Choose a Right-Sized Contact Center Solution
“On-premises vs. cloud” is a false dichotomy.
- IT needs a method to pinpoint which contact center solution best aligns with business objectives, adapting to a post-COVID world of remote work, flexibility, and scalability.
- Scoring RFP and RFQ proposals is a complex process, and it is difficult to map and gap without a clear view of the organization’s needs. SOWs can contain pitfalls that cause expensive headaches for the organization in the long run. Guidance through a SOW is required to best represent the organization’s interests.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- “On-premises versus cloud” is a false dichotomy. Contact center architectures come in all shapes and sizes, and organizations should discern whether a hybrid option best meets their needs.
- Contact centers should service customers – not capabilities. Capabilities must work for you, your agents, and your customers – not the other way around.
- Deliverables and responsibilities should be a contract’s focal point. While organizations are right to focus on avoiding unanticipated license charges, it is more important to clearly define how deliverables and responsibilities will be divided among the organization, the vendor, and potential third parties.
Impact and Result
- Assess the array of contact center architectures with Info-Tech’s Contact Center Decision Points Tool to select a right-sized solution.
- Build business requirements in a formalized process to achieve stakeholder buy-in.
- Use Info-Tech’s Contact Center RFP Scoring Tool to evaluate and choose from a range of vendors.
- Successfully navigate and avoid major pitfalls in a SOW construction.
- Justify each stage of the process with this blueprint’s key deliverable: the Contact Center Playbook.
Member Testimonials
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
10.0/10
Overall Impact
$23,446
Average $ Saved
17
Average Days Saved
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
Trinidad and Tobago, Ministry of Digital Transformation
Guided Implementation
10/10
$12,999
10
There are no worst parts of my experience. From start to finish it was a brilliant interaction as I was in discussion with persons who were clearly... Read More
MCAP Service Corporation
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
N/A
Our rep Thomas Randall is an absolute pro and amazing at what he does. He is an extremely valuable asset to Info-Tech and a pleasure to work with. ... Read More
Christian Healthcare Ministries, Inc.
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
N/A
Good kickstart to our effort.
MCAP Service Corporation
Guided Implementation
10/10
$55,000
47
Thomas Randall was extremely knowledgeable on the CCaaS market. He was flexible and available to meet with us based on our schedule. He offered u... Read More
State Of Alabama
Guided Implementation
10/10
$2,519
5
Thomas identified some gaps in our implementation plan, which once they are addressed will allow us to get the details in front of the executive st... Read More
State Of Alabama
Guided Implementation
10/10
$12,599
20
Oregon Public Utility Commission
Guided Implementation
10/10
$7,559
10
Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
Guided Implementation
10/10
$50,000
10
Workshop: Choose a Right-Sized Contact Center Solution
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Assess Architecture
The Purpose
- Shortlist and decide upon a right-sized contact center architecture.
Key Benefits Achieved
- A high-level decision for a right-sized architecture
Activities
Outputs
Define vision and mission statements.
- Project outline
Identify infrastructure metrics of success.
- Metrics of success
Confirm key performance indicators for contact center operations.
- KPIs confirmed
Complete architecture assessment.
- Quickly narrow down right-sized architecture
Confirm right-sized architecture.
- Decision on right-sized contact center architecture
Module 2: Gather Requirements
The Purpose
- Build business requirements and define key deliverables to achieve stakeholder buy-in and shortlist potential vendors.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Key deliverables defined and a shortlist of no more than five vendors
- Sections 7-8 of the Contact Center Playbook completed
Activities
Outputs
Hold focus groups with key stakeholders.
- User requirements identified
Gather business, nonfunctional, and functional requirements.
- Business Requirements Document completed
Define key deliverables.
- Key deliverables defined
Shortlist five vendors that appear meet those requirements.
- Shortlist of five vendors
Module 3: Initial Vendor Scoring
The Purpose
- Compare and evaluate shortlisted vendors against gathered requirements.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Have a strong overview of which vendors are preferred for issuing RFP/RFQ
- Section 9 of the Contact Center Playbook
Activities
Outputs
Input requirements to the Contact Center RFP Scoring Tool. Define which are mandatory and which are desirable.
- An assessment of requirements
Determine which vendors best meet requirements.
- Vendor scoring
Compare requirements met with anticipated TCO.
- A holistic overview of requirements scoring and vendor TCO
Compare and rank vendors.
- An initial ranking of vendors to shape RFP process after workshop end
Module 4: SOW Walkthrough
The Purpose
- Walk through the Contact Center SOW Template and Guide to identify how much time to allocate per section and who will be responsible for completing it.
Key Benefits Achieved
- An understanding of a SOW that is designed to avoid major pitfalls with vendor management
- Section 10 of the Contact Center Playbook
Activities
Outputs
Get familiar with the SOW structure.
- A broad understanding of a SOW’s key sections
Identify which sections will demand greater time allocation.
- A determination of how much time should be allocated for reviewing major sections
Strategize how to avoid potential pitfalls.
- A list of ways to avoid major pitfalls with vendor management
Confirm reviewer responsibilities.
- A list of reviewers, the sections they are responsible for reviewing, and their time allocation for their review
Module 5: Communicate and Implement
The Purpose
- Finalize deliverables and plan post-workshop communications.
Key Benefits Achieved
- A completed Contact Center Playbook that justifies each decision of this workshop
Activities
Outputs
Finalize deliverables.
- Contact Center Playbook delivered
Support communication efforts.
- Post-workshop engagement to confirm satisfaction
Identify resources in support of priority initiatives.
- Follow-up research that complements the workshop or leads workshop group in relevant new directions
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 8 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Assess architectures.
- Call 1: Introduce project, defining vision and metrics of success.
- Call 2: Begin assessing potential architecture.
Guided Implementation 2: Gather requirements and shortlist vendors.
- Call 1: Start collecting business, nonfunctional, and functional requirements.
- Call 2: Review business requirements and decide whether to issue RFP/RFQ. Shortlist five vendors.
Guided Implementation 3: Score vendor proposals.
- Call 1: Review RFP/RFQ for issuance.
- Call 2: Score vendor proposals and narrow down options.
Guided Implementation 4: Build a SOW.
- Call 1: Walk through SOW template.
- Call 2: Review contract and wrap up project.
Contributors
- CJ Aulisa, Contact Center Consultant, okiBoe Group
- Lindsay Galeste, Analyst Relations Specialist, Cisco
- Veronica Krieg, Senior Content Writer, Sharpen
- Michelle Lighton, Partner Marketing Manager, Aceyus
- Vijay Ponnada, Senior Manager, Technology, Cognizant
- Ben Ringshall, Content Manager, Fonolo
- Colin Taylor, CEO, The Taylor Reach Group, Inc.
- Zack Taylor, Director – Strategic Communications Customer Journey Solutions, Cisco
- Further thanks to two anonymous contributors
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