The March issue of Connections Magazine features an article by Bryan DiGiorgio, CEO of CXO Global Solutions.

In Keeping Score - The Right Way, DiGiorgio explains that contact center executives need to “maintain a laser focus on the true indicators of success, tuning out the white noise” and offers a three-step strategy for approaching measurement, site efficiency, and overall success.

Read the full story here: Keeping Score - The Right Way

This is DiGiorgio’s second article for Connections Magazine, the contact center industry’s premier publication.

See the May 2009 issue for his previous contribution, Don’t Get Lost in Translation, which looks at the importance of clear communication between call center agents and customers, sites and vendors (or suppliers), and vendors and clients.

Today’s post is by guest blogger Adam Burke, a Microsoft Corporation Software + Services Technology Specialist.

As a field-based employee at Microsoft, I work from many different locations including my home, several Microsoft offices, and airports or hotels on the road. In years past, I relied heavily on my mobile phone, racking up phone bills ranging from $100-300 per month depending on the amount of international calls, roaming, etc. It was certainly not an ideal solution but the best one I could find given the mobile nature of my job.

About 18 months ago, I transitioned from using my mobile phone to Microsoft Unified Communications as my primary business phone number. This voice functionality and unified inbox has been a huge benefit not only for me, but also for the colleagues and customers I work with.

• Instead of a traditional phone, I’m able to use my laptop with a USB headset. I bring the headset with me and can make calls anywhere on the go, including my hotel room or the airport. This is especially handy when traveling internationally, as I save on all the typical charges of international phone calls. My family and customers just reach me on my normal phone number, without the hassle or extra cost of an international call.

• When I’m not online, I can forward my calls to a mobile phone or another number I choose.
• My colleagues can see my status and know when I am available, in a meeting or on the phone. This is updated automatically for me and is integrated with my Outlook calendar.
• I receive my voicemails in my inbox and with built-in speech-to-text, I can read/search them just like regular email. I can also play them on my laptop or by phone if I need privacy. Because it’s in my email, I can also forward voicemails to other colleagues if I need to relay the message.
• I can schedule conference calls and Live Meetings with only a couple clicks of a mouse and all inside of Outlook.

In addition, there are other benefits with Microsoft Unified Communications that I consistently take advantage of:

• I’m able to have impromptu video calls with colleagues using my laptop’s built-in webcam.

• Through integrated presence in email, I’m able to chat with team members in context and easily add additional colleagues to the conversation if a group chat is required.
• With a single click, I can start a desktop sharing session if I need to collaborate on a spreadsheet or PowerPoint presentation.
• I can see the status of team members and know whether they are available, on the phone or in a meeting.
• Through federation, I’m able to chat with customers and collaborate much faster than I have been able to in the past with just email.
• I can save my conversations in Outlook and can quickly search and review what was discussed if I need to jog my memory.

With all the benefits of Microsoft Unified Communications, it’s hard to imagine life without it. This technology has truly transformed the way I work and communicate.

–Adam Burke

Adam Burke is a Software + Services Technology Specialist for Microsoft Corporation, Communications Sector North America. CXO Global Solutions is a Microsoft Certified Partner for unified communications.

Related posts:
Unified communications: true mobility gives executives an edge
Working smarter: unified communications saves time and money

Bryan DiGiorgio is one of 10 Kansas business leaders selected to participate in the Pipeline entrepreneur fellowship program.

DiGiorgio is CEO of both CXO Global Solutions and of WorkSpace Communications, a recently launched subsidiary of CXO that offers a unified communications solutions for small and medium sized businesses.

The Pipeline program nurtures some of the most promising entrepreneurs in Kansas by matching high-potential tech entrepreneurs with training opportunities, resources and mentors. This year’s class of 10 members was announced during the program’s annual Innovator of the Year ceremony on January 21 in Overland Park.

Read more in the January 22 Kansas City Business Journal: Six Kansas City-area entrepreneurs chosen for 2010 Pipeline class

When compared to other unified communications solutions, Microsoft UC offers a number of immediate advantages:

• No additional PBX hardware is needed. Microsoft UC is software-based. Because you don’t have to create an intelligent network from scratch, you don’t have a huge up-front outlay for infrastructure.

• You need fewer people to manage the infrastructure. Microsoft UC runs on your existing Microsoft network, so you don’t have to hire dedicated IT people to manage UC. In many instances, Microsoft UC creates efficiencies that allow businesses to repurpose technology staff to work on projects that impact the business bottom line, leading to additional productivity.
• Microsoft UC is built on proven technology. You don’t have to worry about the unexpected costs and headaches that invariably accompany new technology.

