Developing a Unified Communications Strategy

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(No Transcript)
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Developing a Unified Communications Strategy
The Slides For This Presentation Are Available
On-Line At www.parkerbiz.com and at
www.ucstrategies.com

• Using Use Cases to Identify Opportunities
• Applying Analysis to Create the Strategy

Extracted from the 2-Day UC Strategic Planning
Workshop (now available through BCR
Training)http//www.bcrtraining.com/course-info/u
cv.php
Marty Parker, Principal Communication
Perspectives Co-Founder UCStrategies.com
Phone [phone] E-Mail marty_at_parkerbiz.com We
b www.parkerbiz.com Web www.ucstrategies.com
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Some Important Questions

• What If
• You have already bought (or are about to buy)
• Your last PBX?
• Your last Voice Mail system?
• The leading communication software brands in 2011
  are
• Microsoft, IBM, SAP and Oracle?
• The Users begin connecting their own devices to
  your Enterprise Network, devices made by
• Nokia, Motorola, RIM, Palm, Polycom, Plantronics
• All of these trends have already started and
  theres a lot of smart money betting on them.
• How can you take advantage of these
  for yourself and for your Enterprise?

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Agenda

• Communication Changes
• New market structures
• Opportunities for Enterprises
• Strategy Examples
• 5-Step Roadmap Process
• Creating and Implementing the Plan

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Major Examples of Change

• Mobility!
• Cell phones are dominant end points
• Cell phones move with user
• Are cell phones the best presence device?
• Wireless voice and data merging Smart phones
• Desktops anywhere IP or Cellular

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Major Examples of Change

• Technology arrives from outside
• Most cell phones selected, owned by user
• IM and Internet portals set expectations
• SMS-type messaging is always on
• The Skype model is transforming VoIP

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Major Examples of Change

• Everything is a transaction
• Portals, Contact Centers, Enterprise Appsbring
  process automation everywhere
• Transactions have metrics
• Most companies now operate with Service Level
  Agreements (SLAs)

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Major Examples of Change

• Enterprises have gone virtual
• Supply chain optimization globally
• Layered employee structures
• Expect to see bidding for work
• Applications will use presence to find
  qualified resources without calling or polling

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Performance Expectations Change

• Increase in Service Level Agreements (SLA)
• Contact centers are already well-measured
• Other customer-facing roles will join that trend
• Decrease in delay tolerance
• Responses expected in minutes (or less)
• Quickly use alternate media or go to other
  sources

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Performance Expectations Change

• Increasing volumes, extended availability
• More transactions being completed
• Should lead to team-based work approaches
• Organized to lower costs or increase revenue
• Linked to business process and metrics
• Focus on reducing labor time/cost per transaction

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Creating New Market Structures

• Changing environment
• Redistribution of work
• Outsourcing and contracting
• Changing competitiveness
• Global availability, sourcing and pricing
• Disruptive business models

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Creating New Market Structures

• Changing technologies
• Most work now flows through computers and through
  the connecting data networks
• Changing job content
• Increase in information-based work
• Distinctions between information, production, and
  creative jobs

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Why is This Important to You?

• It provides guideposts for your career
• It effects your enterprises competitiveness
• Being well informed can give you a major
  advantage
• It helps set priorities for
• Time management
• Investment management
• Dealing effectively with suppliers/vendors/sales
  reps
• It can save a lot of time and money in rework or
  re-integration of technologies.

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Agenda

• Communication Changes
• New market structures
• Finding the UC Opportunities
• Strategy Examples
• 5-Step Roadmap Process
• Creating and Implementing the Plan

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Communication Options for Change

• Where possible, automate the transaction
• For uniform transactions, use Contact Centers
• For uniform mobile jobs, automate the process
• For information workers and flexible mobile jobs,
  use Unified Communications

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User Value Equation Example

• 1000 user, 40 port voice mail system
• Cost of Ownership 30,000/yr
• Payroll Time on Ports 378,000/yr
• Approx. Payroll Value 35,000,000/yr
• Transaction Value 300,000,000/yr
• So, focus on results, not cost!
• Can you automate, facilitate, accelerate?
• Set ROI-driven spending goals, e.g.,
• Deliver 50 ROI on 100/user/year
• Back it all up with metrics prove it!

