Page 3 - TelecomReseller August-September 2017

August/September 2017
Telecom Reseller 3
THE LATEST
TECH BLOGS
ALLISON SMITH
DAVID BYRD
THERESA SZCZUREK
MIKE PATTERSON
TR
TELECOM RESELLER.COM
SINHA
automation and machine learning technologies will be critical.
1. ADVANCING HUMAN CAPABILITIES
Enterprises are increasingly realizing that digital transformation is more than adopting digital technologies – it’s about unlocking
the potential of its people. is notion of advancing human and technological capabilities simultaneously was supported in a recent
study commissioned by Infosys titled Human Ampli cation in the Enterprise, which examines digital transformation journeys in the telecoms sector and their impact on the way human capital is managed. e study revealed that the organizations’ rst priority during digital transformation is pervasive automation – automating manual, repetitive processes
and tasks to increase human productivity and e ciency. But beyond automaton, organizations and telcos in particular, can amplify human capabilities with AI technologies such as machine learning, automated predictive analytics and response, robotic process
TORRAS
irritated from an encounter with the last person who called.
Some telecoms hide their online chat, phone numbers, and forms on the website, making them unreachable by search. Is it no surprise
to nd irate customers posting their nightmare telecom experiences on social media, where they o en go viral. An estimated $62 billion is lost by U.S. businesses each year because of bad customer experiences, according to a study by NewVoice Media. Poor customer support puts telecoms at risk of increased customer churn and decreased revenue.
Telecoms are breaking this cycle though AI- powered enterprise search and chatbots, that engage customers in a live chat conversation that nds answers in seconds, provides real- time customer insights, and can direct them to products and promotions.
THE UNPLEASANT REALITIES OF TELECOM SUPPORT
Customer call center representatives are
o en at the mercy of irate customers who are complaining about service issues, billing errors and any number of concerns. e agents, who are trained to follow scripts, end up sounding shallow and non-empathic, as they ask customers to repeat the same information they already
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automation or automation of decision.
2. MANAGING THE TRAFFIC EXPLOSION
Gartner forecasts that there will be 8.4 billion connected devices worldwide this year, and that number will reach 20.4 billion by 2020. As a result, data tra c on networks will expand exponentially. IDC estimates annual data ows will reach 44 trillion gigabytes by 2020 – 10 times higher than what it was in 2013.
So ware de ned networking (SDN), with its ability to intelligently route tra c and utilize underutilized network resources, will make it possible for telecom companies to adopt the scale required. AI technologies like orchestration, data analytics, policy
and machine learning will also help these companies realize SDN by adopting intent- based management to autonomously provision, con gure and assure the networks.
3. MODERNIZING OPERATIONS
High competition in the telecoms industry has contributed to many M&As in the space.
entered digitally while they were on hold. is stress leads to expensive CSR turnover rates at around 29%. Many telecoms have not trained CSRs to answer the increasingly complex technical issues their customers are experiencing. Customers are placed on hold, again, while the CSR searches for answers.
THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) SOLUTION PATIENTLY PROVIDES FAST, ACCURATE ANSWERS
Telecoms who are looking for ways to transform these frustrating customer service experiences, and create more job satisfaction among CSRs can nd relief with Chatbots integrated with Natural Language Processing [NLP] and Machine Learning [ML] into their customer service o erings. Without sacri cing the important human interaction, chatbots are increasingly being used to assist the CSRs. With their ability to assimilate knowledge from the company’s existing technical database, chatbots can quickly and precisely nd the information the CSR needs to resolve an issue. Chatbots
can also reduce the CSR workload by handling routine questions, answering online search queries, and e ciently directing calls or chats to the appropriate department.
While this has allowed companies to grow very quickly, it has le acquiring companies with complex technology problems.
e use of use di erent hardware, middleware, upgrade cycles and management processes has resulted in process discontinuity, information gaps, and a lack of integration between network elements and interfacing systems.
is creates issues like under-billing, incorrect call records, inter-partner disputes, inconsistent calculations and fraud accounts. is growing complexity and scale is not manageable through human intervention alone. To manage it, the system will have to collect large amounts of data, analyze it using sophisticated analytics, and automate the course of action.
By using AI, machine learning and robotic automation, telecom companies can reduce manual intervention, manage volume, introduce exibility, and increase speed to respond – without having to write o large investments or undergo a complete technical overhaul.
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ML technology allows telecoms to become proactive, and, over time, can begin to repair the waning trust and con dence among its customers. Algorithms can spot the early warning signs
of service issues so that they can be mitigated before they develop into more serious, complex problems. Powerful insights are captured and analyzed in real time, so that chatbots can engage customers in live chat, answer questions, and direct them to new products.
Chatbots never lose their cool and have
the ability to intuit, from the customer’s tone
of voice, or word choice, if the customer is angry, frustrated, or exasperated. NLP provides the ability to interpret the meaning behind
the customers’ words, accurately inferring subjective adjectives and implicit questions, within context. ey also clearly understand technology, jargon, and abbreviations – and even misspellings and slang.
Not only will the move to AI-assisted customer service cut spiraling customer service costs, and reduce CSR turnover, telecoms will be able to improve customer expectations. Telecoms who embrace AI technology have the opportunity revolutionize customer service, and their reputations, by being the ones who set a new benchmark at exceeding customer’s expectations. ■
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4. IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE
Another immediate area of concern where application of AI technologies can improve processes is customer service. Service chat bots that automate service inquiries with combination of speech recognition, natural language processing and machine learning can ensure telecoms provide superior and uniform service experience across all customer touch points.
THE BOTTOM LINE
While adoption of AI and automation technology can aid telecoms in their transformation, the role of people cannot be understated. To recognize the full bene ts
of automating tasks and to drive innovation consistently, telecom companies must continue to invest in lifelong learning programs that give employees the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver against the needs of the future. eir shi from problem solvers to problem nders and innovators will be fundamental to the overall success of the transformation of the telecom sector. ■
VoIP Entry Phone and Access Control System – Model K-1775-IP by Viking Electronics
HUDSON, WI – e vandal resistant K-1775- IP is an all-in-one VoIP entry phone system. Combining a phone, relays, dialer, keyless entry, proximity reader and camera into one unit – making this entry system easy to install, program, and operate.
“We’ve created a dynamic entry phone and access control system that is not complicated to put together, or scale, from a single door and 10 employees or tenants, all the way to 50 doors and 1000 employees.” Greg Yocom, Engineer with Viking Electronics, Inc.
e K-1775-IP packs a lot of function into
a small footprint. is compact unit can dial up to 250 preprogrammed speed dial numbers or extensions – cell phones, receptionist desks, call groups, etc. e built-in proximity card reader is able to store up to 1,000 card numbers and internal memory can store 1,000 codes for keyless entry. Each card number and keyless
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