Benefits of Computer Telephony Integration

Over the past decade, the pace of technology advancement has outpaced the ability of human operators to properly manage the varying array of communications inputs that have to be managed in all manners of business. Whether at a telecommunications center or at an emergency dispatch center, utilization of computer telephony integration (CTI) technologies can significantly improve operator performance and increase overall efficiency call centers. Ultimately, the goal of deploying a CTI application is to reduce the overall cost of operations through improving per-operator efficiency.

#1 Computer Telephony Benefit – Efficiency Improvements

Computer Telephony Integration systems provide operators with the ability to handle a greater call volume, but saving time that was previously expended on looking up customer information after the call had been received. With the automatic presentation of data to the operator based on the incoming phone number and menu options chosen by the consumer before the operator is live on the telephone line, the total time of a phone transaction is reduced to handling the specific question or need that the customer has called regarding. Additionally, the operator saves post-call processing time, buy being able to enter data directly into the database record of the customer into their on-screen account record presented through the CTI system. In the case of emergency operators, computer telephony integration systems save significant time in dispatching assistance to those in need through the display of GPS-accurate positioning data from the person calling the operator. Additionally, the emergency operator can accomplish the dispatching of various support services from their computer monitor while monitoring the on-going situation on the telephone.

#2 Computer Telephony Benefit – Improved Ergonomics

Prior to the advent and wide-spread deployment of computer telephony integration systems, the equipment required to accomplish the same tasks would take-up a significantly greater amount of space in the work-place. Modern CTI systems, have greater ergonomic value than their predecessors, and in most cases take up no more room than that required of a traditional desktop computer for the operator. Ergonomic improvements in computer telephony integration systems also combine the ability to handle phone, email, Internet, video, and fax communications from one computing station vice having to have separate devices for each form of communication.

#3 Computer Telephony Benefit- Reduced Staff Turnover

For call centers that conduct business over a 24 hour time-frame, there has been a historical loss of information and efficiency when staff turns over at the conclusion of a six or eight hour work shift. Manual turnover logs were created as ameans to combat the loss of efficiency seen as a result of required turnover periods, however, these just do not fully make-up for the change-out of personnel. Computer telephony integration software has been demonstrated to be one of the best mitigators for the staff turnover issue due to the real-time nature of the CTI application software and automatic data logging features associated with the CTI programs. In the past, if a phone operator at an emergency call center may have forgotten about calls made earlier in his or her shift, modern CTI software makes it possible for operators to view and read correspondence received over the course of the previous shift or day’s worth of calls to the center. As a result, the impact of loss of information at key staff turnover points has been reduced, though a good turnover is still assessed as significantly aiding the new staff member for keeping pace with ongoing operations.

#4 Computer Telephony Benefit – Flexibility and Growth

Computer telephony integration applications are now designed to be scalable without having to pay for significant program updates. Industry has been able to achieveportability and scale in their designs through the wide-spread usage and support of the computer telecommunications support application ( CTSA) software standards. By using common interfaces across competing companies, the business owner is no longer held to using one company for the lifespan of their CTI system and can grow operations with significantly lower overhead over time. Additionally, new applications and features can be added to a computer telephony integration system in real-time without interrupting on-going business operations. Add-ons such as computer aided design programs (CAD), radio communication interfaces, and real time messaging systems are some examples that business finds a need for once a CTI application becomes embedded in the company’s day-to-day operations.

#5 Computer Telephony Benefit – Monetary Savings

Both the public and private sector have realized significant monetary savings through the usage of computer telephony integration systems. Overall, the total cost of owning a CTI system is proven to be less than acquiring applications that specialize in individual communications features with integration work done separately at the corporate level. Additionally, the cost-savings realized through the reduction of wasted time by operators results in less dead-time per operator permitting a smaller work-force to be retained and greater throughput of transactions to be accomplished.

In summary, with the explosion of the number of communications mediums that private and public sector call centers must face, the usage of acomputer telephony integration suite has almost become a must in the current business environment. In order to keep pace with the competition, a CTI allows a corporation to best leverage the talent working for the company while increasing overall business efficiency.