We all know the old adage ‘nobody ever got
sacked for buying IBM’ but in the call recording
industry there is no obvious supplier or
product, which comes out on top.
So how do you even begin to
approach the complexities
involved in buying what is
no longer a simple call
recording solution?
An Analysis, Objectives and Results (AOR) study is generally a good
starting point to assist in defining your business goals and objectives
whilst getting everybody focussed on the end goal. Alongside this a
Development Needs Analysis (DNA) can be carried out so that product
recommendations can be made based on true business needs.
A DNA typically includes a review of the current practices within the
contact centre. This covers areas such as quality assurance, agent
coaching and feedback, agent and management training,
organisational structure and relationships, performance measurements
and customer satisfaction measurements. By examining and evaluating
these areas, recommendations can then be made on solutions for
improving business performance.
Once you know what you need to buy, you need to consider how you
are going to buy it. The hosted option is a popular choice for SME’s
who don’t want an upfront capital outlay and prefer a pay-as-you-go
model. It also enables businesses to generate revenue at the same time
as paying for the service. This can work well, for example in outsourced
contact centres when running short and long term campaigns which
require expansion and contraction of resource. There are also options
to rent, lease or acquire managed service contracts, each option comes
with its own benefits, but ultimately you need to choose a solution that
dovetails effectively into your business and financial model.
At this point you know what you want to buy and how you want to buy
it – is there anything else left to consider? Following your due diligence
you need to have decided what is important to you. Is it down to cost,
functionality, after sales service and support, choice, expertise or is it a
combination of some or all of these things?
The cost of making the wrong technology investment can be very high,
going beyond the equipment itself, but with the right planning and
preparation, an investment can prove beneficial and can give you the
sustainable, competitive edge that will differentiate your business
from others.
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