tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36211898046342865292022-06-11T16:06:57.760-04:00HardMetricsThe official blog of HardMetrics, covering call center and contact center business intelligence (BI), operational analytics, reporting and performance analytics, data consolidation, performance management, Web-based analytics, vendor performance, and more.Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-2256826327967625232011-09-22T11:39:00.000-04:002011-09-22T11:42:05.173-04:00Local media spotlights HardMetrics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c5mwrpMkQbM/TnpONcT5qCI/AAAAAAAADX0/VRKaJFiJLvk/s1600/New+Picture.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c5mwrpMkQbM/TnpONcT5qCI/AAAAAAAADX0/VRKaJFiJLvk/s200/New+Picture.bmp" width="200" /></a></div>In the past month, HardMetrics has gotten some nice attention from the local media that we wanted to share. <br /><br />First, Brian James Kirk of Technically Philly <a href="http://technicallyphilly.com/2011/09/07/hardmetrics-with-its-analytics-solution-a-call-for-the-enterprise#more-13447">wrote a profile of the company</a>, talking about the growth of the enterprise software industry, and how HardMetrics is making its mark in that space.<br /><br />Brian took particular interest in <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Tablets">our recent tablet announcement</a>, noting that more and more companies are moving to SaaS solutions that allow for easier mobile use.<br /><br />And after that, the Philadelphia Business Journal <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/print-edition/2011/09/09/dont-be-easily-satisfied.html">featured me in their CEO File</a>, where I shared lots of personal information, including little known facts about how I spent my youth on a dairy farm, and my number one tip for staying competitive.<br /><br />If you’re looking for some light reading and are interested in getting to know HardMetrics a little better, check these articles out.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-74683333093095570732011-09-19T13:38:00.000-04:002011-09-19T13:42:37.210-04:00Guest post: Arise Virtual Solutions embraces BI on the tablet<i>We've been touting our <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Tablets">capabilities on the iPad and other tablet devices</a> for months now. But we thought it would be more interesting for you to read about how one of our customers is actually using HardMetrics Performance Manager on the tablet. We asked Matt Cormio, VP, Planning & Support Services for our client <a href="http://www.arise.com/">Arise Virtual Solutions</a> to share his experience and plans for using HPM on the iPad. Here's what he had to say:</i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XA7noJ5HsgY/TndN2lkdowI/AAAAAAAADXw/ZgHwHHfjDEc/s1600/Arise+headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XA7noJ5HsgY/TndN2lkdowI/AAAAAAAADXw/ZgHwHHfjDEc/s200/Arise+headshot.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>First of all, thanks to the guys at HardMetrics for asking me to contribute a guest post this week. We’ve been using HardMetrics Performance Manager (HPM) for over three years now, and it’s really made a big impact on the operations infrastructure at Arise. When we first started using HPM it was for management reporting and analysis, but we quickly realized it had even more value in the hands of our call center agents.<br /><br />If you’re not familiar with Arise, we have a business model that is unique in the call center space. All of our call center reps are Arise Certified Professionals (ACPs) that we have B2B relationships with. The ACPs work from home and handle incoming calls on behalf of our customers, so there are no huge call centers with rows of desks and agents on their phones.<br /><br />More than 3,000 of our ACPs currently use HPM daily to track their personal performance data and see how they did yesterday, last week, last month, etc. They know that their income depends on their volume and performance efficiencies, so they can log in at any time to see how they are performing vs. goal, and what they should expect to make at the end of their month, based on their stats.<br /><br />Earlier this summer, I saw the news that <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/06/hardmetrics-brings-business.html">HardMetrics is now available on the tablet</a>. As an iPad user, I was intrigued, so I tested it out. And it worked perfectly. As any tablet owner knows, the real beauty of these devices is the ability to use them anytime, anywhere, anyplace. So now I have access to the exact same management data that we compile on HPM whether I’m sitting at my desk in the office, traveling on a business trip, or watching a ballgame on the weekend. An added bonus is that HPM doesn’t require any software or application downloads to run on the tablet. It’s easy to deploy and maintain, and doesn’t cost us any additional fees.<br /><br />But what’s really exciting is the opportunity to roll this out to our ACPs. All of them are independent business owners who have set up their own IT infrastructure to contract with Arise. Many of them have an iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola XOOM or other tablet, and now have more freedom of choice in how, when and where they view their individual performance data. I even talked to one of my coworkers, who successfully used HardMetrics on his Barnes & Noble Nook – not exactly a device you’d think of for serious business applications.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We have big plans for HPM. By the end of the year, we expect another 5,000 of our ACPs to have access to the data, bringing us to a total of 8,000. Having HPM on the tablet gives this initiative even more energy, and I think it’s going to be a great asset for our fast-paced, work-from-home business model. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-57728676544642228272011-09-07T16:12:00.002-04:002011-09-07T16:13:50.518-04:00HardMetrics to present at ATA Dallas Vendor Showcase<div>Fall is almost here, which means the start of <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Trade%20shows">trade show season</a> once again. To kick things off, Joe Przbylowski, head of our implementation and sales support team, is heading down to Dallas to speak at the <a href="http://www.ataconnect.org/public/chapters/southcentral/index.php">American Teleservices Association (ATA) Dallas Vendor Showcase</a>.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Joe will be giving a presentation entitled “Harnessing the Power of Your Contact Center Data.” </div><div>He’ll be addressing best practices for combining your contact center and back office operations data into one dashboard, drilling down from enterprise to agent-level detail, ensuring access to data for all users, the power and impact potential of agent scorecards and more. Joe will be presenting alongside representatives from several companies, including our customer, <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/NOVO1">NOVO 1</a>.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If you’re going to be at the showcase, make sure to stop by and say hello to Joe. And if you can’t make it but have questions on any of these topics, leave a comment and we’ll be happy to answer them!<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Keep your eye on the blog for announcements of other shows we’ll be attending and/or speaking at in the coming months.</div>Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-36857665019625593232011-08-16T09:15:00.001-04:002011-08-16T09:16:11.918-04:00Meet our newest customer: C3/CustomerContactChannelsAny day that I get to announce a new customer win is a good day. The <a href="http://callcenterinfo.tmcnet.com/Analysis/articles/204072-hardmetrics-offer-its-business-intelligence-solutions-c3customercontactchannels.htm">latest company to come on board</a> with HardMetrics is C3/Customer Contact Channels, an undisputed leader in the call center outsourcing space. If you’re not familiar with C3, they’re a relatively new company, but the executive team has a long track record of building successful businesses in this industry.<br /><br />The implementation of the <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Cloud%20computing">cloud-based model</a> of HardMetrics Performance Manager (HPM) is already underway. C3 will be relying on HPM for insight into their operational activity and business trends, and will be available to everyone from corporate management down to the individual agent. We’re thrilled to be working with such a top notch company, as we continue to expand our customer base in the call center industry. And it seems that C3 is excited too. Here’s an excerpt of a quote from Ken Condren, C3’s Vice President of Technology:<br /><br /><blockquote>“We want to give our clients a package of tools and experience they can’t get anywhere else. The analytic component of HardMetrics further enhances our analytic capabilities, differentiating us from anyone else in the industry.”</blockquote><br />We look forward to living up to, and exceeding C3’s expectations.<br /><br />To read the press release we put out on the partnership, keep reading below.