Jacada WorkSpace White Paper

Transcription

1 Jacada WorkSpace Jacada WorkSpace is an award-winning agent productivity solution that provides contact centers with a single, universal desktop proven to reduce operational costs while improving the customer experience. Single Sign-On Single View of the Customer Dynamic Scripting Single Access to Multiple Applications Adherence Alerts In-Call Intelligence Automated Data Population Automated Call Wrap-Up Desktop Personalization Supervisor Portal CTI & Channel Integration Collaboration with Existing Systems

2 Commentary There is a growing chasm between corporate mandates for contact centers to improve customer satisfaction, reduce operational costs and increase revenue generation. Contact center agents are asked to communicate effectively, become experts on an ever-growing product portfolio, and master the increasing number of complex systems necessary to complete an interaction all while keeping interactions to manageable lengths and projecting a positive and helpful image to the customer. An almost impossible task for even the best and brightest. Given this reality, if businesses are truly serious about driving customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and revenue generation from the contact center, they must develop best practice processes and automate them in the systems used by their agents. This paper provides an overview of a solution that improves agent productivity by simplifying and automating time-consuming contact center processes. Jacada WorkSpace enables the perfect interaction by fusing best practice processes into a single universal desktop that significantly reduces handle time while providing agents with the necessary tools to optimize each interaction.

3 Table of Contents Commentary... 2 Introduction... 4 Product Overview... 6 Single Sign-on... 6 Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)... 6 Call Scripting... 7 Application Access... 9 The SmartPad... 9 Context Sensitive Help and FAQs... 9 Notifications & Alerts Personalization In-Call Intelligence Management Dashboard & Reports Process Optimization Platform Overview Runtime Architecture Development Environment Administrative Functions Summary Summary of Benefits Summary of Features Copyright Jacada Inc. 3

4 Introduction According to a recent survey of 200 multi-national companies, improving customer experience is the number one objective for most contact centers. (1) By improving customer experience, corporations can reduce customer churn and drive more profitable relationships. The same companies indicated that agent satisfaction is key to achieving customer satisfaction goals. However, the survey results also clearly indicate that efforts aimed at improving agent satisfaction and improving operational efficiencies in the contact center are severely hampered by the complexity of the agents working environment due to the variety and complexity of the applications they must use. To improve the customer experience, it is therefore imperative that the agents interaction with the applications they use be as seamless, painless and automated as possible. Jacada WorkSpace is an agent productivity solution that utilizes patented technology to deliver dramatic efficiencies within a contact center. Jacada WorkSpace is: A Web-based, thin-client workspace which incorporates all key functions required by the contact center agent to interact with customers, and A process optimization platform to simplify the agent s interaction with the business applications they use. Jacada WorkSpace can seamlessly combine all of the agent s desktop applications into a powerful, easy-to-use, portal-like environment that includes features such as single sign-on, dynamic call scripting, guided navigation, cross-sell/up-sell alerts, in-call intelligence, automated call wrap-up and CTI and contact channel integration (Figure 1). By leveraging Jacada s extensive experience in non-intrusive integration, Jacada WorkSpace can deliver The Perfect Interaction, by delivering a single view of the customer, automating call wrap-up, and simplifying or automating any complex task. By delivering a more efficient and effective agent desktop environment, Jacada is helping companies improve customer experience and reduce customer churn. Jacada WorkSpace is ideally suited for contact center environments where agents are either burdened with multiple desktop applications or where complex business rules (whether regulatory or process-oriented) hamper an agent s productivity. Such complex environments cause agent inefficiencies, resulting in higher costs (through increased training time, increased average handling time and wrap-up time), and ultimately, in decreased agent and customer satisfaction. (1) Complex Call Center Desktops Freeze Corporate Profits A Survey Commissioned by Jacada and Conducted by Winn Technology Group Copyright Jacada Inc. 4