From IAMP Keynote Oct 2005
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Where to Find Opportunities - 1

• Focus on the users!
• Sort users into job categories
• Analyze a day in the life for each job category
• Can you improve transaction efficiency?
• Can you eliminate or accelerate the steps?
• Can you better leverage time and payroll?
• Invest specifically, not generally
• Target high-leverage jobs, transactions,
  solutions
• Layer onto existing systems and investments
• Mobility, Desktop, Notification, Automation,
  Speech
• Use Workgroup transformative solutions
• Desktop and Mobile portals LCS/Workplace-based
  applications

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For Example

• Examine customer contacts to sales team
• Ask the customers what they were seeking
• Could it have been self service?
• Could a team member have helped?
• Could they overflow to a special call center
  split?
• Average response time
• How are the reps doing?
• What gets in the way?
• Notification? In meetings? Need Info?
• Could this be improved with
• Find Me
• E-mail alerts
• Callback scheduling, click to dial, etc.

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Where to Find Opportunities - 2

• Focus on the devices!
• Take ownership for the cell phones
• Include or ally with the Blackberry community
• Focus on new Smart Phones, Microsoft Mobile
  devices
• Begin with communication efficiencies
• Find-Me, Screening, Notifications, Click-to-dial
• Message Access, Filters, Filing, Archives
• Extend to transactions and applications
• Presence applications to find resources, organize
  work
• Voice, Wireless or Multi-modal Portals for info
  access

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For Example

• Inventory your cell phone situation
• Do you use the Corporate Liable approach?
• Are you buying and managing the phones?
• Are you bidding the price and pooling minutes?
• Look at phone needs, uses by Job (next slide)
• Who needs e-mail access and reply?
• Who are often driving (i.e. need speech UI)?
• Who could use a mobile portal?

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Communication Styles by Job Type
Estimate of current device choices, preferences
or assignments.
Jobs?by Style? Transactions Message/Project Consultative
Executives Admins BBs
Consultancy Admins BBs
Field Sales Cell and/or BB
Marketing Cell and/or BB
Engineering Desktop, BB
Finance, Admin Cell, Desktop
Field Services Cell or BB
Production Paging, Cell
Retail Paging, Cell
Territory Mgt Cell
Route Drivers Wireless Devices
In-house Sales Call Centers
In-House Service Call Centers
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Where to Find Opportunities - 3

• Focus on the Callers!
• Update the caller experience
• Consider integration with Web Portals
• Consider integration with Contact Centers
• Shift to relationship-based services
• Consider options that leverage devices
• SMS confirmations of call receipt
• Scheduled callback notifications
• Presence-based options to optimize results
• Escape to Expert or Transfer to Team solutions

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For Example

• Speech Attendants and Speech Portals are becoming
  a best practice for callers
• Anticipate their needs
• Speed and personalize the service
• Apply IVR-like logic
• Integrate to back-office resources
• I.e. a Services-Oriented Architecture

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Agenda

• Communication Changes
• New market structures
• Opportunities for Enterprises
• Strategy Examples
• 5-Step Roadmap Process
• Creating and Implementing the Plan

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Strategy Examples

• Gradual Evolution
• Upgrade PBXs to VoIP versions
• Add speech and other valuable features
• Test, then deploy PC and Wireless endpoints for
  selected jobs and applications
• Choose PBX clients, Microsoft Office, or test
  both.
• Integrate business apps to PBX call controls
• Perhaps extend contact center functions to users
• Can integrate with or transition to Microsoft or
  IBM end-points as they mature.
• Could also Consolidate Servers within this
  strategy.

