Page 3 – Bluewave Technology Group

Critical Systems Outages: Essential Advice from Our Security Practice Lead

Posted on August 5, 2024August 7, 2024 by Bluewave

by Sumera Riaz, Sr. Director Security Solutions, Bluewave Technology Group

The last seven months of 2024 historically have been unlike any other when it comes to cyber events and critical systems outages. We saw the healthcare industry shaken by ransomware attacks on Change Healthcare and Ascension Healthcare. The CDK ransomware rocked the Automotive industry in US and Canada. And a CrowdStrike faulty update that melted the world’s computer systems. Then an Azure DDOS attack just a few days ago.

Read more about 2024’s Biggest Data Breaches

The aftermath of these events has been devastating. Many companies will not survive these attacks and critical system outages. Those who have survived must take a hard look at their security posture when it comes to depending on a single provider for their critical business functionality.

The good news is that you don’t have to go it alone. Partner with a trusted advisor like Bluewave to bring an unbiased approach to your cyber strategy and strengthen your blind spots.

10 Key Takeaways to Help You Get Started

Vendor Assessment: Conducting thorough assessments of third-party vendors before engaging with them. This should include evaluating their security policies, practices, and compliance with relevant regulations.
Risk Classification: Classifying vendors based on the level of risk they pose to your organization. High-risk vendors may require more stringent controls.
Due Diligence: Performing due diligence to understand the vendor’s security posture. This can involve reviewing their third-party audits, certifications (like ISO 27001, SOC 2), and security incident history.
Contracts and SLAs: Ensuring that contracts with third-party vendors include strong security clauses, specifying data protection measures, incident response obligations, and compliance requirements.
Data Governance: Clearly defining data ownership, access rights, and data handling practices to protect sensitive information shared with third parties.
Continuous Monitoring: Implementing a continuous monitoring program to track the security practices and performance of third-party vendors over time. This may include regular audits and assessments.
Incident Response Plan: Developing an incident response plan that outlines how to identify, report, and manage security incidents.
Security Training and Awareness: Providing security training to employees who interact with third-party vendors to ensure they understand the risks and follow best practices.
Termination Procedures: Establishing a clear process for securely terminating relationships with vendors, including data destruction and revocation of access rights.
Third-Party Risk Program: Developing and maintaining a comprehensive third-party risk management program that aligns with your organization’s overall risk management framework.

Our Role as Your Advisor

Security is not a product you buy; it’s a practice that is developed and mastered in any organization. With so many moving parts and limited budgets, this becomes an impossible task for any IT and Security Team. As your security advisor, our role is critical.

We support you by:

Helping you develop the right security strategy that aligns with your business goals
Understanding the implications of a cyber event
Advising you on ways to become cyber resilient

We bring with us decades of vendor intelligence as arsenal to help strengthen your defenses. In the spirit of resilience, let’s work together to ensure you are prepared for any future disruptions and prevent critical systems outages.

When you’re ready to get the right security solution for your organization, you’re ready for Bluewave. Let’s talk!

AI in Healthcare

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Bluewave

The healthcare industry is witnessing a remarkable transformation driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. These technologies are revolutionizing the way healthcare services are delivered, leading to improved efficiency, accuracy, and patient outcomes.

AI Technology in Healthcare

Harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to simplify agent tasks, drive revenue, and cultivate customer loyalty. AI-powered bots and automation tools will allow for a seamless self-service experience anywhere – in your hospital, your clinic, or online.

Agent assist
Omnichannel orchestration
Chatbots
Knowledge management tools
Predictive engagement
Predictive routing
Intelligent virtual assistant (IVA)
Voicebots

Watch Our AI Panel Webinar with Industry-Leading Experts to See How AI Can Help Your Organization. Hear from our AI experts at Bright, Capacity, Five9, and Rackspace

In recent years, the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation have been making significant strides in transforming the healthcare landscape. These advanced technologies are revolutionizing how medical professionals diagnose, treat, and manage patient care. AI and automation are integral to modern healthcare, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, streamlining administrative tasks, and improving efficiency.

Let’s dive into some of the ways these innovations are reshaping healthcare, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and more efficient medical practices.

Staffing Issues and AI-powered Solutions

The shortage of healthcare professionals is a global concern. However, AI and automation have stepped in to alleviate this problem. Intelligent systems can now manage routine administrative tasks, allowing healthcare providers to focus more on patient care. For instance, AI chatbots can provide basic medical information, schedule appointments, and answer common queries, reducing the burden on the staff.

