Upgrading Your System

One of the reasons you may be using Oceanic®, perhaps the prime one, is to evaluate both the change in performance, as well as the impact on the bottom line that you will get, in upgrading from one dialing method to another.

We have often been asked to give rules of thumb for what happens in particular kinds of upgrade. Upgrading can be very subtle stuff, and unless you take the trouble to think and work through the assumptions, the margin for error can be unacceptably high.

If your upgrade means a better or new scripting system, then your agents are not just going to get more talk time in the hour; but all talk time should be more productive as well. You will want to reconsider your talk times, since the same results may be achieved in less time, and you may also want to revise the percentage of talks allocated to the Results talk band, since, with good scripting, your agents should achieve more of their objectives. And some of you may find that average talk times will be increased. Why? Instead of being stuck for a response to a question, and having to close a call, a good scripting package might help the agent in providing information and overcoming objections.

Here's our advice on what to do:

Use the topics in this section to get an idea of the changes involved in moving from one dialing method to another.
We have picked out seven upgrade paths and commented on the changes that you will need to consider:
In the unlikely event that an upgrade path you have in mind is not covered, then feel free to contact Sytel for details.
Do some research to look at the impact of all system changes; the main ones to consider are a move to a new scripting system and an upgrade in your telephony, say from analogue to an ISDN service. But you might also want to consider the impact of environmental factors like office layout, choice of headsets and so on. This shouldn't be too difficult.
Take advice. The suppliers of the upgrade you have in mind should all be able to provide reference sells, showing what benefits can be achieved. And you can try posting a question(s) on one of the telemarketing forums on the Internet. It's free. Expect to get replies from users as well as vendors and consultants. And check out the buyers' guides published by the main call center magazines. Above all, look for unbiased evidence based on real life call center experience.
Then use the feedback to construct current and upgrade scenarios using Oceanic®.

The Campaign Wizard also acts as a guide to changes. Here are some tips on how to organize your current and upgrade data:

Start by running your campaign(s) using the current dialing method.
Save it with a name that is easily related to your current dialing method, then save the campaign again immediately using a name that will easily allow you to identify the type of upgrade you are assessing.
Update the campaign details for the proposed upgrade using the Wizard (options no longer available will be disabled, and any new options now available will be enabled as you work through the pages), and consulting the notes in the appropriate topic below.
Run the upgrade campaign and save it.
Compare the outputs for two campaigns, current and upgrade.

The Examples folder contains comparative data which might be used to guide you through an upgrade exercise. You may find this a good starting point. But take it as illustrative only of the kinds of changes that may take place, and not as gospel. There is no real substitute for working through current and upgrade campaigns, in the way outlined here.

Once you have done some current and upgrade comparisons, you may want to create an investment model to decide whether the additional cost of an upgrade is worth it. We have provided you with some guidelines to help you do this. See The Investment Decision.