Guidelines for the 12-point CTI project checklist

As additional support for the 12-point checklist, the following guidelines will assist call center development teams to assess and meet their requirements.

Size up your host solution

LANs, minis or mainframes? For smaller centers, a local area network can serve as the entire host side of the solution. Recently, application development and the experience of established call centers have shown that a LAN-based or client/server-based application provides more flexibility for importing telephone functions to the workstation. If there is already a mainframe or mini in place, use the existing hardware. These systems may be used as host servers and connected to workstations via local area networks, combining the flexibility of a LAN with the processing power of a mainframe.

Confirm savings and goals with vendors as part of the selection process

Before contacting vendors, evaluate the time and cost of handling a given call. Compare this information to the vendor's proposal, in order to calculate projected savings. Demand detailed projections and scenarios, and ask to speak to a few happy customers. Even among happy customers you may find some potential drawbacks to a particular system.

Consult colleagues about their call center experiences

In noncompetitive situations, colleagues can be valuable sources of information on open applications they may have implemented.

Start over or improve on existing applications?

If a call center is being upgraded, many applications can be integrated without difficulty into an open CTI environment. For example, an application that calls up customer profile information by having the CSR key in the customer's Social Security number can be replaced using ANI in which the open application automatically summons the field to the agent's screen by replacing the Social Security number with a home phone number. Many open applications, like predictive dialing engines, are more efficient or economical if purchased as turnkey applications. In this situation, it is more practical to keep the existing application than to attempt to adapt a new one.

Develop a test program

There are two ways to test computer telephony applications prior to full implementation. Dummy applications are available that simulate call traffic, the workforce, the planned equipment, network services, and application programs. A test region can also be made available on the host platform where pilot tests can be run while changes are being made and load analysis is being performed. Many telecom managers prefer to phase in the new regime gradually using such separate testing areas, for example, phasing in 10 or 20% of the customer base, then gradually broadening the application to include the entire base throughout the call center.

Avoid fancy features that do not really contribute to productivity

Some CTI applications can perform feats so stunning that even the most conservative telecom center manager can get carried away.

Provide appropriate training for CSRs

Plan and organize training sessions, coordinated by the applications developer, on new applications well in advance of the installation so that CSRs can master them before they are implemented. Keep in mind that the introduction of automation into any process involving human resources means fewer employees are required. Perhaps the budget will permit the diversion of CSRs to a larger support group or complaint division; otherwise, the call center workforce may have to be reduced through attrition or layoffs.

Be prepared to implement new evaluation criteria for CSRs

If an application incorporates a voice response unit, for example, the unit will handle most of the simple inquiries without any live intervention. This means that CSRs will handle only the more difficult calls, and therefore the duration of calls fielded by CSRs will increase while the number of calls handled will decrease.

Conduct reality checks

Evaluate each new application 3 months after it is in place and again in 12 months to determine if cost savings have been achieved. It is relatively easy to calculate lower toll-free usage and the savings resulting from fewer CSRs staffing phones, but other benefits are more difficult to gauge. For example, in an insurance application, it is difficult to determine how many new policies have been purchased simply because the CSR was able to transfer both the data file and the screen immediately from the life insurance division to the accident group. These reality checks may require altering long-distance contracts, CSR scheduling, and even computer capacity to accommodate a changed call processing environment to generate real cost savings. Incorporating changes of this nature will result in a faster return on investment. The experience of some call center users indicates that the payback period on investment ranges from 9 to 16 months.

Summarizing the Benefits

A properly planned and implemented integration of computer and telephone technology can provide several specific benefits to organizations, including

§  Providing more timely access to information

§  Enabling the sharing of current and new information

§  More effectively communicating and presenting that information

§  Allowing more timely response to information requests

CTI implementation guidelines

The implementation of a CTI solution begins with the selection of an overall system architecture. One of two options may be selected:

§  Traditional mainframe level (enterprise)

§  Workgroup (client/server) level external to existing telecommunications switches and infrastructure

These options represent two philosophically different approaches to CTI. The advantages and disadvantages of each are described next.