<br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: center;"><b>HARDMETRICS ANNOUNCES NEW CLIENT WIN WITH C3/CUSTOMERCONTACTCHANNELS</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Extends HardMetrics’ leadership in business intelligence and operational analytics</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>solutions for call center-driven companies</i></div><br /><b>Wayne, PA—August 1, 2011</b>—Today <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/">HardMetrics</a> announced that it has been selected as the business intelligence provider of choice for <a href="http://www.c3connect.com/">C3/CustomerContactChannels</a>, a leader in the contact center industry. HardMetrics Performance Manager (HPM), a business intelligence solution designed to monitor and analyze operational activity, efficiencies and business trends, has been deployed to corporate management and operations at each of C3’s contact centers, and to the agent desktop level for all of C3’s employees globally.<br /><br />The selection of HardMetrics cloud-based solution is the result of an exhaustive study of business intelligence solutions providers by C3’s veteran management team, which is renowned in the call center industry for operational excellence as well as entrepreneurial success.<br /><br />C3/Customer Contact Channels has grown to be one of the most respected and admired call center outsourcers in the industry, serving Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies with complex customer contact services such as customer service, sales, performance optimization, training solutions and web customer support. Built upon reputation, C3 is a leader in bringing high-tech solutions to the contact center industry, offering clients a unique array of services unavailable elsewhere.<br /><br />"We compared a range of solutions providers," said Ken Condren, C3's Vice President of Technology. "HardMetrics stood out for its ease of system integration and the detailed business intelligence it provides. Their solution allows us to give our clients unparalleled operational analysis and reports."<br /><br />Condren continued, “We want to give our clients a package of tools and experience they can’t get anywhere else. The analytic component of HardMetrics further enhances our analytic capabilities, differentiating us from anyone else in the industry.”<br /><br />Rob Winner, founder and CEO of HardMetrics, says, “Our new customer win with C3 further demonstrates our position as the market leader in providing operational analytics, performance management and business intelligence solutions to call center outsourcers and the multiple classes of companies that depend on them. We set the standard for ease and speed of deployment, ease of use, functional depth, end user adoption, cost effectiveness in both initial acquisition and ownership over time, and overall ROI. HPM delivers on the promise of business intelligence. We are extremely pleased to be partnering and working with such a world-class organization in C3.”<br /><br />C3 has selected HardMetrics’ secure, cloud-based SaaS delivery model and will integrate multiple data sources within HardMetrics Performance Manager including Avaya CMS, Sugar CRM, Aspect eWFM, Verint Call Recording, NetSuite, Ceridian/ADP timekeeping and payroll, as well as data sources unique to C3’s clients. HardMetrics also provides an on-premise license model for customers that prefer to maintain their solution and data behind the corporate firewall.<br /><br /><b>ABOUT HARDMETRICS</b><br /><br />HardMetrics is a leading provider of on-premise and on-demand analytics and business intelligence solutions for call centers and the companies that depend on them. Organizations of all sizes use HardMetrics to transform call center data into actionable information that drives profitability and customer satisfaction. HardMetrics solutions are easy to deploy and cost effective, enhancing visibility at every level of the enterprise. For more information, please visit the company’s <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/">website</a> or the <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/">HardMetrics blog</a>.<br /><br /><b>ABOUT C3</b><br /><br />C3/CustomerContactChannels is a global provider of BPO services unlike any other in the market today. Services include Sales, Service, Performance Optimization, Reputation Management and complete customer interaction management via traditional, web, and emerging communication channels. C3 positively engages and promotes our clients’ brands with every contact we make with their customers. With a global team that is thousands of employees strong, the company is headquartered in Plantation, FL. More information can be found at <a href="http://www.c3connect.com/">www.c3connect.com</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-14683187261480465992011-08-10T16:14:00.007-04:002011-08-10T16:24:37.163-04:00Forbes recognizes the "No Software" revolutionForbes magazine recently published their Innovators issue, in which the editors name the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/special-features/innovative-companies-list.html">"50 Best Companies of Tomorrow."</a> The top company this year isn't Apple (they came in at #5). And it's not Google (they're #7). The company that Forbes considers the most innovative, over some of the largest and well-known companies out there, is <a href="http://www.salesforce.com/">Salesforce.com</a>.<div>
<br /></div><div>This is a company that I've watched and admired for years -- and in some ways, aspired to emulate. Since its inception in 1999, Salesforce.com has completely changed the face of the CRM space with their disruptive technology, enabling companies to track, manage and monitor their sales efforts via agile, cloud-based solutions. Their online hosted (Saas) model was the first of its kind, and they are the undisputed leader in that space.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>This is exactly what we're doing in the business intelligence space -- pioneering the availability of complete enterprise-scale performance management solutions for companies that can't afford NOT to step up their game, without requiring massive IT budgets, resources and time commitments.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I tip my hat to Salesforce, and look forward to replicating the success that they've had, in our own industry.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-81345289657168633232011-07-14T10:00:00.000-04:002011-07-14T10:26:52.172-04:00HardMetrics boosts performance at Auto Club South<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9URBnRIqyMw/Th78WqGsXyI/AAAAAAAADQE/8G2A9j9bFnw/s1600/Hardmetrics_AutoClubSouth_CS_FINAL_Page_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9URBnRIqyMw/Th78WqGsXyI/AAAAAAAADQE/8G2A9j9bFnw/s320/Hardmetrics_AutoClubSouth_CS_FINAL_Page_1.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>Since launching our blog earlier this year, we’ve shared <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Case%20study">a number of customer case studies</a> with you. I hope that in doing so, you’re getting a feel for the value that business intelligence solutions can bring to the enterprise. When a company makes a commitment to business intelligence, the possibilities are endless in terms of what that higher level of visibility into the enterprise can bring.<br /><br />So here’s one more. We started working with <a href="http://www.aaasouth.com/">Auto Club South</a> (ACS)—which services AAA members in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Puerto Rico—back in 2006. ACS was looking for performance metrics that would enable them to monitor their customer interaction process, including the number of calls coming into their various branches, along with hold and handle times and other agent metrics.<br /><br />After five years of experience, today ACS is using HardMetrics on several fronts. They’re tracking the sales performance of individual agents, opening up opportunities for cross-selling. They’re identifying standards and best practices, and applying them across the board. They deployed an Executive Dashboard for company leadership to have easy access to the data most important to them. What started out as a project to get better insight into basic front-line metrics has turned into an enterprise-wide, sophisticated and completely automated performance management solution.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>And they’ve seen sales revenues increase. When ACS first started using HardMetrics, one of the goals was to reduce handle time—to increase efficiency, get agents handling more calls—you know the drill. But management had an important “aha!” moment. They could see that in the vacation business, where agents are responsible for selling cruises, tours and other prepackaged trips to customers, sales increased when handle times were LONGER. Why? Because it’s a major decision for the customer. They need a lot of handholding and explanation before they are ready to plunk down a couple grand or more for a major purchase.<br /><br />So, armed with this information, management let agents in the vacation business know: “Don’t obsess over minimizing your handle time. Spend time with your customers. Take all the time you need. Make the sale; don’t worry about getting off the phone and onto the next customer.” And viola! Sales increased.