See how this healthcare receivables company increased productivity by extending their self-service platform into nights and weekends without adding any full-time staff.

Telehealth and Remote Monitoring

Telehealth gained significant traction, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. AI-powered telehealth platforms enable patients to consult with healthcare professionals remotely, saving time, reducing costs, and expanding access to care. Remote patient monitoring systems equipped with AI algorithms can continuously collect and analyze patient data, alerting healthcare providers to any abnormalities in real-time.

See how this large regional hospital network got ready for telehealth by moving to a cloud voice solution enabling remote patient consultations and ensuring continuity of care.

Self-Check-in and Check-out

Automation has streamlined the check-in and check-out processes in healthcare facilities. AI-powered self-service kiosks let patients check in, update information, and make payments without relying on administrative staff. This not only improves efficiency but also reduces waiting times and enhances the overall patient experience.

Integration of Medical Devices

The integration of medical devices with AI and automation technologies has transformed the way patient data is collected, analyzed, and utilized. Devices such as wearables, remote monitoring sensors, and implantable devices are now equipped with AI algorithms, enabling continuous data collection and real-time analysis. This integration enhances the accuracy of diagnoses, facilitates remote patient monitoring, and enables timely interventions, thereby improving patient outcomes.

Improved Medication Management

Medication errors are a significant concern in healthcare. AI-powered systems can assist in medication management by cross-referencing patient records, detecting potential drug interactions, and providing dosage recommendations. Automation in pharmacy systems can also enhance the accuracy of medication dispensing and administration, reducing errors and improving patient safety.

Enhanced Data Security and Privacy

With the increased digitization of healthcare records, ensuring data security and privacy has become crucial. AI and automation offer robust solutions to safeguard patient information. These technologies can detect and prevent security breaches, monitor access to sensitive data, and employ encryption and authentication techniques to protect patient privacy. Additionally, AI algorithms can identify patterns indicative of potential data breaches, enabling proactive security measures.

Streamlined Regulatory Compliance Reporting

AI and automation can simplify the often complex and time-consuming process of regulatory compliance reporting. Intelligent systems can automatically extract relevant data from various sources, compile it, and generate comprehensive reports that meet regulatory requirements. This not only saves valuable time for healthcare professionals but also minimizes errors in compliance reporting.

Efficient Documentation and Record-Keeping

Documenting patient information is a crucial aspect of healthcare, but it can be time-consuming for healthcare professionals. AI-powered speech recognition and natural language processing systems can transcribe and analyze clinical notes, saving valuable time for physicians and nurses. Additionally, automated documentation systems can ensure accurate and standardized record-keeping, minimizing errors and facilitating seamless information exchange between healthcare providers.

Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Data Analytics

The digitization of healthcare records has transformed the way patient information is stored, accessed, and analyzed. EHR systems powered by AI can provide comprehensive patient profiles, including medical history, test results, and treatment plans, accessible to authorized healthcare professionals across different settings. AI algorithms can leverage this wealth of data to identify patterns, predict disease progression, and assist in clinical decision-making, ultimately improving diagnosis accuracy and treatment outcomes.

Predictive Analytics and Risk Assessment

AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of healthcare data to identify patterns and predict potential risks. These predictive analytics tools can help healthcare providers identify high-risk patients, anticipate disease outbreaks, and allocate resources more efficiently. By proactively addressing risks, healthcare organizations can enhance patient care and improve public health outcomes.

Exciting Developments and Future Prospects for AI in Healthcare

AI and automation continue to push the boundaries of healthcare innovation.

Robotic process automation (RPA) is being employed to automate repetitive tasks, such as inventory management and billing, further reducing administrative burdens.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are revolutionizing medical education, surgical training, and even therapy sessions.
AI algorithms are being developed to detect diseases like cancer and diabetic retinopathy with higher accuracy than traditional methods.
The use of AI-driven robotic surgery is increasing, offering more precision and reducing the invasiveness of procedures.

How Bluewave Can Help

Patient password resets bogging down the IT helpdesk? Bluewave can help leverage AI to drastically reduce password reset calls by 60-70%.
Struggling to staff your healthcare call center? Bluewave helps clients design automation solutions that can cut down handle time by 3-4X. Imagine reducing your agent handle time by 50%. Happy patients and agents are a win-win!
Need help after hours or during heavy call volumes? Our expert advisors can help identify solutions that include AI, workflow automation, self-service tools, or even introduce you to an agent outsourcer that best matches your company culture.
Need better patient experience? Bluewave can help you with the digital tools and omnichannel experiences patients expect.
Need access to quality information to provide the best care? AI agent assist, knowledge management tools, and EHR integrations improve staff knowledge and data for the best patient outcomes.

