Evaluating call center software solutions can be a long and draining experience. But it’s also something a company shouldn’t take lightly. Your entire business literally depends on that solution.

My company recently evaluated several products and decided on an industry-leading product we believe will help grow our business. Based on our experience, here’s what we found important to consider in evaluating call center software.

First, we believe any software should support the business needs, not define them. I’ve seen situations where a call center is doing a “workaround” to meet a client’s needs. Often times, this means the solution they picked is limited and doesn’t truly fit the services the call center offers.

A good BPO should decide what functions it will support and design its offering around that, including the technology, recruiting, hiring, training, and ongoing management. That doesn’t mean you never do something outside of what the technology supports. Our job is to meet client needs. However, a technology solution that fits those requirements should be on-boarded.

Second, we believe all call center technology is like cell phones. There’s a new release coming out every year, each better than the last. Many of us upgrade just to gain a feature we didn’t have before.

In the past, call center technology was all premise-based. Call centers would spend millions on-boarding a new solution. They were then tied to that product for five years as they paid off their initial investment.

Cloud-based call center technology has come a long way and, in my opinion, has overtaken the premise-based.

Third, let’s talk about the pros and cons of cloud-based technology. Most operate in a continuous improvement development cycle.  You pay for licenses/minutes per month and as they add new features, you get them automatically.

Most cloud-based solutions are easier to stand up and aren’t expensive from a hardware standpoint. Many can be spun up in the Amazon cloud with a click of a button.

Most of the user interfaces are easier to navigate. Many of these cloud solutions are newer and have been built from the ground up. The innovation is leading-edge in many cases.

One drawback, however, is that the ease of development, initial deployment, and lower overhead required have reduced the barriers to entry into this market.  The cloud-based call center technology field is extremely competitive with a number of emerging companies as well.

So, you may be asking, how is competition a bad thing? I don’t think it is. But there are too many call center products on the market that are not 100 percent ready for BPO deployment, despite saying they are. Make sure you spend time vetting any solution that looks like it would be a good operational fit, especially from a reliability and infrastructure standpoint.

My last point is that each call center technology solution has something where it excels. If you’re looking for an outbound technology that supports most of your business, there are a number of great options. If you need something omnichannel, there are a number of solutions as well. Find the product that fits your business needs first.

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About Transparent BPO

Transparent BPO was founded in 2009 to provide its clients with superior omnichannel nearshore call center services and business process outsourcing at competitive pricing. Belize is Transparent’s ideal call center location as it offers an educated English-speaking population, reliable telecommunications, and an overall friendly environment. With Spanish being the second language of Belize, Transparent BPO can offer highly qualified bi-lingual agents. Transparent’s state-of-the-art call center system development and IT support allow for seamless integration, resulting in a transparent business relationship.

Contact Transparent BPO for more information HERE.