<br /><br />Smart organizations like Auto Club South are breaking new ground for business intelligence. They see the value of data. They see what it can do for performance. They know that data is the most important asset of the enterprise when it comes to continuous improvement, driving better financial results, enhancing customer satisfaction, and making course corrections to reverse negative trends or seize upon positive ones. And when they see positive results, they become the best evangelists for the adoption of business intelligence solutions.<br /><br />For more on Auto Club South, read the case study below or <a href="http://gregoryfca.com/blogs/hardmetrics/documents/Hardmetrics_AutoClubSouth_CS_FINAL.pdf">download the PDF</a>.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Auto Club South Puts Performance on Steroids with HardMetrics</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Auto Club South serves AAA members and residents of Florida, Georgia, Middle and West Tennessee, and Puerto Rico. In 2006, the company was on the hunt for operational analytics solutions that could help it drill down into the performance of its 7 call centers, 70 branches and website. These key points of customer interaction are expected to quickly service AAA members in need, but also sell additional AAA products and services such as insurance, auto loans, and travel, among others.<br /><br />The project started with a search for performance metrics so that Auto Club South could see the number of calls coming into the branches and monitor call volume, hold time and handle time to improve customer service. A search was conducted that included evaluation of in-house options, as well as outside providers of operational analytics solutions. HardMetrics was selected because of the power and flexibility of the solution, its cost-effective business model, strong support team and domain expertise in the customer care arena.<br /><br />Shortly after deploying HardMetrics, Auto Club South realized that it also provided visibility into the entire customer interaction process—down to the individual agent level. As a result, ACS could begin tracking sales performance of its customer-facing employees to leverage additional cross-selling opportunities.<br /><br />Pam Fox, Chief Analytics Expert at Auto Club South, says, “HardMetrics was a good measuring stick to identify business unit and individual agent performance. First, we were able to pinpoint standards for each business area, and then we were able to measure performance against those standards. If an agent is underperforming, now we know why: are they making enough calls? Issuing enough quotes? We can coach employees based on the data we’re seeing, to help them improve.”<br /><br />The internal buzz around HardMetrics quickly reached the executive level, and soon company leadership was asking for access to the data. Ms. Fox continues, “We had this exciting new operational analytics solution, and everybody in the company was talking about it. Our president called and asked when he could have access to the data. So the next project on the list was to develop our Executive Dashboard to enable management to see how we are doing as an organization. Our president now has his own dashboards that he can easily call up to view critical KPIs by line of business. In an instant, he can see how those lines of business performed yesterday, and how we are trending month-to-date and year-to-date.”<br /><br />Since implementing HardMetrics, Auto Club South has seen dramatic changes in performance. Fixed metrics provide quantifiable goals for business units, management and customer-facing employees. Ms. Fox adds, “Employees can look at their own personal dashboard each day of the month to see how they’re performing. Then they can improve their performance, which means they get paid more. Management can monitor what’s going on in the call center: if we see a spike in abandon rate, we can quickly re-route calls or implement additional staffing.”<br /><br />The HardMetrics solution has allowed Auto Club South to take a “rounded scorecard approach,” in which data from fifteen unique sources is integrated, correlated and made available in the form of cross-system metrics. The solution monitors and scores agent performance over eight critical KPIs, provides weighted rankings, automatically tracks whether all goals were met and calculates monthly agent bonuses. <br /><br />“Our representatives want to know what it takes to do a good job, and we want to reward them for that. HardMetrics is the vehicle that allows this to happen. This saves our management team’s time and allows them to focus their efforts on coaching the outliers. Everyone wins,” says Ms. Fox.<br /><br />In the company’s travel services business unit, HardMetrics data helped management realize that business standards needed to be changed to accommodate the longer sales cycle inherent in vacation booking. Pam Fox states, “Historically, we tried to minimize handle time (the time an agent spends on the phone with a customer) to improve efficiency. But in the travel business, it takes more handle time to sell a cruise or vacation. So we were able to see that, work with the agents, and say ‘Don’t try to get off the phone. Make the sale.’ HardMetrics gave us the holistic view of the business we needed to see these disparities in how we handle inbound calls.” <br /><br />Other areas in which HardMetrics is being used to provide visibility include: lead campaign management, internet sales and marketing, interactive voice response (IVR) performance, and gauging the effectiveness of direct mail.<br /><br />Ms. Fox concludes, “HardMetrics has provided us with the ability to give operational analytics to front-line employees looking at their own measurements, up to the executive, looking at the overall enterprise view. It’s a flexible solution that lets us load the data, as granularly as we can, so that our reporting can meet the needs of all those levels. And the fact that the solution is by and large maintained by a single full-time employee makes it extremely efficient.”</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-35974180387652743412011-07-01T10:56:00.000-04:002011-07-01T10:56:09.759-04:00Business intelligence, tablet computers and cloud computing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-37QKUNW4EUs/Tgtug9aHZII/AAAAAAAADLY/Y0cLrszb3xQ/s1600/CloudTweaks+screencap.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-37QKUNW4EUs/Tgtug9aHZII/AAAAAAAADLY/Y0cLrszb3xQ/s200/CloudTweaks+screencap.bmp" width="200" /></a></div>Since we announced the <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/06/hardmetrics-brings-business.html">optimization of HardMetrics Performance Manager for the iPad and other tablets</a>, I’ve been amazed by the feedback we’ve received—it’s clear that we’ve hit a hot topic here. The popular blog <a href="http://www.cloudtweaks.com/">CloudTweaks</a> obviously agreed, as they included a quote from me in a post on the impact of tablets and cloud computing on business intelligence.<br /><br />The article focuses on the tablet enabling employees to <i>“access information from anywhere at anytime, and also input data using shared document formats in real time.”</i> But as I said in the comment I left on the post, the advantages of BI on the tablet go well beyond employee access. For our customers, the bigger advantage is the empowerment of the entire corporate org chart, from executives and management on the go, to client-facing resources, and even a manager/supervisor’s ability to walk over to a call center agent in the middle of the day with their tablet in hand, and discuss their real-time performance. And I believe that as the use of tablets in the business world becomes more widespread, we’ll begin to see even more benefits to mobile BI solutions.<br /><br />You can see my comment and the full article at <a href="http://www.cloudtweaks.com/2011/06/business-intelligence-tablet-computers-and-cloud-computing/">CloudTweaks.com</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-1313282537450159532011-06-23T10:43:00.001-04:002011-06-24T12:05:23.189-04:00First details on HardMetrics and Customer Relationship Metrics partnership<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0yzAZILsM48/TgH1A2YjrsI/AAAAAAAAA54/jOGo-sb4CNY/s1600/New+Picture+%25288%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0yzAZILsM48/TgH1A2YjrsI/AAAAAAAAA54/jOGo-sb4CNY/s320/New+Picture+%25288%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>It might be summertime, but we're not about to sit back and relax here at HardMetrics. In fact we announced HardMetrics' new partnership with <a href="http://www.metrics.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=53">Customer Relationship Metrics</a> (CRM) in a <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110622005431/en/HardMetrics-Announces-Strategic-Partnership-Customer-Relationship-Metrics">press release</a> yesterday. <br /><br />CRM delivers two distinct value propositions through its business intelligence as a managed service offering:<br /><br /><b>1.