I am proud to admit that I have been developing software for nearly 15 years. I was geek before being a geek was cool (and being a geek made you very rich, but I am still working on that one). All but a few of my dev years have been spent working directly with contact centers. It is worth noting, especially for other developers in the contact center space, that I have never developed for a premise-based ACD (although I’ve heard the horror stories). The closest I’ve come is some work I did for a premise-based PBX technology. Since then, I’ve leveraged the power of developing in the paradigm of the web; and in the last 7 years, on Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform.
While I’m not here to argue the definition of Software-as-a-Service (although I totally could), what I am going to do is school you on why you should be developing in a SaaS environment.
Contact centers are “living” organisms, constantly evolving. So much so, in fact, that if a contact center stops changing, something is likely wrong. The most recent evolutionary step? Most companies are tuned in to their customers and building relationships that are more open and intimate. The same generation that is driving this phenomenon is also driving the changes in business culture by using tools such as social media and customer survey technology. These methods are dynamic and are allowing companies to hear their customers and respond in a way that is immediate and meaningful.
“Good” contact centers have been doing this for years (the hard way) and that gives them a leg up on the skills required to win in today’s business climate, but what about the technology?
While that seemed like a small tangent, I want to point out that developing software without understanding the business drivers is very ineffective. Technology has evolved alongside this customer centric business environment and because of that, the expectation is that it be able to respond quickly and effectively. What that really means is that you, the developer, should be able to respond faster and more effectively than ever before.
Still not convinced? Here’s a real-life example: You need to make a change to your IVR. The change, because your marketing team is aggressive, needs to go into effect in just a few days. The option, should you choose to add it, will provide the new queue/skill: Press 7 for TIME SENSITIVE SUPER COOL OFFERING THAT ONLY LASTS 3 WEEKS!!!
Now, ask yourself:
- How long would it take you to get that set up in your ACD and IVR?
- How fast can you add that new skill to your agents?
- How quickly can you forecast and schedule for the anticipated influx of volume and know what that means to your business?
- How soon can you train your teams (including remote workers)?
- And for fun, your marketing team needs web-based alternatives to calling your toll-free numbers. Can you quickly provide Click-to-Talk, Chat, or email solutions?
If you were on the NICE SaaS platform, you would be equipped to do this in a matter of days, and that includes development, testing, and training.
On any technology, developers are the key to success. To compete, you need skilled staff prepared to adapt to your customers and the opportunities in the market; and to win, you need to arm them with the best technology available. NICE’s platform enables agility and the ability to act fast in today’s ever-changing business world.