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Strategy Examples

• Move to Windows-based Communication
• Test, then adopt Microsoft or IBM solutions
• Include in desktop refresh and mobile device
  plans
• Move external traffic to gateways
• Enhance with new appliances, as needed
• Reduce size of PBX (stations, ports, etc.) over
  time
• Likely a dynamic strategy, requiring
  frequent updates

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Strategy Examples

• Go Mobile
• Move all non-office staff to cellular network
• Forward all RNA calls to in-house/hosted Find Me
• Reduce size of PBX (stations, ports, etc.)
• Focus on delivering information to cellular
  devices
• Not dual mode, since that still requires a PBX
  ext.
• Install in-building cell repeaters, if needed

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Strategy Examples

• Go Wireless Data and Portals
• Wireless data device becomes primary end point.
• Enhance with job-focused enterprise portal
• Voice via Cellular or Peer-to-peer client
• Ramp down PBX spending, maintenance
• Evaluate application extensions, such as GPS
• Would include most users in the office, too.
• Wireless data providers will want to keep cost low

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Agenda

• Communication Changes
• New market structures
• Opportunities for Enterprises
• Strategy Examples
• 5-Step Roadmap Process
• Creating and Implementing the Plan

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Five Step Process

• Process enables you to assess your current usage
  and future requirements to create a multi-year
  unified communications plan for your enterprise
• Deconstruct current applications
• Identify the customers and users
• Quantify the analysis
• Anticipate business process changes
• Construct your choices and solutions

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Deconstruct Current Solutions

• Look carefully at your current systems and create
  a list of the applications in use today
• Incoming call handling and auto-attendants
• Local, Network and Outbound calling
• What amount of network routing is employed?
• Messaging solutions VM, EM, IM
• User Find Me and Notification solutions
• Application portals currently in use
• Note Exclude Call Center/Contact Centers
• While related, they are distinct applications
• Those investments can proceed separately

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Some Examples

• Transportation firms using Octel voice portals
  for bulletins, information access.
• Considering shifting to cell phone data channels
• Retail firms use VM for store bulletins data
  input
• Still using, but shifting to Internet portal
• Investment Bankers using VM for deal teams
• But has shifted to Blackberry, globally.
• Field Sales, Agents shifted to One Number
• Company keeps control of calls, service levels,
  etc.
• Cell phone number not published on cards, etc.
• Insurance Firms answering all calls in Call
  Center
• Transferred to Field Agent or to Agents VM or EM

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Whats your experience?
Review a PBX or VM system in your enterprise

• PBX Applications
• Estimate the traffic by
• Outside callers
• Internal site calls
• Internal network calls
• Outbound calls
• Estimate applications
• Customer Services
• Conference Calls
• Internal Coordination
• Type?
• Hot destinations?
• Personal Contacts

• VM Applications
• Estimate the traffic by
• RNA/Busy call answer
• Auto-attendant apps
• Local Voice Messaging
• Network Voice Messaging
• Estimate Applications
• Customer Contacts
• Find me
• 0-Outs
• Caller Self-service
• Internal Coordination
• Single addressee
• Group or broadcast

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2. Identify Customer and Users

• Sort out the various customers (external) and
  users (internal) to identify the specific
  communication needs of each group.
• Customers Who is calling, messaging, IMing? What
  is their objective for various contact types?
• Users Apply the Rule of Hand
• The top 5 types of jobs represent 80 of
  workforce/payroll
• For each of those top 5 job types, create a
  profile of their communication patterns and the
  objectives for those communication activities.
• These will be the basis for steps 3, 4, and 5

