Should the business case to acquire an omni-channel cloud-based contact center infrastructure solution be multiple mini-business cases (by channel) or one overall?

Question:

Answer:

A business case, which DMG defines as “a document designed to convince a decision-maker of the need for and benefits (contribution to the bottom line) of an investment,” are not one-size-fits-all. Factors that influence optimum structure of the business case are specific to the technology in question and/or the unique characteristics of the operating environment.

Leading cloud-based contact center infrastructure (CBCCI) offerings are omni-channel solutions that handle inbound, outbound and blended voice and digital interactions; and support channel escalation, or the ability for customers and agents to seamlessly migrate/pivot from one channel to another without losing contact history or context. These solutions can include: automatic call distributor (ACD), universal queue (UQ), interactive voice response (IVR), intelligent virtual agent (IVA), computer telephony integration (CTI), outbound/campaign management, recording, reporting/dashboards, and much more.

Because deployment of a robust, feature-rich CBCCI solution across all supported channels may be daunting, an organization may want to start small and implement the application to meet their single greatest need, e.g., to replace an outdated outbound solution. In this instance, a business case focused solely on the outbound channel can be created. As the technology (and vendor) delivers benefits, and business needs evolve, a business case can be developed for the next channel(s). For organizations that want to “go all-in” from the start, we recommend drafting a single comprehensive business case for all supported channels. Because both approaches can be successful, operations can choose the one that best meets their needs.

While each business case can be different and consist of varying components, some features of a compelling business case are standard, including:

Clear statement of the business opportunity/challenge
Description of the system/application needed to solve the problem
A bulleted list of quantified benefits
Building a financial (cash flow) analysis that cost-justifies the investment

Payback for the technology should take no more than 18 – 24 months. It also helps if the investment enhances the customer experience, quality and employee engagement, but since these benefits are difficult to quantify, they are secondary.