Delivering anything less than perfect CX is not an option in this day and age if a business wants to see success. Think about it; a whopping 44.5% of organizations worldwide consider CX their secret weapon, the key that sets them apart from the pack. That’s no small number. But here’s the kicker, staying ahead requires constant innovation and agility.

Many companies are shifting their CX infrastructure to cloud-based solutions. Why the move? Speed to innovation, seamless integration, and massive scalability are just a few reasons. In fact, Genesys, a major player in the CCaaS market, has seen a whopping 40% year-over-year growth in its business, showcasing the industry’s booming trend.

Don’t let your CX migration efforts go to waste

So, you’re ready to migrate your CX platform. Fantastic!  But before you dive in, let’s talk about some potential pitfalls. We all want our migration efforts to be a springboard for success, not a lead weight.

Here are some common fail vectors to keep on your radar:

Balancing the benefits of Transformation against Change disruption

The CCaaS Salesperson has the easiest answer, just build what you have again in the Cloud, no problem. That may make the sale happen quickly, but it will not deliver quickly or produce the best outcome. Common sense says it’s the lowest risk and the fastest path. What if we could prove it’s one of the high-risk options and the longest path?

Implementing lift-and-shift migrations

Lift-and-shift migrations might sound efficient, but it’s a recipe for trouble. Simply transplanting your existing system onto a new platform can mean carrying over outdated processes and inefficiencies. The opportunity to transform without heavy change management upheaval is all about a data drive strategy. First task is getting the data automatically and quickly. Auditing your legacy systems with an automated solutions to simplify your audits and accelerate discovery, transformation planning and make the migration process that much faster.

Wasting build and development effort

The approach to avoid is the one that not only reproduces inefficient you have today but that demands that each line of business solution is a from scratch construction to develop those historical inefficiencies. If you study what you have been doing you can determine patterns, opportunities for common functions. Build once and apply to many Use Cases if you keep those constructions in a repository as a template you have the foundations for accelerated delivery, easy life support and quicker adoption. 

Subpar tech implementations and optimization efforts

Don’t underestimate the importance of proper planning for your new tech implementation. Take the time to train your team, configure your workflows, and test everything thoroughly. Rushing into implementation can lead to frustration and disrupt your customer service operations. Again, phased migration can save you a load of trouble.

Subpar tech implementations and optimization efforts

Don’t underestimate the importance of proper planning for your new tech implementation. Take the time to train your team, configure your workflows, and test everything thoroughly. Rushing into implementation can lead to frustration and disrupt your customer service operations. Again, phased migration can save you a load of trouble.

Taking a short-term approach

Never do migrate-and-forget migrations. A successful migration is not a one-time event, it’s an ongoing process that has transformation for optimization and adaptation at its core. Constantly keep your eye on the prize to make sure your migration efforts and CX delivery give the results you expect.

How automation helps the process

Automation is your secret weapon for streamlining the entire migration process.

Imagine this; instead of spending ages sifting through data mountains, automation tools can fast-track the discovery phase, giving you a crystal-clear picture of your current workflows. Plus, they help identify and ditch outdated processes before migration, so you only move the good stuff to your new platform. To top it all off, automate discovery minimizes errors and maximizes efficiency, saving you time, resources, and a whole lot of headaches.

By taking the time to plan, automate, and avoid common pitfalls, you can ensure your CX migration is a springboard to success.

Improve your CX migration efforts with proper planning and automation

Remember, a well-executed CX migration can have a massive impact on your bottom line. Studies have shown that improved CX can lead to a 10-15% increase in company revenue. That’s a win-win for your customers and your business.

So, are you ready to take your CX to the next level? Strategically planning your migration and leveraging the power of automation to ensure a smooth transition and unlock a world of possibilities for delivering exceptional customer experiences. CLICK SYMPHONY, CLICK TALK TO A CONSULTANT FREE.

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Through Azure, CCaaS users will now have access to the power of Microsoft’s cloud computing infrastructure, which will optimize operations in the cloud. 

This allows the CCaaS users to enjoy maximum flexibility when deploying to a hybrid, public, or private cloud environment. 

