Automated Voice & Data Solutions
Omni-Channel Solutions for Seamless Contact Center Operations

In today's hyper competitive business environment, the organizations are investing in resources to enhance their customer experience, to increase sales from existing customers and attract new potential clientele. However, CIOs are faced with challenges like focusing on the access channels such as phone, web, and mobile; tackling elements within each channel such as first contact resolution or automated processes. “A blended approach leads to disparate solutions that don’t result in improved customer satisfaction but that may, in fact, impede it,” says Sharon Moon, President and Founder, Automated Voice & Data Solutions (AVDS). “Our approach is to treat each customer differently—to determine their unique needs and develop a strategy accordingly.” AVDS provides software-based integrated solutions that help government agencies, enterprises, and contact centers to meet constantly changing business challenges.

AVDS embraced the vision of implementing socially collaborative communication for both customers and employees. The company partnered with IBM in 2011 to provide an integrated solution in research and development of social and collaboration software in the workplace. “IBM’s social communications tools ‘Connections’ and ‘Sametime’ for real-time business collaboration dovetail with our focus on the omni-channel in contact center operations,” states Sharon. AVDS has designed a custom integration between Customer Interaction Center (CIC)—a suite of contact center communications solutions—with IBM’s Connections. The CIC-user interface has the Connections menu embedded to easily locate subject matter experts, while an agent is connected to a customer.

AVDS offers automated processes and collaboration solutions for streamlining the contact center operations. With automated processes, operations can be simplified to help reduce new employee on-boarding and training as well as increase first contact resolution to improve customer service. As an example, the company implemented CIC for Blinds.com—the leading U.S. online retailer of window coverings.

IBM’s social communications tools ‘Connections’ and ‘Sametime’ for real-time business collaboration dovetail with our focus on the omni-channel in contact center operations

CIC’s multichannel routing and queuing capabilities helped the client to customize route calls and emails to the best qualified agents to handle the multiple processes at a single time. Further, the CIC helped the company to create automated processes that assign workflow tasks to agents. For instance, if a call has been in-queue for more than two minutes, it is prioritized and re-routed to the client’s email team. “CIC has enabled us to go beyond the management of communications to structure, automate, and monitor tasks, which has resulted in increased operational efficiencies and improved customer satisfaction,” asserts COO and VP for Blinds.com, Steve Riddell.

AVDS has maintained a focus on innovative solutions that deliver measurable results to improve the customer experience. “The knowledge gained in customer interactions can easily be captured, analyzed, and repurposed throughout the entire organization,” explains Sharon.

AVDS’s will leverage IBM solutions such as Connections and Sametime, as well as interactive visual response solutions and mobile applications to transform their customers’ communications platforms. AVDS foresees continued opportunities in the IBM space by automating the processes, and allowing customers to realign human resources into more personable service roles. Commenting on the plans for the days to come, Sharon says, “We will continue to focus on automated processes for self-service interactions for the next generation of consumers.