See how this Non-Emergency Medical Transportation company deployed Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA) to drive customer service, confirm appointments, and handle text messages.

Conclusion

AI and automation are indispensable tools in the healthcare industry, addressing staffing issues, improving patient access to care, enhancing documentation and record-keeping, and facilitating data-driven decision-making. The future holds immense promise for further advancements in these technologies, fostering a more efficient, connected, and patient-centric healthcare ecosystem. By embracing AI and automation, the healthcare industry can truly revolutionize patient care, the patient experience, and improve outcomes on a global scale.

When you’re ready to get the best AI and automation tools and technology in your healthcare system, you’re ready for Bluewave.

Let’s Get Started!

Chatbots Reign Supreme in the Contact Center

Posted on June 28, 2024November 18, 2024 by Bluewave

Chatbots are transforming contact centers, improving efficiency, and enhancing customer and employee experience. Where convenience reigns supreme, chatbots have emerged as the superheroes of customer service. Chatbots are poised to revolutionize contact centers in record time. Their appeal lies in their ability to provide instant, round-the-clock assistance, tailored to individuals, without the need for human intervention.

According to Gartner, by 2025, 40% of customer service interactions will be handled by AI (chatbots), up from 15% in 2021.

As businesses strive to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences, chatbots offer a solution that is both efficient and cost-effective. With advancements in artificial intelligence driving their evolution, chatbots are not just a trend; they are the future of contact centers, promising to redefine the way we interact with businesses and each other.

Chatbots Magazine reports that businesses can reduce customer service costs by up to 30% by implementing conversational AI technologies.

Understanding Chatbots

So, what is a chatbot? A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the internet. These programs use artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to understand and respond to user queries or commands in a conversational manner.

Chatbots are deployed across various platforms, including websites, messaging apps, and social media channels, to provide automated assistance, answer questions, perform tasks, or facilitate transactions. They come in different forms, ranging from simple rule-based bots that follow predefined scripts to more sophisticated AI-powered bots capable of learning and adapting to user interactions over time.

Check out 65 Chatbot Statistics & Trends 2024

Evolution of Call Centers to Contact Centers

In the “old days,” calling into a call center often meant navigating through a labyrinth of automated phone menus, commonly referred to as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. These systems presented users with a series of voice prompts and menu options, requiring callers to listen carefully and select the appropriate option using their phone keypad. The menus could be complex and time-consuming to navigate, often leading to frustration for callers.

Once a caller finally reached a live agent, they might have encountered long wait times due to high call volumes or limited staffing. During peak hours or busy periods, it was common to be placed on hold for extended periods, listening to repetitive hold music (remember Muzak?) or recorded messages assuring them that their call was important.

Frustration After Finally Reaching an Agent

When connected to an agent, communication was typically one-way, with the agent gathering information from the caller and providing assistance or resolving issues based on predefined scripts or protocols. The process could be impersonal and lacked the ability to tailor responses to individual needs or preferences.

Calling into a call center in the past was often characterized by frustration, long wait times, and limited flexibility in communication, making it a less-than-ideal experience for both customers and agents alike.

In modern call contact centers, the experience for both customers and agents has undergone a significant transformation, thanks to advancements in technology and customer service practices.

