CASE STUDY
A
A SA faced mounting costs
from a legacy communications
system, in addition to requiring an
omni-channel solution that enabled easy
integration into existing communication
channels. Itec developed an easy-to-
implement and cost-effective solution using
the Mitel communications system. reassuring, competent agent on the other
end of the call is imperative to a smooth
resolution of any problems, especially where
safety is concerned. Also imperative is the
quick response time in emergencies so that
drivers in high-risk situations are never left
in a vulnerable position for longer than is
absolutely necessary. The solution
The organisation has been operating since
1930, as an advocate for road users, and
a roadside assistance service provider. It
engages with governmental institutions
around road safety, as well as providing a
service for road users that includes roadside
assistance, insurance, technical service and
trade services. This almost 100-year-old organisation
has the same service ethos as when it
began, but it was time to update the way
the service was implemented, by looking
at a more cost-effective and efficient
communications system. Van Der Merwe was particularly impressed
by the well-defined APIs provided by Itec,
that enabled a smooth transition and set-up
when integrating the AA SA app into the
Mitel communications platform.
AA SA prides itself on the human element
of its service – in an emergency, having a Jaco Van Der Merwe, General Manager of
IT at AA SA, was tasked with improving
customer engagement by transforming
the legacy contact centre to a digital
enterprise system that made full use of the
communications technology now available.
The challenge
The existing contact centre was clumsy and
becoming less effective with time, requiring
expensive hardware updates.
Van Der Merwe established that the way
forward was Digital Transformation, with
the ability to integrate into an omni-
channel environment, thereby giving AA SA
agents more flexibility and mobility when
responding to calls. This included multimedia
capabilities, outbound dialing and effective
workforce management.
Itec worked with AA SA to develop a Mitel
communications solution that virtualised
its existing business processes, integrating
its mobile app with multiple channels
including voice calls, SMS and other forms
of communication.
He also said that the platform itself was easy
to understand and operate.
“We looked at technologies from a
capability and cost benefit perspective,”
said Van der Werwe.
“We have worked with Itec for a good
eight years and this solution was
implemented last December and took
about three months.
“They (Itec) were part of a whole selective
process. There were other solutions that we
considered, but we selected it based on the
technology platform.”
The solution enabled full portability from
the legacy to digital systems, with the added
benefits of full disaster recovery options,
secure connectivity and easily-integrated
new dialers.
WE LOOKED AT TECHNOLOGIES
FROM A CAPABILITY AND COST
BENEFIT PERSPECTIVE.
With business growth in mind, another
requirement was the ability to scale the
platform across all functionalities, in a cost-
effective and tech-savvy manner.
Full digital disaster recovery was another
important consideration in an organisation
that requires 24/7 uptime, with client safety
at risk during service interruptions.
www.intelligentcio.com
In an agent-based operation, workforce
management is imperative, and the Mitel
system is one of the few that has it as a
native component, which makes it both cost-
effective and easier to integrate.
Van Der Merwe noted that they are
already seeing the benefits of a properly
managed workforce.
INTELLIGENTCIO
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