5 By simplifying the agent s desktop, guiding the agent through a call, and removing process inefficiencies, Jacada WorkSpace delivers rapid and significant ROI. Figure 1 - Jacada WorkSpace Not a Traditional Portal Jacada WorkSpace is a highly focused offering for contact centers that enables dramatic agent productivity improvements. Unlike a traditional enterprise portal, Jacada WorkSpace is engineered from the ground-up to focus on streamlining processes within a contact center. Jacada WorkSpace is specifically designed to meet the demanding performance and scalability requirements of today s contact centers. It is focused on delivering only those capabilities important to contact center agents and supervisors providing a specialized, purpose-built environment for optimizing agent performance and the customer experience. Copyright Jacada Inc. 5

6 Product Overview The following describes in detail the key features of Jacada WorkSpace. Single Sign-on In a typical contact center, it is not uncommon to see an agent working with multiple (often six or more) applications in order to complete a call. This results in the agent having to sign on to many individual applications, typically several times throughout the day. Unfortunately, each application usually has a different User ID and password, making the sign-on process a tedious one. This results in: Wasted time, Poor password security (passwords are often written down in a notebook on the agent s desktop), and Agents getting locked out of applications due to miss-keyed passwords. Jacada WorkSpace provides a sophisticated single sign-on capability, which lets an administrator define an application group for an agent, and to centrally store the passwords for all users and applications. This repository can tie into your existing LDAP server, preserving your current security infrastructure. Upon logging into Jacada WorkSpace, the agent can be automatically logged into all the required applications without the need to remember, or to retype, passwords in any of those applications. Moreover, the business applications can be auto navigated to the screen most appropriate for accepting a new call, thereby avoiding redundant navigation after signon. Implementation of a single sign-on solution can yield significant, measurable ROI within days. Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) Jacada WorkSpace is supported by an open and modular architecture that provides integration to a broad set of CTI Servers, and offers seamless telephony access for contact center agents. Jacada WorkSpace provides all the required soft phone functionality directly within the Jacada WorkSpace client, thereby eliminating the need for the agent to handle the physical phone set. The Agent is able to easily access the soft phone functions at any time during the call, and the smart soft phone technology allows the script to determine which soft phone functions are accessible at any particular point within the script. For example, transfer functionality should not be available to an agent until some prerequisite step in the script has been reached. CTI states and availability are fully controlled by the script developer. Copyright Jacada Inc. 6

7 Figure 2 - CTI Support Jacada WorkSpace integrates with most commercially available CTI Servers. This is accomplished either by using the native protocol and API published by the CTI provider, or by using JTAPI. Realizing that different organizations may have CTI Servers from different providers, the Jacada WorkSpace CTI module has been designed to be easily extendible. Through an abstraction layer, both the Jacada WorkSpace framework and the script developer are isolated from the requirement of understanding a specific CTI server protocol. Call Scripting One powerful feature of the Jacada WorkSpace is the ability to provide dynamic call scripting to the agent. The function of the call script is to: Clearly explain what information should be relayed to the customer, Highlight which questions to ask the customer, Provide forms for accepting data input, and Define the call flow or path. The script can react dynamically based on customer information to ensure that the call is handled as intended by the business. Copyright Jacada Inc. 7

8 During the lifecycle of a call, Jacada WorkSpace clearly displays the current step within the script, allowing the agent to quickly determine what steps have already been completed, and how many steps are left. These steps can be used to enforce script adherence, or be used simply as guidelines. Figure 3 - Dynamic Call Scripting Because the script is dynamic, Jacada WorkSpace is able to retrieve important customer information from any business system and display this data when appropriate, to improve the quality of the call. The script can also be used to collect data that is then automatically placed in the appropriate business applications. The script is completely integrated within the Jacada WorkSpace framework. This allows the Jacada WorkSpace console to react to events occurring within the script, such as disabling buttons that should not be available at certain stages of the phone call. Jacada WorkSpace is capable of hosting multiple scripts -- the list of available scripts being made available in the navigation bar. This list can be dynamically controlled based on parametric data, such as data received by the IVR system or based on the agent s role and permissions. Copyright Jacada Inc. 8