When you compare initial outlay and short-term ROI, Microsoft UC clearly makes a lot of sense. But a look at long-term ROI makes Microsoft UC an even more compelling choice.

Boosting productivity with cost-effective solutions
Because Microsoft is a software company, their UC solution was developed on a software-driven framework. Furthermore, Microsoft has a robust set of developer tools and APIs (application programming interfaces). The depth and flexibility of Microsoft UC means it has the potential to be embedded into a wide variety of applications designed to improve productivity.

For example, CXO was recently developing a dialer application for one of our clients for implementation across multiple call centers. The application tested to make sure that the call routing for each Toll Free Number had been programed correctly. This allows the client to know everything is ready to go so that when advertising is purchased, there is someone ready to take an order on the other end of the advertised 800 number.

Late in the development process, the client came to us with a special requirement: the application needed to be voice-enabled. This could have stopped development cold. However, since we had selected Microsoft Office Communication Server 2007 R2 as the foundation for the application, it was very easy for the developer to add voice recognition.

Using Microsoft UC, we were able to incorporate voice into the dialer application quickly and efficiently. We solved the problem for about $13,000 – about one-tenth the price it would have taken to solve the same problem with traditional telephone tools.

My sense is that most senior decision makers who choose Microsoft UC do so because of the up-front cost-savings and short-term ROI. But the long-term potential for increased productivity, especially for organizations that see the benefit of custom telephony applications and UC-based software integration, is truly exciting.

With time, as they see what it can do, I predict that more CEOs and CIOs will begin to fully appreciate the tremendous long-term potential of Microsoft UC.

–Robert Burnett

Robert Burnett is Principal Systems Architect at CXO Global Solutions.

Related posts:
CXO bolsters its Microsoft unified communications expertise
Working smarter: unified communications saves time and money

As we begin 2010, I’m proud of the journey CXO took in 2009 – and excited about where we’re headed in the year ahead.

In late 2008, we moved into our new offices, set up our state-of-the-art Command Center, and expanded our staff. We quickly established partnerships with some great new clients, and laid the groundwork for success in 2009.

2009 did not disappoint.

We saw steady growth in the first half of 2009, and this positioned us to expand our offerings to include a full range of Unified Communications (UC) services.

UC is a natural complement to our call center services and responds to the growing needs of many businesses for expert help in designing and implementing a UC solution. We officially launched our UC line of business in July, and in October, CXO became a Certified Microsoft Partner for unified communications.

Our expansion into the UC market led to the November launch of a new subsidiary, WorkSpace Communications, which provides unified communications for the small-to medium-sized business market. (Read more in the November 27 Kansas City Business Journal).

As 2009 came to a close, we enhanced our call center offerings with the acquisition of S3 Integrity, a Florida-based company that developed the WuLi SolutionTM, a proprietary customer self-service business process and technology. (Read more in the December 18 Kansas City Business Journal).

2010 is already off to an exciting start, with Mike Tripp, who served as CEO at S3 Integrity, joining us as president of CXO. Mike has more than 20 years experience in customer management and business process outsourcing and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategy for the call center oversight and management portions of the business. As CEO, I will continue to focus on overall strategy at CXO, as well as the operations and strategy for unified communications and other lines of business.

Our ability to grow and thrive in the midst of a severe economic downturn reflects the fact that now, more than ever, many businesses need what CXO brings to the table. Perhaps most importantly, we operate from a client-side perspective that sets us apart from many of our competitors.

Furthermore, many business leaders are taking a longer view by investing in their ability to grow and thrive as the economy improves. Our combined expertise in call center services and UC responds to the needs of forward-thinking companies that are laying a strong foundation for the future.

We look forward to a new year – and a new decade – full of opportunities to help our clients achieve new levels of success.

–Bryan DiGiorgio

Bryan DiGiorgio is CEO of CXO Global Solutions.

CXO Global Solutions today announced it has acquired Florida-based S3 Integrity, the developer and distributor of the WuLi Solution™, a proprietary customer self-service business process and technology. This acquisition enhances CXO’s call center services portfolio with customer self-service offerings. The agreement will be effective January 1, 2010.

Mike Tripp, CEO at S3 Integrity, will join CXO as president. Tripp, who has more than 20 years experience in customer management and business process outsourcing, will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategy for the call center oversight and management portions of CXO.

