Few business process changes are completed in a vacuum and usually involve multiple groups. Process changes that affect more than one organization sometimes needs help moving through the corporate maze. In these cases it is best to find a project champion. A champion is a person who can act as a liaison between the various groups, including C-level executives and other policy makers and help remove roadblocks and log jams. In a classic business scenario a project champion is an executive in your direct chain of command as close to the top as you can reach. However, that is not always the case. The higher the champion the wider the access he or she has.
Champions are also not going to be champions just because you ask nicely. You need to convince she or he that going to a virtual model will benefit to the company in some concrete way. Specifically, and proposed change must positively affect the company’s bottom line. When developing your vision of a virtual contact center, you must complete a cost/benefit analysis. Most times, allowing contact center agent to work remotely does incur some costs and these costs must be countered by potential increases revenue or savings in other areas. Depending on how you envision your virtual contact center, you could note savings in real estate costs, decreased absenteeism (thus a reduction in contract employees), or decrease in salaries and benefits (by hiring people in a part of the country that has a lower cost of living or hiring more part time agent who do not require benefits). Do your research; all points must be backed up with hard facts, guesses are not very convincing. . Finally, doing some research on the company’s disaster recovery plan and showing how creating a virtual contact center will fit into that plan will allow you some wiggle room on hard numbers. If there is not one (and there should) then showing how gong virtual will help mitigate risks should be a strong point to your presentation. Using a disaster recovery play will also allow you to possibly use the IT executive as a champion rather than the customer service exec, but depending on the politics of your company that can be dicey.
The important issue is that the revenue enhancements or cost savings must be concrete or at least feasible. While some executives will believe potential increased answer rate or happier agents equals increase customer satisfaction, it is best to have some concrete numbers as a foundation. Few executives can argue with well research numbers.
Once the champion has agreed to help, he or she can then organize a meeting (or at least allow you to use her or his name as you organized the meeting) of the different organizations that need to be involved. At a minimum the IT and human resources organizations should be involved. IT because changing from a traditional to a virtual contact center will require at a minimum a review of the current technology, if not outright replacements or upgrades. HR should be consulted because allowing agents to be remote may require a change in work rules and company policies as well as changes in seating arrangements. There may also be some OSHA regulations, ISO compliance, or Six-Sigma issues that need to be reviewed as well as other legal and regulatory issues that need addressed. Other organization that should be considered are the legal department, labor unions, and finance. At the initial meeting present your vision, as well as the cost/benefit analysis. It is your vision and you need to take control so be prepared to assign action items to the various parties if there is further research that needs to be addressed. Follow-up meetings may be needed to address action items as well as provide status of the project.
It may seem counterintuitive and overkill to include so many organizations in what seems to be a contact center issue, but at least offering to include these organizations will save headaches down the road. For example, HR can provide assistance developing your teleworking plan for the agents if the company does not have a teleworking policy or fit your needs in to the policy of one exists.
The important things to remember are:
- Present your vision with all its concrete benefits
- Numbers are hard to argue with
- Find a champion early in the process.
- No successful process changes are made in a vacuum. Bring in other organizations within the business.
- Try to remove hurdles yourself but ask your champion to help if you reach a really stubborn log jam.
Remember, few business process changes are ever completed solo and the more open you are to input from others the better off you will be.
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