Implementation at enterprise or PBX level

The enterprise or PBX level requires additional intelligence in the PBX. Considerable time and expense will be required to upgrade the software and hardware, however, possibly requiring complete replacement of the PBX. In addition, the existing proprietary software used for call control and call processing, as well as the complex interactions between call processing and the features and functions accessible through desktop telephones, may not be capable of upgrading, thus requiring a complete system upgrade.

Implementation at client/server or LAN level

At the client/server or LAN level, integration is accomplished by the addition of an applications or telephony server to the existing LAN architecture. As a result, the legacy PBX investment is maintained and CTI functionality is delivered by another server on the LAN. The server takes control of telephone calls and serves as the interface between telephony protocols, server software, and the clients using the applications.

Once the implementation alternative has been selected, a key business parameter related to the implementation of CTI, and more importantly, to the objectives and goals of a call center operation, must be addressed. This is the overall enterprise objective for customer interaction, or in more current terminology, the corporation's customer relationship management (CRM) strategy. 

 Assessing the impact of CTI on this strategy means evaluating every possible contingency and every possible combination of customer communication, including e-mail, telephone, Website hits, fax, and even regular (snail) mail. The correct CTI process or product is the appropriate mix of applications and core technologies that add value to a company's existing operations and allow it to do more to enhance its CRM strategy.

A number of specific CTI applications may be considered at the evaluation stage for their contribution to meeting call center objectives:

§  Voice mail

§  Unified messaging

§  Advanced call routing

§  Fax redirection

§  Internet telephony

§  Call center applications

§  Customer service software

§  Salesforce automation

Once the CTI implementation option has been selected, there are several logical, practical approaches to meeting the specified requirements. The 12-step, chronological CTI Project Checklist described next is a process that has been tested in the development of successful call centers. It is flexible in that it can be modified to meet specific requirements and is applicable to either of the implementation options.

The 12-step CTI project checklist

The following activities will take the CTI project from inception to complete activation and should be addressed in chronological order:

1.     Convene an initial meeting of all stakeholders, users, and departmental representatives involved in the call center operation.

2.     Identify workgroup/project for pilot program.

3.     Identify key objectives for CTI implementation—internal and external benefits, ROI (return on investment), individuals and processes affected.

4.     Develop detailed vendor/supplier briefing or RFP (request for proposal), including objectives.

5.     Visit vendor sites and hold briefing sessions.

6.     Issue call for proposals.

7.     Evaluate proposals relative to expectations/objectives and ROI targets.

8.     Select vendors and other contractors.

9.     Install pilot site and train staff.

10.  Introduce CTI components on a phased basis beginning with call control, and moving into call processing.

11.  Introduce full CTI feature set and application functionality.

12.  Review progress and adjust as necessary.

In the PBX approach, primary vendor contact will be with PBX legacy system representatives. If the client/server approach is selected, primary contact will be with a supplier having LAN, computer, and telecommunications experience. Expert advice is also available to the CTI project team from a number of other sources. Component vendors can be consulted in the early stages and often point the way to application partners whose products works with the core elements. Other organizations that are operating call centers may be willing to share their experiences. Telephone companies and other large service providers can also help integrate the components of CTI to meet performance specifications.

To ensure success, companies implementing a call center need upper management to buy in, to direct the goals of the project, and to establish a clear, consistent view of the relationship between the company and its customers. This last issue must always be in the forefront of the call center development team's planning process and needs to be stressed in initial project meetings and management presentations.

Selection and integration of CTI components

Putting the pieces of a CTI system together involves a high degree of coordination between products and vendors at several levels. Once the 12-step project checklist has been completed, the project team can move into the actual implementation stage, in which equipment is assembled, tested, and proven and the pilot site is brought to an operational state. The fundamental hardware and the integration elements are the foundation, including

§  Boards that process voice and data channels, servers, and networks that meet specifications for high reliability and reflect mission criticality

§  Middleware—the standards and open protocols that interconnect equipment from different vendors

The other major components are

§  Hardware elements

§  Dual networking infrastructures—phone switch and data network

§  Application layer

The phone switches are usually PBXs or dedicated high-volume call-routing switches called automatic call distributors (ACDs). These devices are described in detail later in this chapter.