Moreover, the clients of the platform provider will now have access to the power of Microsoft’s contact center AI technology, giving customers unprecedented flexibility when it comes to CX operations. 

What does the partnership mean for the CX platform provider?

Several experts have spoken about the agreement stating that a strategic partnership with Microsoft was an important milestone in the platform provider’s continued transformation to a cloud business model. 

Research experts have stated the addition provides customers with the agility needed to improve communications and collaboration within private, public, and hybrid cloud delivery approaches when using contact center software while offering the broadest range of options to fit an organisation’s needs. 

Microsoft, with its vast global architecture, helps partners deploy their omnichannel CX solutions in any cloud environment with their choice of speed, agility and competitiveness, which makes it easier for users of the omnichannel platform to accelerate their transformation to the cloud. 

Furthermore, the CX platform provider has an opportunity to expand their go-to-market research, accelerating growth and innovation. 

Moreover, the provider plans to integrate its solution with Microsoft Teams integration, expanding the platform’s capabilities by allowing customers to easily leverage the expertise and knowledge of the entire organisation when they need to.

What does this say about the status of the CX industry?

With more organizations looking to leverage the power of the cloud, they are looking for CCaaS platforms that can make cloud-based operations efficient and seamless to execute. 

This need from current and potential clients is prompting CCaaS providers to strike partnerships with prominent tech companies such as Microsoft to take advantage of the firm’s cloud processing power with the intent to make their platform a better experience for current users and a tempting proposition for potential users.

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Why is it so important to set up KPIs for cloud migration services?

Setting up KPIs for cloud migration services is the best way to measure the progress of cloud adoption. KPIs operationalise different concepts that are otherwise hard to measure, such as comparing pre-migration employee performance to post-migration performance or monitoring peak server utilisation levels. With the right KPIs, cloud providers can monitor progress and troubleshoot problems before they become too severe to determine the success or failure of the cloud platform.

Furthermore, contact centres have an overview of the current status of a project, so they know which areas are progressing well and which areas are ailing. However, KPIs can do more than just measure project progress. They are a great way of convincing upper management on the importance of cloud adoption. Some executives are still apprehensive about the cloud and dislike the time and money taken to migrate to the cloud. KPIs provide a rich body of evidence that will convince executives on the benefits of a cloud-based platform.

Types of KPIs

KPIs for cloud migration services come in different categories: Security, end-user experience, performance and response.

KPIs for security

Indicators of compromise (IOCs) – IOCs are red flags indicating unusual activity because of a malicious attack on the network. Security analysts should constantly monitor IOCs to keep data safe. There are many examples of IOC including geographical irregularities and unusual outbound network traffic.

Network I/O – Network input/output allows security analysts to monitor traffic on the network from all monitored terminals. Security analysts can uproot problems like unauthorised access using this KPI.

User audits –  This measures how many users can access the server and what resources they accessed during their session.

Data exposures – This reveals weaknesses and inadequacies in data protection measures.

S3 accessibility – Maintaining tight control over S3 accessibility is key to protecting data integrity. However, if the contact centre is working with a third-party cloud provider, then S3 accessibility will have to change.

KPIs for Performance

CPU utilisation operationalises the processing power an application uses. If CPU usage nears 100%, this is due to an inefficient system or a bug in the application. Memory utilisation measures how much memory an application uses. The CPU usage is usually a percentage, but can also be presented as Resident Set Size (RSS).

Response times – Measures the time taken to receive and complete an end user’s request. Response times are ideal for measuring speed and performance. The two most common measurements for response times are Average Response Time (ART) and Peak Response Time (PRT).

Uptime is a metric that measures the time the cloud-based contact centre solution is accessible to end-users and is expressed as a percentage.

KPIs to measure end-user experience

Latency – This measures the delay between the end user’s request and the response from the application.

Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) – Customer satisfaction measures user experience, given that it shows how migrating to the cloud changes a customer service agent’s workflow. It is an excellent metric to measure the overall sentiment towards the new cloud-based solution, what problems were solved and new ones created.

