I have been consulting now for 38 years and I can tell you this, it is never easy for enterprise customers to decide on the correct technology decisions, let alone all the new AI choices out there. Should an enterprise ‘rip and replace,’ maybe add some cloud or maybe embrace the hybrid approach with on-premises for business users but UCaaS and/or CCaaS for the call center? The following is a list of technology solutions that are usually in place today at most enterprise locations:
- On-premises private branch exchange (PBX)
- Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS, sometimes referred to as a ‘Cloud PBX’)
- Teams Certified Devices and other VoIP endpoints (e.g., Zoom-, Cisco Webex-certified, etc.)
- On-premises contact center
- Cloud-based contact center (CCaaS)
That’s a lot and does not even include all the integrations that are required for third-party apps (e.g., ServiceNow, SAP, Broadcom, etc.).
Pricing Different Scenarios
Recently, we’ve found that our enterprise clients are asking us to come up with pricing scenarios for several implementation options before they (or their consultant) even go to the vendor with their ‘ask.’ The clients know that independent consultants do this all day long for many clients and over many years.
The following questions used to come after the consultants performed a ‘needs analysis’ and compiled a ‘wish list’ with the employees and documenting their needs and wants. We (the consultants) would then tabulate that data into a spreadsheet to show the enterprise client that this is our starting point for the design of their future system. But now, as mentioned, these questions are happening before vendor selection. So, here are some of what we’ve been asked:
- If you were doing this, what vendors would you consider?
- What would be the estimated cost if we did a complete ‘rip and replace’ of hardware and software – including the implementation costs?
- What would be the estimated cost if we pursued the hybrid route – i.e., keeping some of our technology on premise, while moving ahead with a cloud-based solution for our call center application?
- Should we put together a Request for Information (RFI), a Request for Quote (RFQ), or a Request for Proposal (RFP)? Here are basic differences between each option and when these various requests are typically made:
- RFI: Used early in the procurement phase when the company needs more information and to get a better understanding of what’s new in the marketplace. It’s also used to ask broad questions about a vendor’s products, services, and expertise to help make better informed decisions.
- RFQ: Used when the company has a specific product requirement that it needs a quote on.
- RFP: Used to solicit detailed and actual proposals from vendors. The company prepared the RFP with the specific detail information that it is requiring the vendors to bid on. It helps the company compare different vendors’ approaches and select the best overall solution based on various criteria, and not just price.
- When you prepare these options, can you separate them in columns with Lowest Cost Option, Medium Cost Option, and Highest Cost Option? (Keep in mind that no vendors are even listed in any of the columns yet.) Note: Some of those options include, but are not limited to rip and replace, use the existing on premises added to a cloud-based solution.
- What are the pros and cons of each option? (Again, no vendors are even listed.)
Before Vendor Selection
The following is a short list of what we consultant would normally have done prior to addressing the previous list of questions.
- Needs Analysis: We sit down with the employees and talk to them about their likes, dislikes of the system, what they would like to have (if money was no object).
- Setting a Budget: They need to determine how much they are willing to spend. This will help filter out options that are outside their financial reach.
- Scalability: We help them think about their future needs in 5 to 10 years. They obviously must choose the right technology that will grow with the business.
- Evaluate Compatibility: The needs analysis step allows you to determine what systems must be integrated. In this step, we evaluate how well the new technology will integrate with those existing third-party system(s).
- Security Needs: Security is so important in the decision-making process, especially with AI and cloud-based solutions. Enterprises need to evaluate the security feature of each option.
- This is critical because these technologies handle vast amounts of sensitive data, making them potential targets for cyberattacks. Ensuring the security and privacy of enterprise data is also crucial to maintaining trust and, of course, compliance with regulations (state, national and international).
- Some of the security features that help ensure security and privacy include encryption to protect data both in transit and at rest, which helps ensure that only authorized users can access it. Access Controls involve robust authentication and authorization mechanisms to restrict access to sensitive information. These are just a few examples of what enterprises need to be aware of.
After Vendor Selection
With all that done, once the enterprise has selected a vendor, the following is an overview of what is normally done:
- User Adoption: We advise clients to have the CEO or other high-ranking leader within the company be a ‘champion’ for the new technology as employees are more apt to follow their lead.
- Vendor Support: We help our clients determine the level and amount of support and training provided by the vendor. For example, we ask the vendor(s) how many of the same (or similar) solutions they are recommending have been installed at other locations. This can make a big difference in the implementation phase.
- We have seen vendors have pre-demos stating the product had specific features and functionality, but when it came to actual implementation of those new features, the vendor ran into snags as it was their first implementation. We also recommend our clients get references of successful implementations they have done in the past and ask how many the vendor has completed.
- Finally, good support and vendor track records are both very helpful when you know that the vendor has been trusted by others, and that support was easy to access. Not having good support from a vendor means you could have your ticket sitting in queue and waiting for days. Obviously, it is better to know this ahead of time.
- Pilot Testing: Always pilot the solutions with a small group of users to see how the technology performs in a real-world scenario. Document those results so you can adjust as needed. In testing you might encounter unforeseen technical issues, such as software bugs or hardware failures – e.g., in an IVR environment a pilot program might determine that the calls were not being correctly directed.
- Plan Implementation: Develop a detailed plan for implementing the new technology, including timelines, training, (user adoption) and support.
Laying out what we’re seeing among our clients with respect to their buying process and decision-making hopefully provides a little context for your own technology decisions and perhaps a little easier.