9 Application Access The tabbed environment within the Jacada WorkSpace provides easy access to frequently used business applications, each application being conveniently hosted inside a tab. Jacada WorkSpace is able to auto-navigate these applications based on interaction occurring within the script, such that when the agent switches to another tab, the application is at the correct point for data entry. In addition, the application screens can be pre-populated with data that has already been captured during the call. By hosting applications inside of tabs, desktop clutter is reduced and access to applications can be determined by an agent s role and privileges. The SmartPad The SmartPad feature in Jacada WorkSpace is the modern approach to copy and paste data transfer. Any data field in any business application can be tagged as a SmartPad field. At runtime, data in these fields is automatically captured in the SmartPad ( Copy ). Data in the SmartPad can then be used to automatically populate fields in other applications ( AutoFill ), or data can be manually selected from the SmartPad to be pasted into the field that currently has focus ( Paste ). Figure 4 Smart Pad Using the SmartPad greatly boosts productivity by: Eliminating redundant data entry across applications, and Increasing data entry accuracy. Context Sensitive Help and FAQs Throughout the call lifecycle, context sensitive help can be displayed to the agent in real time. This help is targeted to assist the agent with the current step within the script. This prevents the agent from having to constantly search online reference tools and helps reduce call time and customer frustration. Copyright Jacada Inc. 9

10 Jacada WorkSpace also has the ability to dynamically display a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list, which contains the questions most commonly asked by customers during this step in the script. Thus, the FAQ will not display a billing question when the current call is related to a change of address, and would instead display a question such as How long does it take for the new address to take effect? By providing relevant help, the agent can handle the call in a professional and expedient manner. Notifications & Alerts Important information can be pushed to the agent s desktop and will appear in the Notifications portlet within Jacada WorkSpace. Notifications might be: System notifications such as alerting the agent of excessive hold times being experienced by customers, or Script and caller specific alerts, such as prompting the agent to up-sell this customer based on real-time information gathered during the call, or based on data mined from other applications in the background. Figure 5 Notifications & Alerts These alerts are presented in real-time, and different icons will allow the agent to determine the importance or relevance of the alert. Alerts have been designed to be easily visible, yet non-intrusive to the agent s workflow. Personalization Jacada WorkSpace offers sophisticated personalization and customization options, allowing the contact center to give varying degrees of autonomy to an agent. Depending on the underlying requirements of the organization, the agent desktop can be locked down rigidly with no customization options, or the agent can have a high degree of flexibility to customize or arrange their desktop. Copyright Jacada Inc. 10

11 Figure 6 - Agent Personalization Agents are assigned Roles, which determine: Basic access control, Privileges, and Desktop layouts. Agents may then be further assigned individual privileges outside of their role, including individual preference settings that control: Color scheme, FAQ, Application links, Tab order, Visible portlets, and Portal layout. In-Call Intelligence As today s contact centers strive to achieve a balance between quality service, costs and revenue, it is critical to understand exactly how agents are interacting with customers. This information feeds the strategy to improve processes, perform root cause analyses, and maximize opportunities through up-sell/cross-sell programs. Copyright Jacada Inc. 11