What it’s like now in Modern Contact Centers

Multi-channel Communication: Modern contact centers support various communication channels beyond traditional phone calls. This includes live chat, email, social media, and even messaging apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. Customers have the flexibility to choose their preferred channel for reaching out, making interactions more convenient and accessible.
Personalized Customer Experience: With the help of data analytics and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, modern contact centers can provide personalized service tailored to each customer’s preferences, history, and needs. Agents have access to comprehensive customer profiles, allowing them to deliver more relevant and customized support.
AI-Powered Assistance: Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including chatbots and virtual assistants, play a significant role in modern contact centers. These AI-powered tools can handle routine inquiries, provide instant responses, and even assist agents during interactions, improving efficiency and reducing wait times for customers.
Omni-channel Integration: Modern contact centers employ omni-channel integration, enabling seamless communication across different channels. This means that customers can start a conversation on one channel and continue it on another without losing context. For example, a customer may begin a conversation via live chat and then switch to a phone call without having to repeat information.
Agent Empowerment: Contact center agents are equipped with advanced tools and resources to better serve customers. This includes access to knowledge bases, troubleshooting guides, and real-time collaboration platforms that enable agents to resolve issues more efficiently and effectively.
Analytics and Insights: Modern contact centers leverage advanced analytics tools to gain insights into customer behavior, trends, and performance metrics. This data-driven approach allows organizations to identify areas for improvement, optimize processes, and deliver a superior customer experience.
Remote Work Capabilities: The rise of remote work has also impacted modern contact centers, with many agents now working from home or distributed locations. Cloud-based technology enables seamless collaboration and communication, allowing call center operations to continue uninterrupted, even during challenging circumstances.

Modern contact centers focus on delivering a seamless, personalized, and efficient customer experience across multiple channels, powered by advanced technology and empowered agents.

Salesforce Stats

Salesforce reports that more than 61% of customers now expect companies to offer self-service options, such as chatbots or knowledge bases. Read the State of Service report.

… data from the latest “State of Service” report shows that self-service is a major differentiator between high-performing and underperforming companies: 80% of high-performing service organizations provide a self-service solution, compared to just 56% of low performers.

The Role of Chatbots in Contact Centers

Chatbots have emerged as a game-changing solution for contact centers, promising unprecedented efficiency, scalability, and personalized support. According to Juniper Research, virtual assistants and chatbots could save businesses $8 billion annually in reduced call handling time alone. Chatbots enable:

24/7 Availability	Unlike human agents who have limited working hours, chatbots can provide assistance round-the-clock. This ensures that customers can receive support at any time, improving accessibility and reducing wait times. Chatbots offer instantaneous responses to customer inquiries, eliminating the need for customers to wait in queues or navigate phone menus. This immediacy enhances the overall customer experience and increases satisfaction.
Scalability	Chatbots can handle multiple conversations simultaneously, allowing contact centers to scale their operations without proportionally increasing staffing levels. This scalability ensures that businesses can efficiently manage fluctuations in customer demand without compromising service quality. Chatbots streamline the customer support process by quickly resolving common inquiries and directing more complex issues to human agents. This frees agents to focus on higher-value tasks, leading to increased efficiency and productivity within the contact center.
Cost Savings	By automating routine inquiries and tasks, chatbots help contact centers reduce operational costs associated with hiring and training human agents. This cost-effectiveness makes chatbots an attractive solution for businesses looking to optimize their contact center operations.
Personalization	Advanced chatbots powered by artificial intelligence can analyze customer data and personalize interactions based on individual preferences and history. By delivering tailored responses and recommendations, chatbots enhance the level of customer service and create more relevant connections with customers.
Data Collection and Analysis	Chatbots capture valuable customer data during interactions, including preferences, feedback, and pain points. We use this data to gain insights into behavior, trends, and inform decision-making within the contact center and organization.

Conclusion

We explored trends, defined terms, and detailed the evolution from call centers to contact centers via chatbots. The application of chatbot technology has the power to improve your organization’s performance and increase both customer and employee experience.

Organization: Significantly reduces costs while increasing scalability and providing greater insights into customer preferences and trends.
Customers: Improves CX by supporting many channels, providing 24/7 availability, reduces wait times, and provides a seamless personalized experience.
Employees: Removes mundane repeatable tasks freeing up representatives to focus on more value-driving initiatives. Empowers agents in real-time to better assist customers through knowledge bases, guides, and collaboration platforms. This leads to greater job satisfaction and longevity.

Next Steps

Are you ready to explore chatbots? Bluewave boasts a CX/AI Advisory Team that will help you assess and decide on the perfect solution for your organization.

We can help you:

Detail the key advantages of using chatbots in your contact centers, such as efficiency, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
Explore how we’re seeing chatbots improve CX and agent productivity in organizations like yours and decide on the best approach.
Strategically design and implement chatbots in your contact centers.
Determine the best vendors by leveraging our experience and best practices for designing and deploying chatbots effectively.
Offer strategies for maximizing the benefits of chatbot technology initially and into the future.

