IT Select

Do you really know what solution you’re going to get?
Nigel Coopey, Apropos Technology Ltd.

When it comes to IT projects, most managers know that the chances of getting what they thought they had asked for - in the timeframe and at the price they thought they had signed up for – are slim ! But why is this ?

There are several reasons, and the importance of each one varies from one situation to the next. The most common are probably:

• The brochure only describes what might be achieved – most modern telecom and computer products, hardware or software, are part of a complex family of systems. There are many additional options and features, which require effort and money to implement. The brochure normally describes the most expensive configuration, without mentioning price at all!


• The salesman over-sold the system – in a highly competitive marketplace it’s often tempting to keep building the brochure story. Anything’s possible and why only mention what the customer can afford? The competition probably won’t be any more honest and why rule yourself out at the earliest stage?


• The customer didn’t ask the right questions – there are many things to check when buying anything, be it a house, a car or an IT system. It’s important to workout the checklist first, perhaps with expert help and guidance if this is new territory. After all, none of us would buy a new car without checking whether the alloy wheels, sunroof and leather upholstery were included, would we?


• Nobody wrote down what was agreed – having asked all the questions and identified the differences between the brochures ("might do") and the reality ("will do") it is crucial to record what is being purchased and at what price. Otherwise it’s one memory and word against another – which can only lead to a bad taste in the mouth, at best.

As modern Call Centre systems become more and more complex the need to understand and agree the finer details of any system is becoming paramount. Not only are the options and permutations multiplying rapidly, but also the language and standards are new and open to many interpretations. Most buyers understand and can verify the important telecom standards (e.g. DPNSS) and the main components of a computer (e.g. RAM). But who knows what it means to be TAPI compliant or what CTI-enabled workflow really is?

The most innovative and profitable Call Centres of the new millennium will have adopted the emerging client/server approach for their call handling and information systems. These new systems offer a wealth of functionality at an ever-decreasing cost and free customers from the restrictions of proprietary architectures.

But they are, inevitably, complex systems that include a variety of new technologies. The very openness and flexibility of these system also makes it much harder to quantify exactly which features will be implemented for each customer, in what way and by when.

The time has almost certainly come where anyone procuring or supplying Call Centre systems needs to adopt some of the practices long recognised as necessary in the field of bespoke software development. These are the methodologies of defining a specification, implementation plan and acceptance criteria that will govern any project. In a sense they equate to the manufacturing standards and quality management systems, such as ISO9000, that has become expected of hardware suppliers.

Whilst these practices can prevent misunderstandings and recriminations later they can lengthen the procurement cycle and require a commitment on both sides. Many reputable suppliers have come to realise the long-term value of a successful relationship and that they need clear terms of reference from the outset. Equally, many buyers have been burnt before and have learnt that they must get clear commitments before they buy. But when the heat is on and the competition aren’t being as thorough – or the boss is demanding an impossible live date – how many suppliers and buyers forget the longer term implications and still sign on the dotted line in haste?

Within most successful implementation methodologies there are three “controlling” documents, as summarised in the below.

Specification is the first stage. To act as a valuable document for both parties it must include a description of how the system will work from a user’s perspective (a “functional specification") and a description of what the system will comprise from a technical perspective (a “technical specification"). These descriptions can be separate or combined, as a Statement of Work, and will normally form the basis of the contractual understanding between the parties.

Developing the Statement of Work may well take a fair amount of time and effort. The requirements gathering will need to involve Call Centre Agents and Managers, in-house IT and Telecom specialists and perhaps other disciplines as well. However, this document will be crucial later and buyers should beware of suppliers who gloss over this stage, or don’t even mention it at all. The likelihood in this case is that the more complex - and beneficial - features won’t be included in the initial delivery or the quoted price.

The project plan for the implementation is the second important document and will normally be produced next. Again, this is valuable to both parties since it lays out the time commitments required from the customer as well as the supplier. The initial plan will probably need to be supplemented by a more detailed one later – even a relatively straightforward implementation of an integrated system can entail 75 individual activities.

The third, and equally important, document is the “Acceptance Criteria”. This describes how the buyer and supplier will know when the system has been delivered in accordance with the specification. It should be derived from the functional specification and can be used as the basis for the acceptance tests that should be run at the end of the project. Without this there is unlikely to be agreement on whether or not the system has been delivered correctly.

Ideally, the implementation plan and acceptance criteria will also be delivered and agreed prior to the signing of any contract.

It is only with the benefit of these documents, and this sort of rigorous methodology, that customers can derive the true benefits from the emerging client/server approach to Call Centre solutions. These new systems offer a wealth of functionality that is already providing competitive advantage to those companies such as 3Com, PepsiCo and Nestlé who have adopted them – but they must be implemented carefully.

Remember, the supplier who asks you to spend some time agreeing the specification now is more than likely the supplier you won’t be arguing with in 3 months time! Nigel Coopey, Apropos Technology Ltd.