Error rates – This shows the frequency of HTTP status code errors, it is expressed as a percentage.

Error types – Errors are measured by a series of different metrics, like Thrown exceptions, Logged exceptions and HTTP error percentage.

Making the most of cloud migration services

Cloud migration services are challenging to execute because there are so many variables to consider. Whether it is refactoring, re-platforming or re-hosting, contact centres have an immense task on their hands. Hence, they need to work with a third-party partner that specialises in cloud migration services. 

The third-party partner can oversee the migration process, monitor progress, identify and fix weak points before they become serious issues. Organisations experienced in cloud migration can make the process much smoother, leading to efficiency gains and cost savings.

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How does cloud commoditization occur?

Cloud commoditization is an ongoing trend, taking place due to the standardisation of quality
and changes to pricing structure.

Cloud platforms differ on several features like security, application architecture, integration, IT
service management and target market. When considering all these factors, some cloud
platforms become more suitable for some businesses over others. For example, Genesys
focuses specifically on the needs of contact centres. However, the proliferation of cloud
computing technology has made it easier for cloud providers across the board to provide similar
features, regardless of the provider’s capabilities.

Standardising quality and pricing structure

Quality standards often come down to measurable parameters, which includes two different categories: Hard parameters and soft parameters. Hard parameters consist of availability, response times and utilization. Meanwhile, soft parameters consist of ease of use, problem handling and user helpdesks. Usually, the parameters are dictated by the SLA defined by both the client and service providers. There is no set standard for what the service should be.

The standardisation of quality is a positive development for contact centres and consumers because they are not bogged down by differences in quality and features that could make cloud migration much easier.

Cloud migration becomes commoditized when pricing structures change. Under conventional terms, the pricing structure follows the ‘post pricing’ system, where services are billed on an annual or monthly fee. Prices differ based on quality, but also the region. For example, QoS is 80% more expensive in Japan, compared to the US. However, Amazon proposed a new pricing structure that could change cloud services, as we know it.

Under this new model, customers can state the maximum price they are willing to pay per hour and that price increases and decreases, based on how the infrastructure is used. It is a more flexible pricing system because organisations only pay when they use the service, as opposed to paying a fixed price every month.

With this new pricing structure, it is only a matter of time before organisations see that the true value lies in tying price more closely to the actual cloud resources used. It is a positive development for the consumer, though we feel that price should not be determined by use alone, especially where cloud migration is concerned because an excellent cloud provider can make the migration process easier.

Migrating to the cloud – Does it change with commoditization?

Cloud migration might be commoditized, but we feel that it does little to alter the actual migration
process. The standardisation of quality and changes in pricing structure can make some parts of
the process easier, for example, contract negotiations. However, it does little to alter the
technical process. Contact centres still need to follow the right procedures and adopt the right
metrics, if they want to avoid common migration issues that affect other contact centres.

Measuring the baseline network performance of the cloud is an essential step before moving
into the cloud. The best way to measure the baseline performance is by utilising synthetic and
end-user monitoring. Synthetic transaction monitoring and end-user experience monitoring can
provide the quality metrics contact centres require to measure the baseline performance. The
monitoring techniques are used to identify performance issues in the cloud and test new
features. Hence, making both monitoring methods perfect for finding the metrics that will help
you measure the baseline performance of the cloud.

The cloud migration process is greatly improved when you can monitor the flow of traffic in the
cloud network, before actually moving in. To accomplish this, you need to conduct several tests
like synthetic testing, ping testing, traceroute functionality and Border Gateway Protocol routing.
BGP is an effective litmus test because it exchanges router information between networks. By
mapping out the traffic flow in advance, you can measure latency, loss and jitter.

Cloud migration is not an easy process and cannot be done properly without third-party
assistance. This is where we come in, Blackchair specialises in overseeing cloud migration to
an omnichannel solution. We aim to increase the efficiency of migrating to a new platform,
identify new opportunities of automation while anticipating trouble spots and taking steps to
avoid it.

Cloud commoditization is an ongoing trend that sees quality across the board even out and
pricing structures become more precise. However, we feel that it will have little effect on the
actual cloud migration process.

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