12 While ACD and CTI systems provide data about telephony related activity, there is precious little information available about what actually happens within the call. The In- Call Intelligence feature in Jacada WorkSpace unlocks data from inside the call so organizations can automatically and accurately determine why customers are calling. In-Call Intelligence also helps management ensure that agents are following the appropriate policies and procedures to ensure that compliance and service-level agreements are met. This feature is often used to help contact centers automatically disposition the call, without any involvement from the agent. Unlike manual call disposition systems or random call monitoring, Jacada WorkSpace provides a systematic, automated approach that can disposition the call based on predefined patterns and rules defined by the contact center. With In-Call Intelligence, keystrokes, navigation sequences and data entry activity are all captured, in real-time, and can be used to: Alert managers about agent compliance with business rules or regulations, Analyze why customers are calling, Trigger activity within other systems, such as a real-time up-sell/cross-sell recommendation, and Ensure that agents are following prescribed processes and procedures. Management Dashboard & Reports Jacada WorkSpace provides sophisticated reporting capabilities by using its in-call intelligence functionality to unlock in-call data, thus providing real-time call analytics. Data can be correlated across multiple sources, cross-referencing switch or IVR data with In-Call data, all in real-time. Jacada WorkSpace does not mandate the use of a specific reporting engine, but rather provides open interfaces so that data may be used within an organizations reporting tool of choice. Data can also be export in real-time to any business intelligence or decision support system. In addition to supporting any existing reporting system that may be in place, Jacada WorkSpace provides a built-in dashboard capability. This dashboard provides a multitude of graphical widgets that can be assembled in any custom manner to report on data in real-time. Copyright Jacada Inc. 12

13 Figure 7 Supervisor Dashboard Process Optimization Jacada WorkSpace provides a non-invasive approach to simplifying processes for the agent without having to replace or modify any of your existing business applications. Using the Jacada Fusion non-invasive integration platform you can simplify or automate time-consuming processes to dramatically improve agent productivity, agent morale, and your customers experience. Process optimization can take many forms, including: A single view of the customer A single view of a process, An automated call initiation process, and An automated call wrap-up process. By simplifying the agent desktop and collapsing processes that span multiple applications into a single user interface, the agent can spend more time focusing on solving the customer s problems and less time struggling with navigating and deciphering complex business applications. It is important to note that this is a bi-directional capability. Jacada WorkSpace can non-invasively retrieve and update data, real-time, from any application. And based on Copyright Jacada Inc. 13

14 the automated tools provided in Jacada Fusion, the solution will be up and running and delivering ROI in a matter of weeks, not months or years. Platform Overview The following section provides an overview of the runtime and design time components of Jacada WorkSpace. Runtime Architecture The Jacada WorkSpace platform is a highly scalable J2EE-based service oriented architecture (SOA) featuring a modular design. As depicted in Figure 8, the client component is a browser-based thin-client, simplifying deployment and making remote agents a reality. The middle tier, or server component, deploys as a J2EE application server and features open standard Java code. Interfaces to server processes are exposed as standard Web services, providing an easily accessible and extendible system. Figure 8 - The Jacada WorkSpace platform Using the Jacada Fusion non-invasive integration platform, Jacada WorkSpace is able to leverage all your existing business logic and data across all application types Windows, Web and Host without requiring access to, or modification of, the existing system. Implementation is completely non-disruptive to your existing operations since applications do not need to be modified. Copyright Jacada Inc. 14

15 Development Environment Script development within Jacada WorkSpace is easily accomplished using a graphical design and development environment that utilizes drag-and-drop modeling techniques entire scripts can be developed without writing any code. Wizards are provided to simplify common script features such as multi-choice options, and an extensive control palette is provided for the script developer to design interactive forms. Figure 9 - Visual Script Flow Editor Special development features include: Graphical drag-and-drop script development WYSIWYG page editor Visual script flow editor Embedded scripts A Script Repository allowing for the re-use of sub scripts Wizards specifically designed to accelerate script development Copyright Jacada Inc. 15

16 Pre-defined common validation controls ( , SSN, etc.) Script development does not necessitate any coding, enabling business analysts to define script flow and content. That said, the Jacada WorkSpace development environment provides all features required for power developers. Skilled developers may choose to bypass the wizard-driven development approach and will enjoy all the benefits expected in a state-of-the-art Integrated Development Environment (IDE) with comprehensive features including debugging, code completion, and much more. Administrative Functions The Jacada WorkSpace provides a sophisticated administration console, packaged as a thin-client web application, making administration and deployment of the Jacada WorkSpace easy from any location. Figure 10 - Jacada Fusion Management Console In addition to management and administration capabilities, important statistical metrics can be obtained including traffic throughput, active sessions, and peak usage. This helps administrators manage and plan for scalability and redundancy. Copyright Jacada Inc. 16