Telephone service is obviously a core component of any call center, and as carrier networks upgrade their services to deliver advanced call-processing features through the network, acquiring premise-based equipment to provide these functions is no longer required. For smaller businesses, this means that if messaging or call-routing applications are available from the network, there is a significant cost savings.

Middleware

Between the phone and data networking areas lies the middleware layer. Originally, many middleware products focused on interconnecting a single vendor switch and a single host format. Older and more widespread databases involve more complex middleware, which gave rise to many problems in implementing CTI. These problems occurred because companies with old legacy systems and extremely customized databases had to endure a difficult period of customization of switch-to-database interfaces before they could achieve the benefits of CTI. The incorporation of middleware connectivity in the switch is eliminating this technological hurdle and making call center development easier.

Application layer

The next level of product in the CTI hierarchy is the application layer, the software that actually makes people more productive, providing features such as messaging or speech recognition, automating salesforces, or taking orders over the Web. When considering a transition to CTI, it is important to start with a concrete idea of what the system should accomplish by identifying the applications that suit the business and then to build up and down to integrate those applications with the existing infrastructure.

Consulting services and systems integration

There are consulting services and systems integration knowledge and expertise available that can assist an organization to integrate all of the elements of CTI. Generally speaking, CTI is not an off-the-shelf system. It requires the interconnection of different technical realms that are usually managed by different departments and personnel having different mindsets and priorities. Because of the inevitable and often unforeseen problems associated with integrating the two core technologies, making CTI work can be a challenge, despite the best efforts of standards committees and vendors to make the process easier. As well, there are many things that can't be anticipated by outsiders, which is another key reason to have an internally directed plan rather than hand everything over to a consultant or a systems integrator.

Many companies need help defining the scope of what CTI should do in a business context (not just from a technical point of view). Consultants or systems integrators familiar with the business environment may be able to coordinate the entire implementation plan, help select the products from the various layers, and, if necessary, create any custom linkages or applications to suit the situation. As noted previously, vendor assistance may also be available, a resource that is becoming more viable as the vendor community develops better knowledge of CTI and its components in order to provide end-to-end coverage of the entire CTI process, from the component layer through the applications service. Vendors often set up umbrella systems through application partners from which a customer can choose a variety of applications that are precertified by the vendor to work with selected hardware.

Before deciding on implementing any computer telephony technology in the call center, the internal environment must be defined. One rule of thumb that may be applied is that areas with high volume are going to have the highest payback when implementing open applications.

CTI in the call center

CTI was described from the perspective of a PBX environment, because the technology originated in the PBX community. In a call center application, the PBX switch is capable of relaying information that the PC can interpret and that operators can use to respond to a caller rapidly. CTI is the technology that enables a range of multifaceted call management features to be implemented in a call center. Advances in telephone and computer technology, as well as in other technologies, such as data warehousing and database management systems, have resulted in the increasing sophistication of modern call centers.

Open systems and standards

As described previously, CTI is made possible by the integration of many different components, subsystems, applications, and technologies and is based on an "open system" concept. Open systems and common standards allow a telephony server to be added to an existing LAN, thereby making possible the sharing of applications across an enterprise. In this environment, legacy systems also play a major role by providing customer data and employing other long-standing internal corporate standards. CTI applications can share LANs with different servers because telephony APIs have been developed by leading network specialists and customer premise equipment (CPE) manufacturers. Although CTI came from "closed proprietary" roots, its evolution has motivated the telecommunications community to adopt an open system/multivendor environment.

The integration of computing and telephony, with its myriad of components and standards, is a natural environment for this approach in which numerous players can contribute knowledge and expertise at the right point in the process. On the computer side of the CTI house, major computer vendors are active in client/server architecture and CTI solutions. At the same time, switch vendors have endorsed two of the more prevalent APIs—TSAPI and TAPI. The significant advantage of open system architectures is that they provide developers the opportunity to focus on designing the application, rather than getting involved in the various components or peripherals it may try to control. Application development in CTI is facilitated using APIs provided by operating system designers and manufacturers of peripheral equipment, while CTI developers are free to concentrate on their own application requirements.