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Worksheet Example VM Users
Job Category 1 ________________________________________________ Job Category 1 ________________________________________________ Job Category 1 ________________________________________________
How do these users currently use voice messaging to do their job? (Check all that apply.) What functionality that is not available on your current system(s) would improve productivity, efficiency, convenience, customer care, business growth, or revenue production for these users? (Check all that apply.) What would be the value of the improvement in functionality to your business? (Check all that apply.)
They use it for (check all that apply) Telephone Answering (receiving messages from customers, other employees, etc. when they do not answer their phone) Internal messaging Sending a voice message like an email, without first trying to call Leaving messages for other employees when they dont answer Replying to calls with voice message Replying by calling sender Checking messages by sender Checking message receipt Group messages to a distribution list Receiving messages from customers Answer fax calls, save in mailbox Send faxes from desktop Locate the called party (Find Me) Know availability of called party (Presence) Other _________________________________ _________________________________ They access their messages from (check all that apply) Their desktop telephone Their desktop computer A remote telephone A cell phone A PDA (Palm, Blackberry, TREO, etc.) Other _________________________________ Better notification when messages arrive Better desktop access to voice messages Better remote access to voice messages Speech command access to voice messages Voice mail headers on PDA Save voice / fax messages on PC Play voice messages on PDA Move or copy voice and / or fax messages to email inbox Store all voice and / or fax messages in email system Use email client for voice and / or fax messages Report on voice mail responsiveness and service levels Speech commands for voice mail access Voice mail on IP phone Send or forward voice and / or fax messages to people in other companies Get receipts for messages Get notice if message is not accessed by recipient Get availability information before calling Get availability information when call is answered Schedule a response from the called party Other _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ Transactions would go faster (List and describe on reverse side of page.) Steps in a business process could be eliminated (list and describe. (List and describe on reverse side of page.) Improve responsiveness to customers and other callers (List and describe on reverse side of page.) Get information faster with fewer calls (List and describe on reverse side of page) Better record keeping Lower record keeping costs Better regulatory compliance Other ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
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Worksheet Example Callers
Caller Category Who They Call Why They Call
Existing Customers Sales representatives Service representatives Technicians Management Engineering Accounts Receivable Professional Services Training and Development Other ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Ask questions about products or services Schedule / reschedule service Resolve or escalate problems Ask billing questions Track deliveries Schedule / reschedule meetings Change customer information Other ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________
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Worksheet Example Callers
Caller Group 1 ________________________________________________ Caller Group 1 ________________________________________________ Caller Group 1 ________________________________________________
How do these callers use voice mail now? (Check all that apply.) What voice mail functionality that is not available to them on your current system(s) would improve your companys ability to provide better service, process transactions more efficiently, or reduce costs? ((Check all that apply use reverse side for page for more space.) What would be the value of the improvement? (Check all that apply.)
They use it for (check all that apply) Hearing personal greeting to know availability of called party Find the called party (or try to) Leave a message Edit or re-record the message Transfer by using extension number Transfer by spelling a name Transfer to a department Listen to or receive information Listen to information from a database Get fax-back of selected information Record information (e.g., for job application) Enter information from telephone keypad (e.g., callback number, item number, etc.) Speech interface Information access Linkage to web site information Status or availability of called party Status when party is being found Schedule a callback from the called party Request access to an alternate person or resource Callback if message is not accessed or heard Other _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Faster access to knowledgeable person Faster callback on request Faster transactions Better service Performance on service level agreements Ease of self-service Other _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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3. Quantify the Analysis

• Get usage data by customer or user group (step 2)
  for each application type (step 1).
• At a minimum, tabulate services used in each
  group using administration information
• Best practice collect usage data from typical
  week to understand actual customer and user
  patterns.
• Journals from Exchange or e-mail
• Or Install ClearContext and MessageMetrics
• Usage reports from PBX, Voice Mail,
  Auto-attendants
• Activity reports or logs from application portals
• There will likely be a few surprises,
  illustrating evolving usage.
• Forecast future needs based on application trends
  and changes in customer or employee populations.

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Some VM Examples

• Hi Tech Firm Outlook Unified Messaging
• Call answering down to 1 call per user per day.
• 50 of calls abandoned (called cell/others used
  IM sent EM?)
• Only 10 of calls were log-ins, since access via
  PC
• Industrial Firm Networked Voice Messaging
• 88 Call Answering 2 messages per user per day
• Only 38 of users sent a voice message (logged
  in, sent)
• Transportation Firm Networked Voice Messaging
• 4 call answers per workday 54 leave messages
• Average 1 log-in per user per day, from field
  employees

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4. Anticipate Business Changes

• Evaluate your enterprise plans for application
  investments and process changes
• Converting job functions to software or portals
• Revising business processes to lower cost or
  increase speed
• Shifting work to others (self-service,
  outsourcing, etc.)
• Adoption of VoIP increased use of PC softphones
• Shifting use to mobile devices and Smart phones
• Changes for regulatory compliance
• Apply to each customer and user group
• Get input directly from users and customers
• Other changes mergers, industry changes, etc.