</b> Simplified and fast implementation of an industry-tested and proven, feature-rich, enterprise-scale BI application. This is the best of BI in the Cloud.<br /><br /><b>2.</b> A team of domain experts, research analysts, and management consultants who will use the application to assist clients in deploying best practices and optimizing the performance of their business.<br /><br />CRM has been a HardMetrics customer for three years. Our technology has been used internally in their voice of the customer research practice. And starting today, the HardMetrics Performance Manager is an essential component of their new end-to-end managed service offering. Keep reading for more details on how we'll be working together and what it means for your company's BI.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><hr /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110622005431/en/HardMetrics-Announces-Strategic-Partnership-Customer-Relationship-Metrics">HardMetrics Announces Strategic Partnership with Customer Relationship Metrics for Business Intelligence Solutions</a><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>CRM to include HardMetrics Performance Manager within its business intelligence managed service offering</i></div><br />WAYNE, Pa. -- (<a href="http://www.businesswire.com/">BUSINESS WIRE</a>) -- <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/">HardMetrics</a>, the leading provider of performance management and operational analytics solutions for call center driven organizations, today announced that <a href="http://www.metrics.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=53">Customer Relationship Metrics</a> (CRM) will now include HardMetrics Performance Manager within its business intelligence managed service offering.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Business%20intelligence">Business intelligence solutions</a> are usually hard to implement, expensive, complicated to use, and compromised due to the large skilled labor shortage by the companies that depend on them to gain valuable insight into operational health. CRM simplifies the process of implementing business intelligence by offering it as a managed service, relieving customers’ IT departments of the burden of selecting, deploying, training, and extracting value from BI reports.<br /><br />CRM is now including HardMetrics Performance Manager as an essential component of its end-to-end managed service offering.<br /><br />Jim Rembach of Customer Relationship Metrics says, “Our national client base looks to us to make business intelligence real, by turning data into decisive business action. With HardMetrics powering our business intelligence managed service, we can help customers quickly leverage competitive advantages and triage underperforming operations.”<br /><br />Rembach added, “HardMetrics is in the sweet spot of business intelligence, filling a void between massive enterprise solutions and the unbelievable usage of spreadsheets to report and manage business operations. Companies are losing to their competition if they are relying on spreadsheets to run their business, and we are thrilled to be partnered with this innovative company.”<br /><br />HardMetrics’ founder and Chief Executive Officer, <a href="http://hardmetrics.com/winner_r.html">Rob Winner</a>, stated, “We have long respected CRM for their ability to provide an end-to-end BI solution, relieving corporations of the burden of managing BI infrastructure. In addition, by outsourcing BI operations to CRM, companies overcome the skilled labor shortage and avoid the risk of training employees who then shop their skills to the highest bidder. We believe that CRM’s reach and reputation in the BI arena will open even more doors for HardMetrics and provide a powerful proof point for the value of our solution.”<br /><br /><b>ABOUT HARDMETRICS</b><br /><br />HardMetrics is a leading provider of on-premise and on-demand analytics and business intelligence solutions for call centers and the companies that depend on them. Organizations of all sizes use HardMetrics to transform call center data into actionable information that drives profitability and customer satisfaction. HardMetrics solutions are easy to deploy and cost effective, enhancing visibility at every level of the enterprise. For more information, please visit the company’s website at <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/">http://www.hardmetrics.com/</a>.<br /><br /><b>Contacts</b><br /><br />Gregory FCA<br />Jessica Attanasio, 610-228-2112<br />Mobile: 732-995-5366<br /><a href="mailto:Jessica@GregoryFCA.com">Jessica@GregoryFCA.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-85966264448222078682011-06-14T16:19:00.002-04:002011-06-24T12:07:03.747-04:00HardMetrics brings business intelligence to the tablet<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhHOy4KhpVc/TfejiP3_JRI/AAAAAAAAA4k/fK4X7H9EFVs/s1600/Tablet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhHOy4KhpVc/TfejiP3_JRI/AAAAAAAAA4k/fK4X7H9EFVs/s320/Tablet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HardMetrics at the ACCE Expo demoing our solution on the iPad</td></tr></tbody></table>Last week <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/p/about-brian-m-turley.html">Brian</a> told you he was attending the <a href="http://www.icmi.com/ACCE2011">ICMI ACCE Conference and Expo</a> this week to show attendees <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/06/business-intelligence-goes-mobile-at.html">how easily HardMetrics Performance Manager runs on a tablet</a>.<br /><br />And since Brian's at the Expo today, we decided to make the official announcement live from New Orleans that our <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/HardMetrics%20Performance%20Manager">HardMetrics Performance Manager</a> <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/06/whats-difference-between-tool-and.html">business intelligence solution</a> is optimized for use on <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Tablets">tablet</a> devices.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110614005225/en/HardMetrics-Brings-Business-Intelligence-Tablet">press release</a> crossed the wire this morning. Keep reading to find out how we can easily and seamlessly deploy our software to the <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Mobile">mobile</a> Web on the <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/">iPad</a>, <a href="http://www.motorola.com/staticfiles/Consumers/xoom-android-tablet/us-en/overview.html?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=NA_US-EN_XOOM-POC_5-May-2011&WT.mc_ev=click">Motorola Xoom</a>, <a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab?cid?cid=ppc_gtb_goo_C-Competitors_Competitor_nokia+tablets">Samsung Galaxy</a>, <a href="http://us.blackberry.com/playbook-tablet/?CPID=KNC-kw328392_p6&HBX_PK=rim|71b52bd3-b868-53e8-2abb-00002109ae45">BlackBerry PlayBook</a>, or any other tablet. <br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><hr /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110614005225/en/HardMetrics-Brings-Business-Intelligence-Tablet">HardMetrics Brings Business Intelligence to the Tablet</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>HardMetrics Performance Manager optimized for iPad and other tablet platforms; no additional software, apps or downloads required</i></div><br />WAYNE, Pa. & NEW ORLEANS -- (<a href="http://www.businesswire.com/">BUSINESS WIRE</a>) -- <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/">HardMetrics</a>, the leading provider of performance management and operational analytics solutions for call center driven organizations, announced that its HardMetrics Performance Manager business intelligence solution has been optimized for use on tablet devices including the Apple iPad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy and BlackBerry PlayBook, among others. HardMetrics’ announcement was made from the <a href="http://www.icmi.com/">International Customer Management Institute’s</a> <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/06/business-intelligence-goes-mobile-at.html">Annual Call Center Expo</a> (ACCE 2011), where the company is exhibiting.<br /><br />This announcement reflects HardMetrics’ continuing commitment to pursuing the mass adoption of powerful, flexible and cost-effective operational analytics and business intelligence solutions. Best of all, since HardMetrics Performance Manager is a pure web-based application, tablet-compatible functionality is immediately available to all HardMetrics clients with no need for users to download additional software or applications, and no additional cost. All the user has to do is open the Web browser on their tablet and log in to HardMetrics Performance Manager to gain complete access to all features, functions and capabilities of the solution. This announcement applies to both premise-based deployments and fully hosted SaaS subscriptions.<br /><br />By optimizing HardMetrics Performance Manager for tablet platforms, HardMetrics takes mission critical business intelligence data and makes it portable, accessible, and actionable on-the-go, enabling users to tap into the trends that impact their business as those trends are unfolding.