Let’s Get Started

Bluewave’s Telecom Assessment: Unveiling Hidden Savings and Maximizing ROI

Posted on June 13, 2024October 15, 2024 by Bluewave

In today’s market, clients often face challenges in managing their technology assets, leading to disjointed strategies. Common issues include unexpected costs from shadow IT, under-utilization, erroneous charges, and auto-renewals. Bluewave’s Telecom Assessment, a comprehensive telecom audit and advisory service, tackles these problems by providing a clear view of all assets, enabling a cohesive and efficient technology strategy.

With 20 years of experience, we’ve encountered many clients starting network transformations only to discover that their contracts have automatically renewed, even when using their own telecom expense management platforms. This oversight leads to legal issues and demonstrates that many clients lack a full understanding of their current assets. Without an assessment, they make uninformed decisions that hurt their ROI and TCO.

Unlike a typical telecom audit that merely checks for accuracy, our comprehensive approach builds a detailed inventory and offers complete visibility into a client’s assets. This method enhances our discussions and provides significant benefits to our clients.

Why You Need Bluewave’s Telecom Assessment

The Power of Visibility and Inventory Management

Traditional telecom audits focus on verifying the accuracy of records, but at Bluewave, we go a step further. Our Telecom Assessment involves creating a thorough inventory of all services, contracts, and associated invoices a client holds. This holistic view allows us to identify savings opportunities, streamline operations, and ensure clients are fully aware of their current technological landscape. Over the past 20 years, our clients have enjoyed average savings of about 21%. This figure consistently delivers a measurable return on investment (ROI).

See What You Will Save – Try the Bluewave Savings Calculator

The Cost of Incomplete Information

Inadequate information can significantly impact project implementations. The effectiveness of both the client and the carrier is limited by the quality and completeness of the information provided. A single overlooked service or detail can transform a project into a million-dollar error, causing delays of three to nine months. This uninformed approach inevitably leads to finger-pointing and misallocated blame.

Our Telecom Assessment mitigates these risks by ensuring all stakeholders have a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the existing services and infrastructure. This holistic view streamlines project timelines and enhances the accuracy and reliability of the implementation process.

Regional Hospital System – Identified lack of contract information, renegotiated an unidentified auto-renewal, resulting in a 26% reduction in network costs.

Fixed Costs for Predictable Outcomes

One key differentiator of Bluewave’s Telecom Assessment is the fixed cost structure, eliminating the risk of uncapped fees commonly associated with contingency-based audits. This predictability is appealing to CFOs and senior procurement leaders who prioritize stable and forecastable expenses. Our assessment provides a detailed and complete vision of all telecom service inventories, making it easier for clients to manage their telecom assets and plan for future technology migrations.

Historical average of 12.4% ROI on each assessment, putting tangible savings back into our clients’ pockets.

What to Expect from a Telecom Assessment

Eliminating Assumptions and Reducing Waste

Many clients face challenges when migrating to new technologies due to a lack of clear understanding of their existing assets. This often leads to assumptions and unnecessary services being transferred from one carrier or service to another. Historically, about 12% of services moved in transitions, such as large UCaaS transformations, are redundant and unnecessary. By conducting a thorough inventory and usage analysis, we help clients avoid waste and optimize their technology investments.

Large Credit Union – Identified 23% savings; 46% from the removal of unused circuits and TDM lines.

Global Advertising Research Company – Identified 20% savings from unused 800#s, expired contracts, month-to-month fees, redundant IP backup connectivity, and recommendations for a more modern and less expensive UCaaS service.

Identifying Inefficiencies and Optimizing Contracts

Throughout the assessment, we identify unused services and outdated technologies. We verify contract compliance and benchmark them against industry standards. For instance, if a client wants to transition from MPLS to SD-WAN or SASE, we provide detailed cost projections and benchmarks for various options. This comprehensive analysis ensures clients understand their current contracts and potential savings.

Large Commercial Real Estate Insurance Company – Identified 35% savings in mobile spending across all locations through aggregation and easier management with one provider.

Avoiding Unpleasant Surprises and Cost Overruns

A common scenario involves clients in the Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) space. Providers often promise ROIs based on incomplete or inaccurate client-provided information. Consequently, these ROIs are frequently unvalidated, leading to cost overruns and frustrated CFOs questioning financial missteps post-implementation. This discrepancy stems from the clients’ lack of detailed visibility into their current technological landscape.

Large Business Process Outsourcing Company – Identified $1 million in annual savings and turned around two failed cloud projects with new available funds and resources.