Bryan DiGiorgio continues as CEO at CXO, driving the strategy of the parent company, as well as the operations and strategy for the non-call center lines of business.

To learn more, read the press release (PDF)

The November 27 Kansas City Business Journal featured a story about WorkSpace Communications™, a new CXO subsidiary providing unified communications for the small-to medium-sized business market.

Read the story: CXO Global Solutions Talks a Big Game

Learn more: visit the WorkSpace Communications™ website

Getting common – implementing and enforcing consistent processes across all your call center sites – is essential if you want your business to thrive. As I explained in my last post, getting common allows you to optimize the overall performance of your company so you’re in position to increase revenues and continue growing.

But you should be aware that as you make this necessary transition, you always run the risk of seeing some initial deterioration in performance. After all, most people are resistant to change, whether or not what they’ve been doing has been getting results. You may also see a paradoxical effect at the outset, in which implementing common processes brings up many low performers while bringing down some higher performers, who may actually have a harder time adjusting to a new way of doing things.

So yes, you will very likely see a dip in performance as everyone adjusts. You can anticipate this effect and attempt to minimize it, but you shouldn’t let it stop you from doing what it takes to get common.

Here’s why: over three to six months, you will see a flywheel effect that will ultimately reset performance at a higher level. In addition, once you have consistency across the board, you can perform root-cause analyses and really do something to continue to improve performance.

When you are confident that everyone is doing the same thing, you can quickly and accurately assess performance across the board. And once you have a real handle on performance, you can test new things, which will allow you to find the best approach and continually fine-tune processes.

Getting common may take an initial toll on individual and overall performance. But the long-term payoff will be worth the short-term pain.

–Bryan DiGiorgio

Related posts:

Call center operations: as your business grows, getting common is critical
Multi-vendor data disparities can lead to murky management

When you’re managing a call center workforce, you’re up against several big challenges:

• Large distributed workforce. This may include multiple call centers run by multiple vendors, operating across the country or around the world.
• High percentage of entry-level positions. Inexperienced workers require lots of training, supervision, and feedback.
• Higher employee turnover than many industries. This intensifies the need for proper training and diligent oversight.
• Constant change. As your business grows and evolves, you need your call centers to keep pace.

These factors combine to make it very difficult to maintain quality and deliver a consistent customer experience. It’s almost impossible to accurately assess individual performance if everyone is doing something different, and it’s equally difficult to compare performance across sites.

As your call center operations grow, these inherent challenges have a multiplier effect. At some point, you have to snap a chalk line and say: this is what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it.

Snapping that chalk line is an essential part of getting common. The goal is to establish consistent processes and expectations across the board. Requiring consistency will allow you to accurately assess individual performance and compare performance across sites. The bottom line: getting common will let you optimize the overall performance of your company so you’re in position to increase revenues and continue growing.

When you have a growing business with a distributed workforce that includes lots of entry-level workers and steady turnover, getting common is just common sense.

–Bryan DiGiorgio

Bryan DiGiorgio is President and CEO of CXO Global Solutions.

Related posts:
3 reasons a strong hub is a smart investment
Multi-vendor data disparities can lead to murky management

When you have multiple call center vendors, here’s the basic dilemma: You want to distribute calls across all your call centers in the way that’s most beneficial to your business. At the same time, each vendor is worried about losing calls to the other suppliers.

To get your vendors to think differently and focus on your goals, not their fears, you need a strong hub that provides real-time performance monitoring of all your call center sites. Typically, intraday metrics are assessed in 30-minute intervals, but this varies depending on the business.

Here are three big benefits of centralized intraday monitoring:

1. Vendors will know they can’t hide problems. With real-time metrics at your fingertips, you aren’t depending on vendors to keep you updated. You also remove the temptation for vendors to manipulate or withhold the truth. This shifts the discussion from “is there a problem?” to “how are we going to work together to fix this problem?”

2. You can detect and fix problems faster. Intraday monitoring across multiple sites gives you a big-picture perspective. Sometimes you will be able to see a problem before a vendor even realizes something is going on – saving both of you time and money.

3. Intraday monitoring allows for more accurate forecasting. This means you can allocate calls efficiently while anticipating and preventing many problems before they happen. Accurate forecasting allows you to work with your suppliers to improve their performance and grow your business.

–Kevin Howard

Kevin Howard is Senior Command Center Analyst at CXO Global Solutions.

Related posts:
5 strategies for building trust with call center vendors

Poor performing call center? Don’t automatically blame your supplier