<br /><br />Rob Winner, CEO and Founder of HardMetrics, says, “The future of data is mobile. No longer can decision-makers afford to be without access to business performance metrics wherever and whenever their business takes them on the road. HardMetrics Performance Manager is platform agnostic and compatible with any tablet PC that has a browser and web connectivity, and all product features are accessible, along with full data access, navigation and filtering capabilities. For the first time, business intelligence users don’t have to be glued to a desktop or a laptop, or restricted by the limited landscape and features of Smartphone applications. The tablet provides users unrestricted access to dashboards, scorecards, charts, graphs and reports instantaneously.”<br /><br />Tablet functionality is especially important for HardMetrics users, most of whom are call center-based businesses. Now, executives and managers can have 24/7 access to critical operations and P&L data. Call center managers and supervisors can walk the floor with their tablet of choice in-hand and monitor performance, share agent reports, scorecards and measurements, and conduct impromptu coaching sessions. Mobile access to metrics and analytics can make working in a call center even more dynamic, proactive and efficient.<br /><br />ACCE 2011 is presented by ICMI, one of the contact center industry’s most respected organizations. Interested in a demo? Stop by <a href="http://www.icmi.com/ACCE/Exhibit-Hall/Exhibitors">Booth 36</a> or call 610-263-8000.<br /><br /><b>ABOUT HARDMETRICS</b><br /><br />HardMetrics is a leading provider of on-premise and on-demand analytics and business intelligence solutions for call centers and the companies that depend on them. Organizations of all sizes use HardMetrics to transform call center data into actionable information that drives profitability and customer satisfaction. HardMetrics solutions are easy to deploy and cost effective, enhancing visibility at every level of the enterprise. For more information, please visit the company’s website at <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/">http://www.hardmetrics.com/</a> as well as the company blog at <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/">http://blog.hardmetrics.com</a>.<br /><br /><b>Contacts</b><br /><br />Gregory FCA<br />Jessica Attanasio, 610-228-2112<br />Mobile: 732-995-5366<br /><a href="mailto:Jessica@GregoryFCA.com">Jessica@GregoryFCA.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-29299125859550872652011-06-06T15:03:00.000-04:002011-06-06T15:03:57.087-04:00Business intelligence goes mobile at the 2011 ICMI ACCE Conference and Expo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yifORY9e5og/TefnoF0P8hI/AAAAAAAAA3k/PMhPPR3x530/s1600/ACCE+2011.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yifORY9e5og/TefnoF0P8hI/AAAAAAAAA3k/PMhPPR3x530/s320/ACCE+2011.png" width="320" /></a></div>Just try to keep me in the HardMetrics booth at the <a href="http://www.icmi.com/ACCE2011">ICMI ACCE Conference and Expo</a> show. I triple dog dare you. :)<br /><br />That's because I'll be walking around with my <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/">iPad</a> at the show in New Orleans from June 13 to 15 showing attendees how to use <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/HardMetrics%20Performance%20Manager">HardMetrics Performance Manager</a> on their tablet.<br /><br />Not all <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/06/whats-difference-between-tool-and.html">business intelligence solutions</a> can easily and seamlessly deploy their software to the mobile Web. It requires them to build a separate application for each mobile operating system and devise a strategy to deploy the application and keep it updated and current. But since HardMetrics is and always has been a pure Web-based solution, you don't need an app to access it on your tablet.<br /><br />All you have to do is open the Web browser on your tablet, whether it's an iPad, <a href="http://www.motorola.com/staticfiles/Consumers/xoom-android-tablet/us-en/overview.html?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=NA_US-EN_XOOM-POC_5-May-2011&WT.mc_ev=click">Motorola Xoom</a>, <a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab?cid?cid=ppc_gtb_goo_C-Competitors_Competitor_nokia+tablets">Samsung Galaxy</a>, <a href="http://us.blackberry.com/playbook-tablet/?CPID=KNC-kw328392_p6&HBX_PK=rim|71b52bd3-b868-53e8-2abb-00002109ae45">BlackBerry PlayBook</a>, or any other tablet, and log in to the HardMetrics Performance Manager to have complete access.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />You don't have to be glued to a desktop or a laptop to pull up dashboards, scorecards, charts, graphs, and reports instantaneously. All the features our product offers are accessible, along with data navigation and filtering capabilities, on mobile tablets.<br /><br />So if you're working in a call center, you can walk around the floor with your tablet of choice in hand. Walk up to any agent to show them real-time reports and measurements, all from your tablet. Sit down and have an impromptu coaching session. Mobile access to metrics and analytics can make working in a call center even more dynamic, proactive, and efficient.<br /><br />But there's more to it than just that. The possibilities for managers, management, and executives are endless. So stop by <a href="http://www.icmi.com/ACCE/Exhibit-Hall/Exhibitors">booth #36</a> to find out the advantages mobile access to your business data can bring your call center or organization. Because if you're on the front line of customer care every day, you'll want to see the great strides you can make by capturing accurate performance data and reporting it in a timely and automated fashion on your mobile device.<br /><br />And don't worry, I won't be walking around the show floor too much. I'll spend enough time in our booth to get a chance to talk to you. Hopefully I'll see you there. And If you haven't signed up for the show yet, you still can on the <a href="http://www.icmi.com/ACCE/Attend-ACCE">website</a>.Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-25657057104862135992011-06-02T14:46:00.001-04:002011-06-24T11:44:41.068-04:00What's the difference between a tool and a solution?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-geXBHFXlRtE/TZohnSjZH-I/AAAAAAAAAzw/MSeeNJZLAis/s1600/New+Picture+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-geXBHFXlRtE/TZohnSjZH-I/AAAAAAAAAzw/MSeeNJZLAis/s320/New+Picture+%25281%2529.png" width="228" /></a></div>The <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/">Urban Dictionary</a> has a lot of (ahem) colorful definitions for the word "<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tool">tool</a>." The <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tool">Merriam-Webster dictionary</a> definition is more basic.<br /><br />It defines it as "a handheld device that aids in accomplishing a task." And many of the claimants to the <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Business%20intelligence">business intelligence</a> mantle prove to be nothing more than that: tools (sometimes in both sense of the word).<br /><br />During a recent conversation with a colleague, he said to me: "I find it shocking how many otherwise sophisticated companies are still using Excel to drive business decisions." It's sad but true. <br /><br />While software has evolved and morphed into so much more than spreadsheets, business decision making for the most part remains mired in manually prepared spreadsheets that are susceptible to data errors.<br /><br />And the "tools" that claim to be business intelligence solutions are focused on one single task: making Excel data look prettier.<br /><br />Examples include tools such as <a href="http://www.sap.com/solutions/sap-crystal-solutions/dashboards-visualization/sapcrystalpresentation/index.epx">SAP Crystal Presentation Design</a>, <a href="http://www.idashboards.com/">iDashboards</a>, and <a href="http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/products/series7/powerplay/">IBM's Cognos PowerPlay</a>. They are point-and-click data visualization software that creates prettier data presentations from Excel spreadsheets. <br /><br />These tools might work for organizations that don't need to dive deep into their data for analysis. They do the job they're designed to do, but they don't provide additional functional capabilities, drive operational improvements, or enhance knowledge of the business. And there is little to no domain expertise behind them. Want more capable tools from the big boys? It's going to cost you a ton of time and money.