Application
This unit is applied in a customer contact environment where complex technology is employed and where the configuring of this technology is undertaken on an ongoing basis to maximise efficiencies and benefits to the organisation.
Competence in this unit requires comprehensive knowledge of customer contact technology, an appreciation of alternative and emerging trends and options in technology, and highly developed analytical skills to maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of the technology. Well developed understanding of business objectives and goals and cost benefit analysis are also required.
This role may be undertaken by those with managerial responsibility or specialist staff, depending on the size and structure of the centre.
Prerequisites
Not applicable
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Analyse current capability of customer contact technology | 1.1. Clearly specify the role of customer contact technology in customer contact operations 1.2. Recognise the scope of the functions supplied by the technology 1.3. Accurately align the capabilities of the technology to current and potential operational needs |
2. Benchmark competing new technology applications | 2.1. Identify specific operational needs that can be met by technology 2.2. Identify range of functions and capabilities supplied by benchmarking competing technologies 2.3. Select critical features of competing technologies for analysis 2.4. Conduct an analysis of technologies using cost effective processes 2.5. Select or report on appropriate new technology by considering the analysis of critical features |
3. Develop a customer contact system configuration | 3.1. Identify and analyse business model to be facilitated by technology 3.2. Identify the required technology components 3.3. Identify all specific contact pathways to be managed by technology 3.4. Arrange configuration of technology to satisfy the business model and contact pathways 3.5. Develop comprehensive testing program to ensure delivery and reliability of new configuration 3.6. Evaluate configuration against business model dimensions |
4. Develop a strategy to optimise current technology | 4.1. Identify unused capacity in existing technology 4.2. Identify applications for unused capacity appropriate to operational or business models 4.3. Develop a strategy for exploiting additional capacity 4.4. Assess the cost and efficiency of the strategy against available resources and budgets 4.5. Recommend a course of action in accordance with the assessment |
Required Skills
Required skills |
analytical skills to interpret, report and recommend actions from complex data and information attention to detail interpersonal skills to establish rapport, to build relationships with team members and stakeholders, and to establish effective networks literacy skills to develop reports which deal with complex ideas and concepts, and to articulate ideas and information effectively numeracy skills to analyse, manipulate and validate data, specifications and reports problem-solving skills to develop creative and innovative solutions project management skills to ensure that quality project management techniques are employed at all times research skills to ensure that all options are explored and recommendations are comprehensive and balanced report writing and presentation skills risk management skills to ensure that planning is balanced and risk averse. |
Required knowledge |
benchmarking principles budgeting and cost benefit analysis principles business case preparation principles business objectives and goals customer contact technologies - communications technologies, automatic call distributor (ACD) systems, interactive voice response (IVR) systems, databases, computer telephony integration (CTI) systems, prescriptive dialling, computer-based customer relationship management (CRM) systems, information management systems formal and informal communication and consultation processes, and key personnel related to communication needs of both internal and external customers operational budget and business plan. |
Evidence Required
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: analysis, benchmarking, configuration and optimisation of customer contact technology knowledge of customer contact technologies. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure: access to workplace information, reporting and data access to either stakeholder feedback or stakeholders access to relevant standards and guidelines. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate review of documentation and research related to technology, benchmarking, business objectives, financial imperatives review of benchmarking reports review of stakeholder feedback review of documentation of a strategy for optimising unused capacity in customer contact technology oral and/or written questioning to assess knowledge of business objectives including financial and business planning review of risk assessment process. |
Guidance information for assessment | Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Customer contact technology may include: | CRM systems CTI systems intranet- or internet-based database systems local or network-based ACDs web software systems or other technology which supports customer contact operations |
Benchmarking competing technologies may include: | assessment from specifications and information presented by potential vendors identifying organisations using different brands or versions of technology and comparing performance and functionality of other options using operating data and direct testing to compare the performance of two or more competing technology products - analysis is usually performed with reference to the required solution |
Critical features may include: | capacity compatibility with existing systems ease of implementation end user friendliness future expansion of the connection speed of operation support |
Contact pathways may include: | traditional telephony call pathways web pathways other electronic communication pathways such as fax, short message service (SMS) or chat room |
Sectors
Information and Communications Technology - IT Analysis and Design
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Licensing Information
No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.