Facilitating Informed Decision-Making and Transformation

Our assessment ensures all parties are on the same page, eliminating miscommunication and discrepancies. Clients can confidently answer questions like, “Is this what we have?” and “Is this where we want to go?” With a clear vision and a detailed roadmap, we and the client can make the necessary changes to reach business objectives. This shared understanding streamlines the process and fosters a more educated and collaborative environment.

Follow us on LinkedIn to stay informed of our case studies and use cases.

Bringing Order to Daily Chaos

Imagine managing your personal finances by addressing bills ad hoc as they arrive. This approach makes it difficult to establish a budget or stay on top of your expenses. Similarly, IT departments often feel overwhelmed, dealing with outages and trying to keep track of disparate services across multiple sites. Without a thorough inventory and assessment, IT management becomes a reactive, day-to-day struggle.

What You Will Get

A Comprehensive Statement of Findings: Our detailed blueprint covers every service, document, invoice, contract, port, seat, and license we receive. We identify and eliminate unnecessary spending, and recommend changes for cost optimization, ease of management, and goal alignment.
Research, Validation, and Negotiation: We thoroughly research, validate, and determine the optimal solutions for our clients. This includes obtaining competitive quotes and negotiating terms based on our extensive industry knowledge. By leveraging our expertise, we ensure that clients receive the best possible terms and prices for their services.
A Detailed Roadmap: A key deliverable from our assessment is a roadmap for optimizing and modernizing for scalable growth. This isn’t just about expanding the network but also about integrating new technologies efficiently. As technology evolves rapidly, clients often struggle to keep up. Our roadmap provides a strategic plan to manage and incorporate these advancements.

Conclusion

Our Telecom Assessment is designed to provide clients with a clear, comprehensive understanding of their IT and telecom environment. By offering detailed visibility and expert recommendations, we help clients optimize their spending, adopt new technologies, and achieve measurable financial savings.

We also offer a complimentary Rapid Assessment.

Let’s Get Started

Tame Your IT Landscape: Bluewave’s Technology Assessment

Posted on June 13, 2024October 15, 2024 by Bluewave

Today, every organization, from a regional bank to a multinational software company, needs IT to do business. Selecting, deploying, and managing that technology sounds simple in practice: figure out what services you need, find a vendor that meets that need, and sign on the dotted line. If you operate a bank, that may well be the reality; but add the dimensions of complexity and time to the equation and you end up with the situation many, if not most, firms are actually in: uncertainty, cost inefficiency, and chronic, low-level chaos. Let’s explore Telecom Assessments and what they can do for your business.

This situation is typical, and not the fault of the firm. The market for telecom and technology in general is large, global, complex, and evolving nonlinearly. Provisioning, inventory, invoices, and interoperability add a layer of murkiness that often leaves firms unsure of what technology they have, what they really need, and whether they’re getting a good deal. “Managing IT” becomes “just managing”—rather than optimizing.

Technology Assessments vs. the “Stare & Compare” Telecom Audit

Bluewave acquired Telapprise which started as a telecom audit company. With the acquisition, Bluewave benefitted from the Telapprise Telecom Assessment Practice. This team was doing something quite different than the “stare and compare” telecom audit. The “stare and compare” audit is a one-time review designed to identify problems, without the critical element of identifying opportunities. Our original unique approach to the audit has evolved into the Bluewave Technology Assessment practice, which delivers not just visibility across the organization, but also identifies which technologies are supporting business goals and which are not.

The Telecom Assessment is woven in with our Lifecycle Management process but is designed to deliver value regardless of whether clients work with us for procurement and implementation—which is why there is a cost attached to it. The attached cost demonstrates this isn’t just a sales pitch which makes it an easy option for CIOs and CFOs. Our clients see an average 12.4x ROI after our assessment.

What a Technology Assessment Isn’t

The Telecom Assessment is designed to deliver actionable information about the IT area that is hardest for internal teams to see: the big picture. In our experience, organizations are better at understanding the micro-level of what’s going on in their network (where the network is, where the services are, and day to day management) than they are at understanding the macro level (what opportunities they’re missing, the gaps, the waste, what their challenges are, and what they’re paying). Telecom Assessments delivers the visibility IT leaders need to make educated decisions and ensure their budget is as clean as possible. It’s a snapshot in time that allows IT leaders to generate an accurate single source of truth for creating a strategic blueprint.