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Discuss Cases in Your Industry

• What does top exec/annual report say about
• Structural Changes
• Mergers, acquisitions, or spin-outs
• Growth-oriented or defending share
• Reaching new customers
• Outsourcing or off-shoring
• Job-Oriented Changes
• Emphasis on mobility
• Wireless data networks
• Changing customer services

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5.1. Construct Your Options

• Proceed by customer/user groupings
• Some may have minimal change, some major change
• Seek to quantify the targeted benefits, in hard
  dollars
• Create year-by-year progressions
• Based on areas of greatest return and on which
  technologies are maturing each year.
• Adjust to fit your resource and economic plans
• Convert into year-by-year investment plans
• High-level project timelines and spending plans
• Link to the usage patterns, volumes from 2, 3 and
  4.
• Include savings on systems and services to be
  retired

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Application Selections Users

• Pick the top user categories
• Create a roadmap for each of them
• Progressive improvements for optimal return
• Effectiveness, Economies
• Customer Care, Growth, Revenue Production
• The initial returns can fund the next steps
• Based on the pace of your company and industry

Job Type Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Field Staff Mobility Gains App Integration SIP Device App Commn Portal
Support Staff Desktop Tools Remote Work Commn Portal
Management Desktop Tools Mobility Gains SIP Device App
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Application Selections Callers and Contactors

• What improvements and with what value?
• Transaction-based
• Service-based
• Cost-based
• Focus on the Results and Outcomes
• Consider using Call Center-type technology
• Be sure to include measurements, metrics!

Caller Type Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Customers Sales Find-Me Mobile Presence Speech Attent Self Serve
Employees Speech Attent Find-Me Options Presence Links Commn Portal
Friends Speech Attent Message Tags
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Centralized or Decentralized

• Work from your Companys topology
• Application needs and network connectivity by
  site
• Admin and Network Management sites/plans
• Needs for backup or disaster recovery options
• If Multi-site, prepare two or more options
• Site-by-site centralized hybrid(s)
• Evaluate for criteria of cost/savings, benefits,
  etc.

Sites by Year Three typical options
Options Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Centralized 20 sites 15 Sites, 1 NOC 10 sites, 2 NOC 5 sites, 2 NOC 3 NOC
Site-by-site 20 sites 23 sites 26 sites 30 sites 35 sites
Hybrid 20 sites 18 sites, 1 NOC 14 sites, 2 NOC 10 sites, 2 NOC 6 sites, 2 NOC
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Resource Planning

• Use this information to define investment needs
• Staffing, talent and training
• Supplier, System Integrator support
• Infrastructure upgrades and conversions

IP-Network Based Plan
Options Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Staffing Adds 2 Network Eng. Admin to NOC
Training/Supt IP Nets, LDAP Convert VAR NOC build VAR Monitor Svc.
Equipment Dir. Servers NOC System
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5.2. Choose the Best Option

• Assess pros and cons
• Compare the relative paybacks of each action area
• Assess the effects of going faster or slower
• Test the options against industry scenarios
• Estimate impact of a postponed or failed phase
• Assess financial factors
• Which actions provide most immediate returns
• Consider those as first steps to fund later
  phases
• Link investments to returns with visible metrics
• Assess staffing and skills
• Consider training, hiring or contracting
• Seek to create logical career progressions

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Recap 5-Step Process

• Deconstruct current applications
• Identify the customers and users
• Quantify the analysis
• Anticipate business process changes
• Construct your choices and solutions

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Agenda

• Communication Changes
• New market structures
• Opportunities for Enterprises
• Strategy Examples
• 5-Step Roadmap Process
• Creating and Implementing the Plan

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Creating a Strategic Plan

• Use 5-Step Process output to write your strategic
  plan
• Goals and Objectives
• Targeted Results
• Financial Structure
• Investments, Expenses and Returns
• Timelines and Milestones
• Tasks within your project management processes
• e.g. PERT plans and diagrams
• Responsibilities skills and time requirements
• Metrics
• Identify the returns you expect
• Create data collection and reporting, with
  reviews

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Implementing Your Plan

• Reviews, buy-in and approvals
• Phased implementation plans
• Training before, during, after
• Milestone progress reviews
• Creation and tracking of metrics
• Periodic plan updates

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Conclusion

• There are many opportunities available to your
  enterprise now and over the next 5 years
• A well-founded plan is key to success
• You are equipped to create your plan
• Call Communication Perspectives at any time

Thank you!