<br /><br />By way of comparison, solutions like <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/HardMetrics%20Performance%20Manager">HardMetrics Performance Manager</a> provide an overarching mission-critical service to an organization. With HardMetrics on the job, managers from front-line operations to the C-suite can quickly and cost effectively:<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><ul><li>Consolidate and view data across the enterprise</li><li>Filter, sort, and analyze data; both business real-time and historical</li><li>Keep a close watch on trends in the business</li><li>Slice-and-dice data</li><li>Drill down to determine specific drivers of performance, down to the individual employee level</li><li>Compare actual performance against forecast and required goals</li><li>Identify outperforming and underperforming operations, as well as performance drivers, so best practices can be evangelized and struggling operations can be triaged</li></ul><br /><br />Those of you who know me, know that I jump out of my skin when I hear HardMetrics referred to as a tool. BI tools are just a Band-Aid. They give you a pretty presentation, but they don't give you depth nor tell you anything about your business. <br /><br />So if you'd like to add a little excitement to our next meeting, in the first five minutes call HardMetrics a tool. Hopefully I will not have had too much coffee that morning and I won't act like a tool. ;)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-76407782619666386682011-05-23T10:00:00.006-04:002011-05-23T10:00:13.178-04:00Drive employee motivation with data<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gregoryfca.com/blogs/hardmetrics/documents/HardMetrics_SWBC_CS_FINAL.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7uZCn0vNduA/TdK09t4R2FI/AAAAAAAAA2o/ZYHeTFMHp_8/s320/SWBC+Case+study.png" width="247" /></a></div>How many of you remember a candy called <a href="http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/cracker-jack.html">Cracker Jack</a>? You bought Cracker Jack because you wanted the caramel-coated popcorn. But you always got something extra -- the free prize inside.<br /><br />That's kind of the experience one of our clients, <a href="https://www.swbc.com/">SWBC</a>, got. SWBC tracks insurance coverage against collateral such as houses and cars for financial institutions including banks, savings and loans, and credit unions. They have over 4 million policies to track.<br /><br />They came to HardMetrics because they needed to improve client reporting and internal analysis and reporting. But after implementing <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/HardMetrics%20Performance%20Manager">HardMetrics Performance Manager</a>, they got more than they bargained for.<br /><br />They discovered that they could use it as a motivational tool too. SWBC uses the data from HardMertics Performance Manager to display the Company's forecast and goals to show if they're operating in green, red, or yellow territory. Now everyday, service center employees check to make sure they’re in the green. And if they’re not, then there's a little more pep in their step that day.<br /><br />HardMetrics also played an analytical role in helping SWBC identify a transformational acquisition. They performed a multiple process analysis to compare their three OCR platforms using HardMetrics as the measurement platform and comparative litmus test. Its analysis helped SWBC acquire a new company.<br /><br />We put together a <a href="http://www.gregoryfca.com/blogs/hardmetrics/documents/HardMetrics_SWBC_CS_FINAL.pdf">case study</a> drilling into each of the new functions SWBC uncovered in HardMetrics Performance Manager. You can keep reading to find out more, or download the jazzed up <a href="http://www.gregoryfca.com/blogs/hardmetrics/documents/HardMetrics_SWBC_CS_FINAL.pdf">PDF</a>.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><b>Overview:</b><br />What started as a search for a more sophisticated reporting solution results in SWBC deploying advanced operational analytics. Managing workflow, motivating employees, and even comparing performance across different operating platforms, occurs organically as a result of robust new analytical solutions.<br /><br /><b>The SWBC challenge:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>Provide clear metrics to customers demonstrating performance against contractual service level objectives (Client Reporting).</li><li>Motivate service-center employees to meet service-level objectives (Internal Analysis and Reporting).</li><li>Crack the code: Move beyond cumbersome system queries and manual report generation from a stable but rigid mainframe computing platform to full automation with self service features.</li><li>Track insurance coverage on over 3 million auto loans and over 1 million mortgages for 300 financial institutions.</li><li>Determine which of the three deployed document processing platforms delivered the best performance against service-level objectives.</li></ul><br /><b>Solution:</b><br />HardMetrics Performance Manager helps SWBC gain timely access and visibility into operational data while providing a robust and easy-to-navigate front-end application for both internal users and Web-based reporting to customers.<br /><br /><b>Benefits:</b><br />SWBC deploys HardMetrics as a secure, Web-based application and provides access to clients who can monitor performance against service-level objectives. Performance Dashboards are displayed in the company’s service center, serving as a significant motivator for employees. HardMetrics shines as an advanced analytics tool to evaluate document processing platforms, leading to a major acquisition that catalyzed a quantum leap in operational efficiency.<br /><br /><b>SWBC enhances transparency with HardMetrics</b><br /><br />SWBC tracks insurance coverage against collateral such as houses and cars for financial institutions including banks, savings and loans, and credit unions. Today, the company’s portfolio includes over 3 million auto loans and over 1 million mortgages. Keeping track of all of the insurance policies protecting lenders in the case of accidents, theft, or natural disasters is a daunting task, and it is essential that gaps in coverage be identified and rectified as quickly as possible.<br /><br />In addition, in its customer contracts SWBC guarantees performance against certain service-level objectives, promising to update the coverage database within 24 to 48 hours of receipt of a policy. But finding the right solution to report to clients, as well as to manage the business, was a challenge.<br /><br />Jim Vitali, SWBC’s Senior Vice President, Service Center Operations, says: “Reporting to clients was always left on the cutting room floor when we allocated resources to IT projects. We were constantly running cumbersome queries against data housed in a mainframe. At an industry convention I heard <br />what HardMetrics had done for similar companies, and I was intrigued.”<br /><br />Vitali continues: “In less than a week, HardMetrics implemented the solution that we needed and still use today. The platform has proven to be invaluable. They helped us communicate better with our clients and increase transparency. But we’ve also discovered that HardMetrics has value as an operational analytics solution that far exceeds the reporting challenge we were originally trying to solve.”<br /><br />SWBC now custom brands the views delivered through HardMetrics. “We call it ServiceMetrics,” says Vitali. “We push our Dashboards and reports out to clients and then we offer them flexibility if there is something else they want to see, or a different format of report they need. HardMetrics has great client-facing applicability because of how we can easily customize it to the client’s view.”<br /><br />SWBC also used HardMetrics as a motivational tool. Vitali continues: “We upload our operational data into HardMetrics, compare it to our forecast and goals, performance score it and display the results on a monitor that shows if we’re operating in green, red, or yellow territory. It really created a groundswell when we first implemented it, and now service center employees check every morning to make sure we’re in the green. If we’re not, then they hustle a bit more.”<br /><br />In the analytics arena, SWBC operating managers can quickly see red flags, drill down to identify the customer that’s being impacted, and dig even further to find out what is causing the shortfall, or even who is responsible for it.<br /><br />“I can go from a macro view to a micro view in a matter of clicks,” says Vitali. “And I can get all the way down to the specific documents that went over my service level, find out what financial institutions they belong to, who was responsible and what happened, and fix it immediately. I have my fingers into the business from a whole different perspective than if I was just depending on static system queries.”<br /><br />HardMetrics also played an unexpected analytical role in helping SWBC identify a transformational acquisition. Optical character recognition is a significant operation at the company. When a borrower mails or faxes an insurance certificate, the name of the game is to get that new insurance information processed as quickly as possible.<br /><br />SWBC wanted to compare processing times between three different platforms: A totally manual platform; a traditional template-based OCR platform; and a fourth generation, template-less integrated OCR system developed by a start-up company. The results were eye opening.