Centralized IT Supporting Multiple Agencies Leverages & Enhances Existing Infrastructure to Expand Self-Service
REAL USE CASE
State Government
Abstract
In this Real Life Use Case, learn how a large state IT organization supporting multiple state agencies – such as the Department of Labor, Unemployment Services, the Office of Child Protective Services and more – was able to leverage and enhance their current infrastructure to increase agent effectiveness, availability through self-service applications, and customer satisfaction.
Together, the experts at Swampfox and the client’s preferred integration partner were able to strategically move from an outdated and bloated Avaya Elite Call Center to the more powerful Avaya Experience Portal IVR. During this move, Swampfox was able to transfer its applications, and the callback solution from an on-premises environment to a hosted/managed services environment, relieving IT and agencies from day-to-day management. Additionally, the client was able to implement the industry’s most feature-rich solutions for IVR Self-Service, Agent Desktop ™ and callback solutions, as well as tailor each one of these solutions to suit the unique business needs of each of the departments. As a result, this organization was able to:
- Save customers over 24,000 hours of hold time per year
- Save over $50,000 per year in toll-free charges for the state
- Increase access to self-service applications to 24/7
- Eliminate service outages
- Reduce staffing costs
- Enable agents to have more time for complex interactions
- Empower agents with more context about inbound calls, to make the handle-time shorter and more efficient
- Increase customer satisfaction
- Lower abandonment rates
Problem Definition
A US State Government was budget constrained and wanted to focus on lower cost methods for routine services high-touch, agent-based, services for other needs. However, the state was already overextended in their ability to manage Self Service / IVR instances across unique business needs for each individual department, such as:
- How to provide for Unemployment Claims Enrollment, ongoing job search verification, and status on claims.
- How to provide for Welfare services including aid for low-income citizens of the State.
- How to provide a safe and secure environment for Protection of Child Welfare including reporting at risk children and situations.
The State sought to move the more complex Avaya Experience Portal IVR, its applications, and the callback solution from an on-premises environment to a hosted/managed services environment, thus relieving IT and Agencies from day-to-day managed environment, reducing outages, freeing up their agents, reducing hold times, increasing customer satisfaction, and driving self-service.
Solution Narrative
- Swampfox Transparent Hosting™ (Cloud Services) – Moved the more complex Avaya Experience Portal IVR, its applications, and the callback solution from an on-premises environment to a hosted/managed services environment, thus relieving IT and Agencies from day-to-day managed environment.
- Swampfox Active Management & Monitoring™: Applications (Managed Services) – Provided ongoing monitoring, management, and administration of the system, including moves/adds/changes to the self-service applications, First In Line ™ (FIL) callback application, and support for Swampfox Agent Desktop ™ (SFAD).
- Swampfox First In Line™ / Callback (Application) – For calls that needed a skilled person, ICX supported finding the best resource and – if there was a wait – allowed customers to hear their real predicted wait time – and request a callback as soon as an agent was available or schedule a time when they know they had more time
- Swampfox Agent Desktop (Application) – Aided agents in understanding why the customer was calling based on data that was captured in IVR Self Service applications. Also provided agents with robust context about the inbound call to make the handle time shorter and more efficient by providing the ability to preview audio reasons, name and intent left previously by the caller via the self-service applications to ensure optimal conversations.
- IVR Self-Service (Customized Applications) – Automated routine tasks captured data for agent-assisted tasks (to improve efficiency), and to reserve staffing requirements for more complex tasks. Allowed the state-agency to offer a set of services at much higher scale and available 24 hours a day.
Key Decision Points
- Existing solution didn’t work; ineffective, not reliable with frequent outages
- Used too many resources, degrading effectiveness
- Client had history with Swampfox and the robustness of the solutions
- Ability to enhance their existing infrastructure with Swampfox solutions
- Reduced complexity and increased effectiveness by leveraging Swampfox hosting, cloud, managed services
Results
The state now meets most of its less sensitive and more routine services through Swampfox self-service IVR applications, which has reduced the need for state personnel/agents. These state agents have been redeployed to serving constituents for other services delivering cost savings to the State and its taxpayers. Across departments, administration and customization was centralized across a shared platform which was moved into Swampfox Transparent Hosting facilities. There, SF Active Management and Monitoring Services took over day to day management of the application.
Swampfox First In Line ™ now saves over 90 days of “hold time” for customer per month. Over a calendar year this amounts to over 1,000 days or 24,000 hours of hold time per year. Even when just accounting for 800 number charges, this has moved over $50,000 per year in toll-free charges for the State. Overall, the constituents of the State now experience a better customer experience and leaders enjoy the ability to address constituent/voter’s needs.
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