17 Summary As contact centers strive for continued efficiencies while improving the customer experience, it is imperative they be equipped with the right infrastructure. Few companies have the luxury of adopting a rip-and-replace strategy and are, instead, looking for ways to leverage the applications that are already in place. The complex and cumbersome agent desktop results in inefficiencies and frustration that often make it impossible for any company to meet their customer service objectives. By implementing Jacada WorkSpace you can eliminate the complex desktop environment, drastically improve call quality and efficiency, and significantly reduce training costs. Jacada WorkSpace presents a common unified desktop to the agent, which remains constant across various call types, providing dynamic call scripts and simplified navigation. In a matter of weeks, not months or years, you can experience: Significantly reduced average handle times (AHT), Improved first call resolution, Reduced costs associated with agent training and data entry errors, and most importantly, An improved customer experience. All without replacing or modifying any of your existing business applications. With Jacada WorkSpace you can deliver the perfect interaction. Copyright Jacada Inc. 17

18 Summary of Benefits Improve Business Metrics Improve Agent Experience Improve Customer Service Reduce Training Costs Enable the Virtual Agent Increase Revenues Jacada WorkSpace delivers dramatic productivity improvements that will be reflected in your key performance indicators. Important contact center metrics such as Average Handle Time (AHT), After Call Work (ACW), and First Call Resolution (FCR) will be dramatically improved. Removing the large degree of complexity and frustration encountered by an agent in their day-to-day job translates into an improved agent experience and reduced agent turnover. An improved agent experience will drive an improved customer experience. By simplifying the agent desktop, all relevant information is rapidly accessible to the agent and conveyed to customers, and interactions with business systems are performed correctly and expediently. By reducing the number of applications needed to service the customer, and by simplifying cumbersome processes, agent training can be focused on the business rather than on the systems. By removing process complexities inherent to line-of-business applications, agents are able to more easily service different types of calls. This allows a contact center to handle multiple call types and not have to maintain specialized groups of agents for specific calls. Implementation of Jacada WorkSpace allows the agent to focus not only on call resolution, but also on increasing revenues. Jacada WorkSpace provides in-call intelligence that aids the agent in capitalizing on up-sell and/or cross-sell opportunities during the call. Copyright Jacada Inc. 18

19 Summary of Features Single Sign-On (SSO) Dynamic Call Scripting Application Access SmartPad In-Call Intelligence Process Optimization Notifications & Alerts Automated Call Disposition and Call Logs Context Sensitive Help and FAQs Personalization Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) Automatically signs the agent into all required applications, utilizing a single user ID and password can integrate with your existing LDAP infrastructure. Allows calls to be scripted with on-screen controls, automatic application navigation and dynamic flow control logic. Scripts are easily developed and maintained using a drag and drop visual modeling tool. Provides easy access to business applications by hosting them within tabs. Enables auto-navigation to these applications based on interactions occurring within the script. Automates copy and paste data transfer. Used to auto-fill appropriate fields with data from other applications or data captured during the call. Unlocks in-call information regarding the agent s interaction with the business applications. Used to automatically disposition calls and generate analytical reports. Delivers a single view of the customer, or a single view of a process. Bidirectional update and retrieval of data. Automates call wrap-up tasks or any complex task with no changes to the existing business applications. Important information can be pushed to the agent s desktop and will appear as alerts. Used to display systems notifications and customer or call-specific information such as up-sell recommendations. Captures the interactions that are performed in the business applications and automatically dispositions the call, annotating why the customer called and what actions were performed. Assists the agent with the current step within the script. Provides FAQs relevant to the type of call or request. Enables better customer service by empowering the agent with better information. Provides role-based management for access rights, layouts and privileges. Provides agent-level personalization options for styles, tab arrangement, portlet arrangement, etc. Fully integrates with the leading CTI Servers, including JTAPI support. Telephony functions are tightly integrated, offering complete soft phone functionality as well as easy telephony control from within a script. Copyright Jacada Inc. 19