Don’t Go Rogue: Why a Blueprint is Essential

When you build a new house from scratch, it’s good to have a blueprint. When you renovate an old house, it’s absolutely essential to have a blueprint. The IT environments of established organizations are like old houses: complex, riddled with a mix of old and new technologies, and layer upon layer of successive renovations to the extent that you can’t be entirely sure what’s behind all the walls unless you look. Rather than continuing to add to the layers of renovation, causing more complexity and continuing to fix old systems when they break, a thorough blueprint of an old building first determines what should go and be replaced by modern technology that’ll be of better service.

Many organizations are paying top dollar for the IT equivalents of a coal-fired boiler in the basement. That’s not universally bad, but there’s often a better and more cost-effective solution out there, and it would be hard to find if you didn’t know you were still heating with coal, or that that might be less than ideal. The Technology Assessment provides this detailed blueprint.

Nuts and Bolts of the Bluewave Telecom Assessment

What does a Telecom Assessment actually look like? Unlike traditional telecom audits, Technology Assessments are focused on finding opportunities for organizations to better meet their business goals. The first step is to work with you to develop a deep understanding of your business goals, drivers, and outcomes. Everything downstream of this stage will be informed by this. Next, we deliver a technical assessment of your technology infrastructure: what you have that’s working for you, and what’s working against you or is of diminishing returns. Next, we analyze all costs and utilization: are you paying too much or paying for that you don’t actually use? In the final stage, we look for opportunities for improvement with a particular focus on where the most benefit can be gained with technology optimized for how your business operates.

See What You Will Save – Try the Bluewave Savings Calculator

Can I Do a Technology Assessment Myself?

Our clients are savvy and intelligent. Almost without exception, they all have the technical ability to do this kind of assessment themselves. The problem is that day-to-day operations get in the way of stepping back to see the macro level—both on the resourcing side and on the side of perspective. We do Telecom Assessments routinely and maintain a large, global network of vendors. This offers us an understanding of your environment in an industry-wide context, providing the best opportunity to help you meet your business goals competitively. On the resourcing side, big, in-depth assessments will always take a back seat to day-to-day operations—it’s hard to consider a renovation when you’re always busy fixing the boiler. Our macro-level, industry-wide perspective together with your micro-level understanding of your environment and business goals is a proven formula for getting meaningful technology transformation done.

We also offer a complimentary Rapid Assessment.

Let’s Get Started

How to Leverage Generative AI to Drive Agent Experience

Posted on April 24, 2024May 2, 2024 by Bluewave

The power of Generative AI and the best ways to leverage it have become a focal point for organizations looking for a competitive edge or to avoid a competitive disadvantage. We reached out to Raghavendra Rao, Senior Director of Product Management and Priyanka Malik, Content Marketer at our strategic partner Sprinklr to provide insights on this powerful tool.

Customer service leaders today grapple with a crucial decision – how to embrace Generative AI without it posing a threat to their existing workforce.

Here’s the twist: AI isn’t here to replace your human agents; it’s here to amplify their capabilities.

Together, agents and Generative AI, form an unstoppable customer experience team. With AI as an ally, your agents won’t feel the weight of mundane tasks. They’ll be free to focus on what truly matters, making a real impact.

The result? Happy agents, happier customers.

Let’s delve into how Generative AI empowers your team to double down on their core skills and revolutionize efficiency.

Role of Generative AI in revolutionizing customer service

A global economic game-changer: McKinsey predicts that Generative AI could become a powerhouse, potentially contributing between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy by 2040. Alas, this isn’t just another technological advancement; it’s an AI transformation with enormous customer service implications.
The unstoppable rise of ChatGPT: Take ChatGPT, for instance. It skyrocketed to prominence, amassing over 100 million users just two months after its launch. It’s not only a game-changer but also the fastest-growing app ever. It encouraged other players in the market such as Google to develop their own Large Language Models (LLM). This unprecedented adoption highlights a general willingness to embrace AI-powered solutions and indicates the incredible impact this could have on customer experiences.

But what are the use cases that make customer service leaders consider the power of Generative AI for creating remarkable agent experiences?

Let’s explore them in detail.

1. Elevating customer support:

Personalized responses: Generative AI equips customer service agents with the ability to provide tailored, individualized responses to customer inquiries. This personalization raises the bar for customer interactions, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.
Efficiency in response time: Rapid, real-time responses are no longer a distant dream. Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, streamlines customer service operations, ensuring customers receive prompt and meaningful assistance.