<br /><br />“We performed a multiple process analysis to compare the three OCR platforms using HardMetrics as our measurement platform and comparative litmus test. It was glaringly apparent that the fourth generation platform was much more efficient,” says Vitali. “With the analysis performed within HardMetrics we realized that we had to own the technology, and made the strategic decision to acquire the company that developed it. Before, I had 45 full-time employees working to process insurance on 2.5 million loans. Today, I’m processing insurance for over 3 million loans and I have 16 people -- about a third of what I had before -- and I am consistently operating within service level objectives."<br /><br /><b>Contact</b><br /><br />HardMetrics<br />Tel: 610-263-8000 <br />E-mail: <a href="mailto:info@hardmetrics.com">info@hardmetrics.com</a>Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-91968744891793352232011-05-18T12:28:00.000-04:002011-05-18T12:28:57.352-04:00Fortune 500 companies still challenged in customer care operations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.socap.org/ConferencesEvents/2011Symposium.aspx" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-51GUKlcsxms/TdLAbl9uzdI/AAAAAAAAA2s/da0VG82Dgbs/s320/SOCAP.png" width="320" /></a></div>At the <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/04/improving-operational-analytics-at.html">SOCAP International 2011 Symposium</a> I met with several Fortune 500 companies. Despite the fact that these are some of the best-resourced companies on the planet, they are still struggling with accurate and timely analysis and reporting for their customer service operations.<br /><br />Based on what I heard during our conversations, they aren't able to drill down and gather historical data or measure performance by individuals, groups, or across the enterprise.<br /><br />The home-grown tools or Excel spreadsheets they are using today are just not delivering the capabilities they need to capture data from disparate sources and platforms, and measure operational performance.<br /><br />So they're at SOCAP pounding the pavement for solutions that have <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Call%20center">domain expertise in consumer affairs and call center-driven environments</a>. I also got wind of the exhaustion companies are feeling from taking on massive development projects to build a business intelligence solution.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />That's why I didn't get a chance to make some bets in Vegas. I was at our booth telling them how HardMetrics can make these challenges disappear, and at a fraction of the cost they'd pay for other solutions.<br /><br />It was a great few days in Las Vegas, and hopefully I helped plenty of people realize that these challenges can be overcome. Are there any other challenges being faced in customer service operations? Let me know what you think they are in a comment on this post.Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-68535376502120283272011-04-26T15:16:00.001-04:002011-05-10T09:51:34.879-04:00SearchBusinessAnalytics.com covers benefits of real-time BIRecently Alan R. Earls of <a href="http://searchbusinessanalytics.com/">SearchBusinessAnalytics.com</a> was conducting research for his article, "<a href="http://searchbusinessanalytics.techtarget.com/news/2240033736/Real-time-BI-capabilities-offer-benefits-add-complexities-for-users">Real-time BI capabilities offer benefits, add complexities for users</a>." Based on their knowledge of what we do, the folks at our PR firm Gregory FCA suggested to Alan that he would benefit from talking with a couple of HardMetrics customers.<br /><br />A few weeks ago Alan contacted <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/03/how-streamlining-21-million-data.html">TCIM Services Inc.</a> and <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/NOVO1">NOVO 1</a>, two of our customers in the highly competitive Call Center Outsourcing market. The good news is that Alan and his editor found the information to be compelling and of value to the article. The one catch is when you read the article you won't see HardMetrics mentioned by name.<br /><br />If you've ever had any dealings with the press, you know that sometimes they don't mention vendors and their technologies by name. But rest assured and just so you know, the solution and benefits being talked about in the article are being realized through the deployment and use of <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/HardMetrics%20Performance%20Manager">HardMetrics Performance Manager</a>.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />It's great to see our customers being recognized by the industry for the improvements they're making in their operational analytics and <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Business%20intelligence">business intelligence</a> infrastructure. They are advancing their operations, improving their efficiencies, continuously creating new success stories, and generating serious and significant ROI. Thanks Alan for including TCIM and NOVO 1 in your piece! Flip over to the <a href="http://searchbusinessanalytics.techtarget.com/news/2240033736/Real-time-BI-capabilities-offer-benefits-add-complexities-for-users">article</a> now to find out the benefits they're seeing with real-time business intelligence.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://searchbusinessanalytics.techtarget.com/news/2240033736/Real-time-BI-capabilities-offer-benefits-add-complexities-for-users" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vpng311gV7A/TaxXdyA1WCI/AAAAAAAAA0o/gIMvZJbw-V4/s320/search+business+analytics.png" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-28824336055976075162011-04-21T16:49:00.001-04:002011-05-10T09:51:53.700-04:00Improving operational analytics at SOCAP International 2011 Symposium: You can bet on it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.socap.org/LinkClick.aspx?link=images%2f2011%2fsymposium%2f2011symp_hpbanner.jpg&tabid=355&mid=3326" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="87" src="http://www.socap.org/LinkClick.aspx?link=images%2f2011%2fsymposium%2f2011symp_hpbanner.jpg&tabid=355&mid=3326" width="320" /></a></div>I'm heading out to Las Vegas next week to the <a href="http://www.socap.org/ConferencesEvents/2011Symposium.aspx">SOCAP International 2011 Symposium</a>. From May 2 to 3, HardMetrics will be calling <a href="http://www.socap.org/ConferencesEvents/2011Symposium/ExhibitorInformation.aspx">Table #13 in the Exhibit Hall</a> home.<br /><br />If you're planning to attend the Symposium, drop by. I'd love to hear how you're tracking and managing the performance of your customer service and call center operations. Or maybe I'll run into you at one of the sessions. SOCAP has put together a <a href="http://www.socap.org/ConferencesEvents/2011Symposium/SymposiumSchedule.aspx">great list of speakers</a> that I'm looking forward to hearing, including Terry Jones, Chairman of <a href="http://kayak.com/">Kayak.com</a>.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Also, our friends at <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/03/happy-data-happy-customers.html">Telerx</a>, a HardMetrics' customer, will be exhibiting at the Symposium. So stop at our booth and learn how HardMetrics can improve call center reporting, performance management, and operational analytics. Then walk over to Telerx's booth and see how they've implemented the HardMetrics solution and the benefits they're getting.<br /><br />Time for me to go pack my bags and warm up my dice. ;) But watch this spot. When I get back I'll share with you the latest trends I'm seeing in the call center space.Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-17076509462872789672011-03-29T09:57:00.000-04:002011-03-29T09:57:44.855-04:00Adjuvant therapy for your Avaya platform<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M9CWiezr33s/TZHUd2dmP0I/AAAAAAAAAy8/ZnnLn0tDohA/s1600/New+Picture+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M9CWiezr33s/TZHUd2dmP0I/AAAAAAAAAy8/ZnnLn0tDohA/s200/New+Picture+%25281%2529.png" width="200" /></a>In the health care arena, there are drugs called <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adjuvants">adjuvants</a>, which are just given to patients because they make other drugs more effective.<br /><br />Adjuvants are used to <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=boosting-vaccine-power">boost the power of vaccines</a>,<a href="http://www.adjuvantchemotherapy.org/"> make cancer treatment more effective</a>, and to <a href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/731805">strengthen the immune system</a>. There are even adjuvants that make <a href="http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/uo202.pdf">pesticides and fertilizers more effective</a>.<br /><br />What does this have to do with <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Business%20intelligence">business intelligence</a>? Well, I know a lot of you use <a href="http://www.avaya.com/">Avaya Call Center and CMS</a>. Avaya has great products and they have captured leading market share throughout the industry.<br /><br />But one of the common challenges we hear from customers on the Avaya platform is that there are limitations with it when it comes to <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Operational%20analytics">operational analytics</a>.