Ascom: Networked virtual Contact Centre solution provides greater customer proximity for Winterthur Insurance
Bern (ots)
Ascom expands the Contact Centre solution at Winterthur Insurance to three sites, upgrading these to a networked virtual Contact Centre. The project of over a million Swiss Francs calls for Ascom to provide planning, implementation and networking of the new Contact Centres with the globally operating Service Centre and the Claims Service in Winterthur.
Winterthur Insurance's Service Centre and Claims Service provide their clients with fast and competent information services worldwide and round the clock in more than 6 languages via various communications channels. The Contact Centres are important instruments for optimising the quality of service and for strong customer loyalty. To further increase customer proximity, Ascom was entrusted with the implementation of two additional Contact Centres, networking them with the Service Centre and Claims Service in Winterthur to create a virtual Contact Centre. This new solution and the expansion from Winterthur to two additional locations in Aarau and Lausanne achieves Winterthur Insurance's objective of close customer proximity also throughout Switzerland.
The requirement is to provide a turnkey solution by the fourth quarter of 2002: Ascom will work out a concept for the expansion, will support Winterthur Insurance in adapting the business processes and will be responsible for the implementation, including the necessary hardware and software infrastructures. The networked virtual Contact Centre will be controlled from the present site in Winterthur. To do this, the additional systems will be connected to Nortel's central Symposium Network Control Server, successfully in operation since March of 2001. Moreover, three further autonomous Contact Centre units in other areas will be linked to this solution.
A Skill Based Routing system is used for optimum allocation of customer queries among the agents. This system ensures that calls are routed quickly to the appropriate specialists for competent and customer-oriented service.
The Ascom solution provides all functions required by an efficient management of geographically distributed Contact Centres and thus supports Winterthur Insurance's multi-access strategy. Flexible evaluation modes for an optimum workload according to specialised staff groups or individual sites, evaluations to support resource planning and analyses for quality assurance of the available services contribute to the optimisation of customer services. "In Ascom we have a competent, future-oriented partner, who by implementing the virtual Contact Centres allows us many options for future applications", says Miguel Marin, Director of Operations Management / Call Centre Platform CH at Winterthur Insurance's Service Centre.
The Winterthur Insurance project confirms Ascom's strong market position for systems and network integration. Ascom Network Integration is one of Ascom's core businesses alongside Security Solutions, Wireless Solutions and Transport Revenue.
About Ascom
Ascom is an international service provider for integrated voice and data communications, network-based security solutions and networked revenue collection systems for public and private transport operators. The Network Integration, Security Solutions, Wireless Solutions and Transport Revenue Business Units plan, build, maintain and operate tailor-made, comprehensive solutions along the complete value-added chain - with a service-oriented portfolio and proven technology know-how. Ascom is active worldwide in markets with a high growth potential. The Ascom registered shares (ASCN) are quoted on the SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich.
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