The fully automated call center

Previous descriptions of CTI in this chapter have stressed the high level of automation this hybrid technology brings to call center operations. To accomplish the goals of an organization planning to implement a fully automated call center, the following must be considered and evaluated:

§  Integrating the new CTI architecture with currently installed systems and incorporating the capability for future growth

§  Minimizing requirements for new hardware and software on existing PCs and in the PBX

§  Incorporating industry-standard hardware and software

§  Building in the capability to track and report on call center operations, including operator productivity and the effectiveness of the CTI implementation

An effective call center operation will keep pace with the communications preferences of customers, while maximizing network resources and customer service, by integrating a wide range of communication tools with the organization's human resources and databases.

Switch links and PBX

Early CTI implementations that used switch links had a number of designations for the link or interface between the computer and the PBX, but what they had in common was architecture rooted in computer-to-mainframe PBX. This complex, high-end system was the result of technology alliances between big switch manufacturers and big computer manufacturers, which yielded an enterprisewide solution. In a typical large call center operation, the application ran on a minicomputer/mainframe and controlled a PBX using an intelligent link. The user's screen was controlled by the same application so that the application could coordinate the call arriving at the desk with the proper and timely presentation of information. If the operator needed to transfer the call to a supervisor, the application made sure the information screen traveled with the call.

Telecom servers

The new approach uses a telecom server, which is installed as another node on a workgroup LAN and equipped with the hardware and software elements necessary to deliver CTI solutions to that workgroup. The telecom server connects directly to the public network to handle all calls coming into the group and connects directly to the desktop client to deliver those calls. This approach allows all the "priority" customer contacts to bypass the enterprise PBX. As a result, the enterprise PBX no longer needs to be upgraded. The telecom server has a few simple connections back to the legacy PBX to allow internal calls between the workgroup and the rest of the organization, a feature that is one of the major technological advances in a CTI implementation.

Telecom servers contain a basic computing component, which is enhanced for CTI applications by adding four card types:

§  A digital trunk card to connect to advanced network services

§  A digital line card to transfer voice or video connections to the desktop

§  An analog trunk card to connect internal voice calls to the legacy PBX

§  A special-purpose resource card with a range of available technologies configured to match the services required

The traditional PC bus is not designed to handle the large bandwidth required to transport real-time voice and video information, for example, from the digital trunk card across the digital line card or to the voice processing card. To solve this problem, a secondary telecom bus is added to the server architecture.

Enhanced CTI services

Telecom servers extend the range of services available to the CTI application developer. Basic call control can now be integrated with DSP (digital signal processor) cards to deliver the broad range of services described next.

Voice processing—voice mail/automated attendant

Voice response systems were discussed briefly as one of the call-handling features enabled by CTI. This feature involves a single-card voice mail system that is designed by programming a DSP resource card to compress the caller's voice so that it can be stored on a mass storage device such as a hard disk. The voice is already in digital format when it arrives from the digital trunk or digital line card. The application software in a voice mail server is basically a simple file-and-retrieval system available from several vendors that uses a desktop PC application to control the system.

IVR (interactive voice response)

IVR systems use essentially the same technology as voice mail and can be designed with a single DSP card. IVR applications allow users to create structured scripts that guide the caller through a series of menu options to obtain a final response. The IVR will play digitally stored messages and solicit a response from the caller at each step, generally using a Touch-Tone telephone pad. The response will then cause the next set of messages to be played, according to the script.

Speech recognition

Speech recognition is another DSP-based technology that can be delivered to the server as a resource card. It gives the computer the capability to analyze digitized voice signals, compare them with other voice patterns, and recognize the words being spoken. This technology can be used to supplement IVR systems in situations where the user can't use the Touch-Tone keypad or to reduce the number of menus that the caller has to navigate.

