Most people would never consider exploring a new locale without using a GPS. (I happen to be one of those weirdos that enjoys “getting lost” when traveling but that’s another story for another time). All this to say, you cannot effectively search for a Contact Center solution without first identifying exactly what you need and want.
 
While not always a crowd favorite, this upfront investment of time will pay dividends by providing a rich source of data accessed throughout the buying and implementation process. It becomes your roadmap; your GPS to everything.
 
Start by defining your business objectives. The focus should be on the overall company goals as well as the experience you want to create for your customers. Steer clear of any content around specific features or functionality. The objectives should simply reflect the end results desired.
 
Next, identify all critical feature/functionality in your current and future environment. Document the aspects that matter most to your agents, supervisors, and managers, so that nothing is left behind. All major CCaaS players have similar offerings, but there are nuances…so you want to ensure the new solution will offer feature parody. Be sure to capture any gaps in the current platform and consider emerging technologies that will help you achieve the business goals previously defined.
 
Once you’ve identified all these requirements, place them into broad categories. Some common groups might include Inbound, Outbound, Virtual Agent, SMS, Chat, QA, etc. By creating these divisions, you build a meaningful structure that will keep your evaluation more organized and easier to digest.
 
Finally, have all team members individually score each requirement on a scale of 1-5. It is helpful to apply both the mean and median to highlight any outliers where there is a discrepancy. Review the scores as a team and make the necessary adjustments. As you go through the list, identify any dealbreakers that would instantly disqualify vendors.
 
While this strategy can be laborious, it will save precious time later in the process and keep the team organized so you don’t lose sight of important details.