Business analytics and comprehensive reports shine a light on what is happening across an organisation. By implementing a well-thought-out reporting strategy that involves detailed data collection, you can make better-informed decisions and grow your business.
When it comes to the technology used to collate data, it’s essential to keep up with the latest releases that provide relevant and accurate information. However, the latest edition of the Cisco BroadWorks platform (Release 24.0) doesn’t include the advanced reporting functionality of the Enhanced Call Centre Reporting (ECCR) service. ECCR was also declared ‘End of Sale’ in 2019, while many companies still used this solution within the BroadWorks platform.
Companies planning to upgrade to Release 24.0 will not be able to access the ECCR technology and may miss out on a significant portion of their call centre activity reporting. Without access to KPI reporting such as call abandon rates, long on-hold times, and SLAs, customers will lose that visibility of performance and customer experience metrics.
To combat this issue, call reporting specialist Akixi has provided an ultimate checklist of essential features to look for when upgrading your reporting solution, besides a required upgrade to the latest version of Cisco BroadWorks.
1. Look for the ECCR feature equivalent
The new solution should be as similar as possible to the ECCR offering in terms of functionality and features, as this will make the transition smoother. It’s essential to ensure that the new solution checks all the boxes, from the report types to the metrics you can track.
Again, it’s good to keep in mind that you are looking for an ECCR equivalent.
2. Consider additional functionalities: real-time reporting and extended insights
Starting from feature parity as a minimum requirement for the new solution, organisations should also consider potential ECCR features upgrades. There’s plenty of new technology that can deliver incredible results and enhance your team’s performance way beyond previously-set benchmarks.
Take the reports in ECCR as an example. These allowed customers to make assumptions about the company’s performance over a set period but rarely portrayed an actual image of what was actually going on in the company.
On the other hand, highly-customisable real-time reporting gives a more in-depth overview of the current rankings within the company, allowing for rapid but calculated decisions at short notice.
Real-time reporting also helps keep your teams motivated as they can track their performance and aim for higher goals.
What ECCR was not capable of doing was reporting on insights beyond the call centre. This is where extended insights come into play. In the age of hybrid work, companies should be looking for modern solutions that can track employee productivity and business communications from anywhere and in real-time.
With the customer landscape changing at an unprecedented pace, ECCR might be unfit for the current climate. A new comprehensive reporting solution that incorporates both historical and real-time metrics, as well as omnichannel features, provides a truly holistic view of your contact centre performance.
3. Don’t forget about reliability, accuracy, and support
Business metrics should inherently be accurate and reliable; otherwise, they are of no use to your business. The new solution you choose to implement needs to produce precise and reliable insights, which can then be used for improved decision-making.
Occasionally, issues happen, and your analytics vendor of choice needs to be able to work with you until these are resolved. That is why a reliable level of support from your vendor can really make a difference for your business.
When looking for the proper support, check for the vendor’s SLAs, responsiveness, platform downtime, and online self-service platform if they offer one. Once you’ve found reliable support, you’re one step closer to a long-term relationship with your preferred analytics vendor.
4. Choose credible vendors
Proper research should be the first step before choosing the right vendor to buy the solution from. Indeed, the analytics solutions market is vast, and organisations can easily overlook the right partner in the sea of possibilities.
It’s good to start from a vendor’s portfolio review to see what they specialise in and whether they offer what you’re looking for. The next step would be looking at accreditation, strategic partnerships or professional memberships. These assure you that the vendor is credible and trustworthy.
An extra tip: look for vendors with high-quality products and the support that comes with them as your business grows.
5. Pay attention to pricing
Undoubtedly, the price should not be the only factor in choosing a great ECCR replacement. While pricing does play a significant role in a buying decision, organisations should dedicate some time to see if and how much the price lists change.
Finally, opt for the licensing and billing model that fits your needs. Whether annual, monthly, or one-off charges, make sure that the pricing structure works for your business model.
How can Akixi help?
Migration to a new reporting solution does not need to be a challenging endeavour. Once you decide to take your reporting strategy to the next level, reach out to Akixi to get expertise and guidance for transitioning from ECCR to more modern reporting solutions.