Text-to-speech technology

Text-to-speech or speech synthesis technologies are another resource card option, enabling the computer to produce speech from written or spoken information. This capability is useful for e-mail or free-form messages when a terminal is unavailable (e.g., at the airport, on a cellular phone, etc.)

Fax processing

The DSP card can be programmed to function as a fax modem, which provides a shared fax server resource. The fax image can be downloaded over the LAN and converted by the fax card, then transmitted over the digital trunk to the network. In reverse fashion, an incoming fax from the network will be converted to file format and sent to the desktop PC.

Media conversion

Media conversion, along with other technologies, has the potential to improve access to information from anywhere, a useful feature for mobile workforces.

Optical character recognition (OCR)

OCR is another DSP-based technology that converts a scanned image into text. When used with fax images, it can convert an incoming fax to a document that can be edited or pass it to a text-to-speech application to be read aloud.

Basic CTI services

The starting point for all CTI development is a set of basic services, which include call control, call monitoring, and feature activation. There are two recognized industry standards (CSTA (computer supported telecommunication applications) and SCAI (switch to computer applications interface)) for performing these functions as well as several dozen proprietary designs.

Call control

Switching software is the core technology enabling CTI to provide an outside application with some form of control over switch functions. The outside application is offered or can access a set of commands; for example, make call, answer call, and transfer call. When a command is issued, the switch tries to complete its assigned task and reports back to the application with a result. That result might mean complete success (the call went through), progress has been made (the other end is now ringing), or failure (the dialed number is busy or goes unanswered). This information has to be provided on a real time basis as events occur. The application design must allow for communications situations that occur in real life in call centers, such as peak times when all the lines are busy or power users who switch back and forth between several calls on hold. Users have come to expect almost instantaneous response times from their telephone systems; the CTI application designer must now deliver on that expectation. In this simple model, call control expects the application to act as if it were a telephone set (anything that a telephone could do, the application can now do). By extending that model to include the features of a modern business telephone (multiline, speed call, displays, etc.), the power of this basic service becomes apparent.

There are two approaches to call control:

§  First-party call control

§  Third-party call control

First-party call control

The basic premise of first-party call control is that the CTI application is acting on behalf of one user. In this model, the application is running on the user's desktop PC, and there is an actual physical connection between the application, the user's PC, and the user's telephone line. Through an application, the user can control the telephone call. Examples of these applications include the following:

§  Personal directory

§  Personal organizer

§  Personal answering machine

§  Personal call accounting

Third-party call control

The basic premise of third-party call control is that the CTI application acts on behalf of any of the clients in a workgroup or department. In this model, the application is running on a shared server and there is no direct physical connection between the user's PC and the telephone line. Instead, there is a "logical" connection: The user's PC application communicates with the server, which in turn controls the switch. The server provides a coordination point for all calls being handled in the workgroup. This makes possible a much more powerful (or useful) level of call control. The central server-based application can handle the distribution of all calls to the members of the workgroup, including activities like call screening or back-up answering. This has been a key element in the application of CTI—the potential for breakthrough productivity gains when used in high-performance workgroups.

Call monitoring

Both of the call control models described previously expect the application to act like a telephone. This is helpful in explaining call control, but it clearly ignores the range of capabilities of a PC. Recognizing this, the designers of CTI built in services, such as call monitors, that capitalize on the strengths of the PC.

The application can set a call monitor in the PBX (private business exchange) to collect information on almost any activity. For example, by setting a monitor on a single user's telephone set, the application can watch every button pushed, every digit dialed, every picking up or replacing of the handset. Similarly, by monitoring any trunk, the application can see each incoming call, collect ANI or DNIS data, watch where the call was directed, and know when and where it was answered. By selectively monitoring telephones, groups of telephones, or trunks, the application can get as detailed a picture of the PBX activities as required to make the application work. This is especially valuable in generating management reporting and performance measurement statistics.

Feature activation

The last of the basic CTI services described in this section is feature activation. Modern PBX systems provide over 200 features to improve call handling, although the majority of users never use more than 4 of them. The use of PC-based applications (which can be set to the user's preferences) unlocks the power already built into the telephone system by allowing simple computer screen-based control of features, such as arranging a conference call by clicking on the names of the parties involved.

