	Sender's No.	Sender's Name	Executive Designation	Company Name	Qty	Job Designation	Job Location	Posting Above Location	Responsibilities	PEN OF SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES.	Our Terms	Sent (Date)	Sent By	If resulted in order (PO No./Date)	Consultant Responsible for Execution	Remarks
$\downarrow$ Such a unique number IS a MUST.										CYRIL As per record maintained by Sajida, we have received from our site, "Shopping Baskets" as follows: Feb '99 $\rightarrow$ 25 March $\rightarrow$ 16 April $\rightarrow$ 29 Upto 25th May $\rightarrow$ 20 We need a Summary, as shown on this page, to get automatically compiled and displayed on our INTRANET Server which could be viewed by all consultants. Consultants should be able to enter last 5 columns. This would help us to methodically & aggressively follow up each "Shopping Basket" until it gets converted "into an Purchase Order". This is a URGENT Requirement.				$\downarrow$ This No. IS a MUST.

(Signature)

25/5/99

CC: Nimit

CMT-Sajida? Any suggestion?

ORDER EXECUTION MODULE

SYSTEM REQUIREMENT

INDEX

Subject/Topic of Note	Date
MIS - Daily/Weekly/Monthly Statistics	3-9-93
3 Dimensions (Number/Timeframe/Reward)	17-9-93
Interview Feedback from Clients	27-4-96
Order Backlog/Pending Assignment Analysis	29-11-98
10 standard statements	11-7-93
Interview Follow-Up	25-6-93
	31-3-94
	7-5-97
	27-5-97
Follow Up	30-3-94
- with Our Own Staff	"
- with Candidates	29-3-94
- with Clients
Chasing Events & Activities (To send what-when-whom)	30-3-94
18 Screens (Pop-Up ?) of PAPERLESS OFFICE	12-11-94
	26-11-94
Order Execution System - MASTER CHART	2-9-93
	1-2-94
HELP DESK & QUERIES (clients/candidates/Associates)	23-4-94
	16-11-94

Cyril

2/5/99

Sub: Order Execution Module

The enclosed note (E-MAIL) is 5 years old (23-4-94).

At that time, internet was beyond horizon. So, it is not surprising that, in the enclosed note, I have talked about the concept of a HELP-DESK with several technical & commercial support staff

taking "Orders" over telephone
answering "Queries" "

The concept of a Client,

placing "order" thru internet
tracking/monitoring progress of his "order" on our website

Simply did not exist!

But, in 1999, things are Vastly different.

Although "Help-Desks" do exist (even on websites), it is only a matter of time, before these become OBSOLETE.

More & more Companies are using Internet (their website) as a CENTRE PIECE/ANCHOR around which, all their business-processes are centred.

The current scenario is somewhat like:

Internal Business Processes

e.g.

Order Execution $\rightarrow$ Intranet
Admin
Sales
Accts
HR
R&D

Supply-chain (Vendors/Contractors/Suppliers) $\rightarrow$ Extranet

(Inventory Mgmt.)

Customers/Clients $\rightarrow$ Internet

Company Information/Product Info.
Help Desk/Tech. Support
Order placement/Credit Card verification.

But I feel, for most Companies (at least in U.S.A./Europe/Japan), the barriers would fall and there would be a SINGLE INTERFACE for

Employees
Suppliers
Customers

That SINGLE interface would be a company's WEBSITE!

This has already happened with a few large American Companies. Examples of these could be found in following books:

Web-Pages that Suck (Sent to you)
Webonomics $\left.\begin{array}{r}\text { with } \\ \text { Sajida }\end{array}\right\}$
Business @ Speed of Thought (Bill Gates)
Direct from DELL. (I am still reading)

If we had implemented HELP-DESK 5 years ago, that would have been fine. It might have even helped our staff to get used to "doing business over telephone".

But, having "Waited", I feel, it would be wise to simply "By-Pass" that stage of "evolution" altogether and straightaway jump to the concept of FULLY INTERACTIVE SINGLE INTERFACE (WEBSITE).

We may still develop our ORDER EXECUTION SYSTEM (MODULE #2) around our INTRANET & thoroughly

test it out before MERGING with the INTERNET.

This will help us to "debug" our internal business processes before exposing these (processes) to the public-at-large.

Because,

If these (processes) do NOT perform 100% correctly/accurately on our website, it might get adverse reaction - even ridicule - and clients may NEVER RETURN!

Eg.

What is happening to our MEMBERSHIP SERVICES ( $\odot$ Edit / Auto Job Search / Job Mail Robot ) for the last 8 months!!

But, our "goal" has to be clear right now.

And that is,

"Merger of Intranet with Internet".

Assuming that

Implementation of Module #1 takes 2 months (May/June)

Development of Module #2 (Order Execution) covering features in the enclosed notes, takes 3 months (May/June/July)
Testing of Module #2 takes 2 months (Aug/Sept)
Development of NEW WEBSITE (NT based) takes 2 months (Oct/Nov)
Merger of Module #2 into NEW NT Based Website takes 3 months (Dec/Jan/Feb 2000)

We are talking of a PROJECT TIME FRAME of 12 months.

If we manage this Schedule (and do you see any reason, why we cannot ?), at the end of this

12 month period, we should be ahead of

all Indian jobsites
most of the World's jobsites

By March 2000, I also expect that, in India,

Internet subscriber base would have grown substantially
many ISPs would be operational
"Internet - over - cable" would have become a reality (IN Cable / SITI Cable & a Atul Punj Delhi Party which expects to launch (Punj Lloyd) this by June 99). If this happens, millions of home TVs will be able to "access" internet (Hinduja (IN), alone have 2.3 million cable TV connections in 12 cities).
hundreds of Cyber-Cafes would have come up.
Internet Connection Charges would have dropped drastically (each "late-comer" ISP would have to drop prices to be able to enter the fray). (DISHNET offering Rs. 1.8/hour in Pune/Chennai!).
E-Commerce would have become a "little" easier (Yesterday, HDFC announced Payment-Gateway - 14/5/2000)

In the books mentioned earlier, I have underlined/marked-out, sentences/paras/pages, which I would request you to read, before you start working on Module #2.

Unless, we have the GRAND PICTURE in front of us, we would end-up on the periphery!

I subscribe to Jack Welch's (GE) business philosophy, viz:

"If $\odot$ in any business, you cannot be either #1 or #2, get out of it!"

To implement this project, I am ready to commit