2. Empowering agent productivity:

Automation of repetitive tasks: The burden of repetitive tasks is significantly reduced through automation, allowing human agents to shift their focus towards more intricate and challenging customer issues.
Ticket deflection: Generative AI plays a crucial role in enhancing ticket deflection by tackling everyday customer questions automatically. It understands customer language, learns from past interactions, and integrates with chatbots for efficient issue resolution. This results in fewer incoming tickets for your agents and a proactive support system to help your customers.
Streamlined knowledge management: Managing knowledge bases has never been easier. Generative AI simplifies knowledge base management by automating content creation, ensuring up-to-date information to keep pace with product updates, and supporting multilingual queries. It maintains a consistent tone, optimizes content, and aids quality assurance. This efficient approach enhances support quality, making information readily accessible for agents and customers.
Effective training and onboarding: Generative AI transforms agent training by speeding up knowledge acquisition through quick, personalized learning paths. It provides realistic simulations for practical experience, tailors feedback for improvement, and adapts to changing requirements for continuous learning. AI ensures efficient, engaging, and effective onboarding, making agents confident and proficient in their roles.

3. Ensuring quality and compliance:

Mitigating human error: Generative AI’s precision minimizes the risk of human error, ensuring consistent and reliable service. Trust is paramount in customer relationships, and AI helps maintain it.
Quality control in responses: Generative AI technologies aid in maintaining the quality and compliance of responses, ensuring they meet established criteria.

4. Product and service enhancement:

Generative AI can identify recurring issues and escalations, providing valuable insights companies can leverage to refine their products and services. This insight-driven approach fosters continual improvement and customer satisfaction.

Success Story

Planet Fitness elevates customer experience with Sprinklr AI+
As one of the fastest-growing fitness franchises, Planet Fitness aims for top-notch customer experiences across its 2,400+ locations. Juggling social media, customer service, and reputation management for a massive audience posed a challenge for its team. In 2023, Planet Fitness explored Sprinklr AI+ beta to improve agent productivity and create seamless customer interactions.

The Results:

Tailored responses: Streamlined response customization, saving time and elevating customer service.

Tone modification: Effortless adjustments in tone ensured consistent messaging across different platforms and audiences.

Efficient Social Listening: AI+ empowered proactive insights, allowing timely responses to potential issues.

How to use Generative AI in CX responsibly

With Generative AI, the possibilities are limitless, and therefore, the key requirement is to innovate responsibly. As you embark on this transformative journey, these critical considerations will ensure not only the ethical but impactful utilization of Generative AI:

Data protection & privacy: With the increasing use of generative AI apps, it’s important to ensure that your ideas and inventions are kept secure. By implementing official and secure connections to LLMs, engineered guardrails, and proper data masking techniques, you can tap into generative models while safeguarding your intellectual property. Make sure to prioritize data protection and privacy to protect your company’s valuable assets.
Ethical use of AI technology: Malicious actors can use Generative AI to launch cyberattacks. They can manipulate Generative AI through prompt injection, producing unintended outputs such as deepfakes and hate speech. The same technology that fuels innovation also carries the risk of exploitation, demanding vigilance against its darker potential.
Combat bias to ensure fairness: Brands require spot-on customer interactions, where chatbot responses align precisely with brand guidelines, and agents are trained for excellence. But there’s a twist – Large Language Models (LLMs) learn from massive human-originated datasets, inheriting their biases. While using generative AI models, it’s critical to exercise control over responses. Therefore, suggestive models allow agents to verify responses before sharing them with customers. For example, in AI-driven hiring, if the training data carries biases, AI may inadvertently perpetuate these biases in candidate selection decisions.
Human-AI synergy: Foster a dynamic partnership between your human agents and Generative AI. The goal is not replacement but augmentation, where humans and AI together craft a harmonious customer experience.

Read More about the Impacts of AI on CX & EX

Conclusion

With AI at your side, it’s not just about improving customer satisfaction anymore — it’s about leveraging contact centers to attain long-term business goals such as higher revenue. Gone are the days of being merely reactionary customer complaint departments; contact centers now need to take charge with proactive models that open the doors to extraordinary digital experiences for brands. It’s time to adapt, evolve, and thrive or risk losing the spotlight to those who are embracing AI transformation.

If you would like to have a trusted advisor with you on this journey to assess, advise and advocate, please contact Bluewave to leverage our expertise and experience for a Generative AI assessment on how technology can improve your CX and EX.

Original source of this blog was from our strategic partner Sprinklr.

Request a Consultation