In this application, commands are provided that activate, suspend, or turn off features within the switch. For example, the personal organizer application could set up call forwarding for a user who is away from the office and turn off the same call forwarding when the user returns. Similarly, a CTI application could modify call screening by a secretary on behalf of a workgroup. It would be turned off at the end of the business day and the calls would be automatically redirected to an answering service.

Integration of CTI

There are several issues related to the integration of CTI with other corporate systems. These issues include the following:

§  Linkages to multiple disparate data sources

§  Limitations imposed by vendor-specific protocols

§  Upgrades to attached systems that may cause changes in other systems or disable some functions

§  Combining standard and custom applications

The benefits of CTI

CTI in the call center brings many benefits as well as changes to businesses, by changing business trends, reshaping the workplace, and providing opportunities for increased productivity, increased revenue, and ultimately, increased profit. The resulting changes in the corporate world are reflected in more horizontal organizations, high-performance workgroups, and empowered employees. CTI also changes the roles of call center personnel and requires skilled CSRs who can identify and resolve customer problems. Call center managers are required to coordinate and manage a broad range of activities and technologies.

The main focus of any organization should be its customers: fielding their calls, delivering service, ensuring orders are filled, and making sales. Customer databases are significant in the application of CTI, as the traditional computer and telephone are replaced by a single unit combining both communications devices. The easier it is for customers to communicate with companies, the better the relationship will be. Establishing and maintaining good customer relationships is one of the ultimate objectives of call center operations. Companies that do the best job of opening the door to customers, making it as easy as possible for customers to find out what they need to know, are the ones that have the best track records in the long term. Small and medium-sized companies that have adopted customer-focused attitudes eventually become "giants" in their industry sectors.

Among the benefits that CTI brings to both businesses and their customers are the following:

§  Shorter calls

§  Significant reduction in hold time

§  Fast transfer of information to the CSR's desktop, then to the caller

§  Reduction in telecom usage costs (the second biggest expense in a call center)

§  Happier customers

§  Most problems solved faster, on the first call

§  More sales opportunities

§  Capability to cross sell or upsell while building loyalty

§  Better use of staff

§  Enabling Internet or company intranet connections, offering a range of multimedia sales and service tools

A call center that uses computer telephony knows who its customers are and why they are calling. It knows what they like, what they dislike, and how much they are worth to the company. CTI lets a company respond faster to changing market conditions, but it must be implemented correctly with clear and ongoing support from upper management and a clear-eyed view of the company's goals for the technology.

Call center applications

Applications run on top of operating systems and are designed to perform specific functions (e.g., create spreadsheets, perform word processing functions, manage e-mail, provide contact management data, etc.). In single-tasking environments, such as DOS and Windows, only one program runs at a time; other programs are suspended until the user restarts them. In a multitasking environment—Windows, UNIX, or OS/2—multiple programs can be running with the user switching (or linking) between programs as required. One of the key elements of modern application development and design is the concept of an application programming interface (API). The API provides the defined interface between various devices or software layers in the computing model so that software developers can focus on the application. A printer API is a good example of this type of software. APIs are relevant to both desktop PC applications as well as server applications and are also an important element in CTI.

CTI and call center productivity

CTI is an information delivery tool that will assist CSRs to communicate intelligently and knowledgeably with customers by providing them with information they need to address customer needs. In addition to the information-handling features offered by CTI, this combined technology also provides the capability to perform quality control measurements in a call center, enabling calls to be monitored, recorded, and archived so that the CSR and the supervisor can review them and assess performance. The analysis process is made much more productive when it is augmented by the data that passes through the agent's screen during the call. A company record of every transaction can be kept indefinitely, providing an audit trail and a training aid.

Call center productivity improvements resulting from CTI include the following:

§  Reduces operating costs through staff reductions—more calls can be handled by fewer staff

§  Enables smaller companies to look like big ones—without sacrificing the personal touch

§  Enables companies to present an image of greater capability than they may possess—providing automated 24/7 response