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As SSPA research has shown, existing systems are not adequate to keep up with both the growing complexity of technology and the alarming increase of customer interactions, yet selecting new or replacement systems is not easy. The CRM and eService industries are constantly evolving, with mergers and acquisitions frequently changing product names and vendor priorities, and new innovations making some technology obsolete.
To help members navigate the changing vendor landscape, the SSPA is offering a Support Technology Bootcamp, led by John Ragsdale, VP of Research. The focus of the bootcamp is to:
- Clearly define business goals. Companies sometimes receive budget to “shop for a chat product” or “find a new knowledgebase,” without correlating the underlying business issues to the project and identifying clear business goals for the project up front.
- Map business needs to technology. Not all self-service initiatives cut live agent interactions, and is important to map the identified business goals to specific functionality or capabilities that will help achieve these goals.
- Identify technology that can help. Once identifying business goals and required functionality, strengths and weaknesses of the appropriate players will be outlined so a ‘short list’ of technology providers can be created.
Attendees will network, share and learn from other participants and the SSPA. Additionally, attendees will:
- Understand the support and service vendor landscape. The CRM and eService markets will be explored, along with strengths and weaknesses of the major players.
- Build a draft RFI. Attendees will receive an SSPA template for a service and support technology Request for Information (RFI), and class time will be spent creating RFI content for each attendee’s project.
- Cut the time for vendor selection. Armed with a draft RFI, companies will be able to kick start their technology selection project with defined business requirements, key required functionality and ‘best fit’ ISV candidates.
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The goal of the class is to arm participants with the key elements of a Request for Information (RFI). The class will open with discussions of technology impacts to costs, productivity, and customer satisfaction; each attendee will be asked to describe their current technology environment and goals for new technology. Teams will be formed, focusing on different technology areas, to further drill down into requirements, realistic expectations for ROI, and appropriate technology providers. Each participant will have 1:1 time with Ragsdale to discuss and validate their project plans.
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The Support Technology Bootcamp will address projects related to the following functional areas:
- eService: Knowledgebases, self-service, email response management, Web chat and collaboration, diagnostic tools
- CRM: customer history, entitlement/warranty tracking, SLA tracking, upsell/cross-sell
Some additional ancillary areas can be addressed as well.
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The Support Technology Bootcamp is ideal for support professionals who will participate in or lead a technology selection project in the next year, such as adding a new interaction channel, consolidating existing systems, or improving productivity in a single area of the operation. Participants should know their current environment of home grown and ISV software and services, as well as environmental preferences (.NET vs. J2EE, OnDemand vs. on premise). Back to Top
The Support Technology Bootcamp is limited to 25 participants. It is Wednesday, January 23rd from 9:00 to 4:00 at the DoubleTree San Jose Hotel. The registration fee is $2500.00.
Download Bootcamp registration form or for more information about registration, please call Susie Hiner at (858) 674-5491.
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