<br /><br />For example, have you tried to extract data from the Avaya platform to do a deeper dive into the factors that drive your business? Or for that matter tried to combine it with data from other operational platforms in the call center such as financial, HR, and forecast data? It's here where the Avaya platform -- as good as it is -- needs an adjuvant.<br /><br />And this is one of the reasons our customers love HardMetrics. The fact sheet we put together describes how we make it easy for call center-centric companies to get the most from their Avaya investment. Take a look at it below, or read the fancy two-page <a href="http://www.gregoryfca.com/blogs/hardmetrics/documents/Hardmetrics_Avaya_FINAL.pdf">PDF version</a>.<br /><br />With HardMetrics, you can quickly and easily gather data from Avaya, combine it with other data sources, and transform it into operational analytics that will identify best practices -- so those best practices can be adopted across your organization -- as well as issues that need to be triaged and managed for improvement.<br /><br />Without further adieu, here's our pitch to those of you on the Avaya platform.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><b>Avaya Call Center and Avaya CMS Come to Life with HardMetrics</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gregoryfca.com/blogs/hardmetrics/documents/Hardmetrics_Avaya_FINAL.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qRl-J13P0Xg/TZHapWhy1qI/AAAAAAAAAzM/SQYpd_vtR1g/s320/HardMetrics+Avaya+CMS.png" width="244" /></a></div>Call centers worldwide depend on Avaya Call Center and Avaya CMS to keep things running smoothly. With these powerful tools, Avaya has earned a reputation as the leading platform in call handling and call management.<br /><br />Now, with HardMetrics, call center-driven companies can get even more value from their Avaya investment. HardMetrics makes it possible to dig deeper into CMS data, letting decision makers view easy-to-understand dashboard and scorecard-based reports and analyze all facets of the CMS deployment. HardMetrics enables you to view and navigate CMS data from the perspectives that are most valuable to you.<br /><br />We deliver greater insights into the information that CMS is producing, and easily integrate CMS data with other ACD data as well as operational platform data. The result? Deeper insight into your call center operations, increased operational efficiencies, and an improved bottom line.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />HardMetrics provides on-premise and on-demand business intelligence and operational analytics solutions for call centers and the companies that depend on them.<br /><br />Our customers use HardMetrics to transform call center and operations data into actionable information that drives efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction. HardMetrics Performance Manager (HPM) is effective both inside the call center to improve efficiencies and operations, and outside the call center to improve business unit and process performance.<br /><br /><b>With HardMetrics as an enhancement to your existing Avaya Call Center and CMS investment you can:</b><br /><br /><ul><li>Eliminate silos of data and piles of separate CMS reports.</li><li>Combine and correlate CMS data with other mission critical platform data, including ACD data from other vendor platforms.</li><li>Create cross system metrics by combining CMS data with other platform data elements, such as revenue per call, conversion rates, and agent indexes.</li><li>Consolidate and analyze data in a single view across multiple CMS deployments.</li><li>Eliminate the frustration of static summary reports by deploying actionable dashboards, scorecards, reports, and visual objects all supporting drilling, filtering, and dynamic data navigation.</li><li>Easily transform complex CMS data names to standardized and recognized business metric names.</li><li>Define your data retention timeline requirements to support historical and trend reporting and analysis.</li><li>Interactively access data from enterprise down to agent or split/skill detail levels.</li><li>Drill, filter, slice, and dice data by any parameters you like, such as agent, team, location, client, program, campaign, split, queue, etc.</li><li>Advance from CMS and individual platform reporting to consolidated performance management and operational analytics.</li><li>Empower business users, executive managers, and management with critical information that resides in CMS.</li></ul><br />HardMetrics makes data integration and correlation a simple, straightforward process. Data from a wide range of sources, including vendor and partner applications, in-house/proprietary systems, internal databases, data warehouses, flat files and even spreadsheets, can be quickly integrated into HardMetrics Performance Manager.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MLoGVfl5zlA/TZHZbkspUCI/AAAAAAAAAzA/S6SlMSUY3f8/s1600/HardMetrics+Avaya.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MLoGVfl5zlA/TZHZbkspUCI/AAAAAAAAAzA/S6SlMSUY3f8/s320/HardMetrics+Avaya.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In addition to Avaya data, HardMetrics Performance Manager easily consolidates data <br />from sources and platforms that are the backbone of sales, service, and overall corporate operations.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ogbEoCBK4Xc/TZHZr9194lI/AAAAAAAAAzI/wn3H2bY0viI/s1600/HardMetrics+Avaya+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ogbEoCBK4Xc/TZHZr9194lI/AAAAAAAAAzI/wn3H2bY0viI/s320/HardMetrics+Avaya+2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When Avaya CMS data is viewed through HardMetrics Performance Manager alongside other critical data sources, trends in the call center and their impact outside the call center come to life in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand, easy-to-navigate user interface.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Learn how HardMetrics can unleash the power of your Avaya CMS investment. For more information on HardMetrics solutions, please contact us at <a href="mailto:Info@HardMetrics.com">Info@HardMetrics.com</a> or 610-263-8000.<br /><br /><i>Avaya, Avaya Call Center, and Avaya CMS are registered trademarks of Avaya, Inc.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-54393718456635142062011-03-28T15:15:00.001-04:002011-05-10T09:52:19.565-04:00Top call center trends from the American Teleservices Association Convention and ExpoI'm back from the <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/03/at-american-teleservices-association.html">American Teleservices Association (ATA) Convention and Expo</a>, and I want to tell you about the top two trends I saw taking shape after talking with so many people at the hub of our industry.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu2aCIjjzkI/TZDNn_ELXRI/AAAAAAAAAy4/78X2yt17I4Q/s1600/New+Picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu2aCIjjzkI/TZDNn_ELXRI/AAAAAAAAAy4/78X2yt17I4Q/s320/New+Picture.png" width="320" /></a>The first trend I saw was call center agents being recognized as the face of a business. A customer's interaction with your <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Call%20center">call center</a> can make or break their perception of your company.<br /><br />And in the era of <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">Twitter</a>, it only takes 140 characters and a few seconds for that customer to tell the world how well they were treated or how badly. <br /><br />Therefore, companies should not only provide superior training to their agents, but measure their performance. <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Reporting%20and%20performance%20analytics">Performance measurement</a> can collect critical data that can increase customer satisfaction, and in some cases, <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/search/label/Case%20study">discover data that can be profitable for the company</a>.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Another trend is the growing number of companies outsourcing their call centers. Just because you can't be there physically to monitor your company's call center doesn't mean you can't be there virtually. There are lots of technical solutions that let you monitor your call center's performance, including <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/02/delivering-on-promise-of-business.html">our own solution</a>.<br /><br />But you don't want a ragtag collection of data being dumped in a spreadsheet. The data is useless unless you're able to organize it, slice and dice it anyway you need it, and be able to analyze it. That's the challenge some companies are facing. And that's why I was at the ATA Convention, to tell them how HardMetrics can solve that problem.<br /><br />My time at the ATA Convention and Expo was brief, but I had a great time talking to call center leaders and finding out what challenges and successes they've had or anticipate this year. Did you attend? Let me know what other trends you saw emerging in the call center arena in a comment on this post.Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-4618117471174417682011-03-15T17:43:00.001-04:002011-05-10T09:52:38.282-04:00At the American Teleservices Association Convention and Expo, solving contact center challenges one enterprise at a timeI traded in the chilly weather up North for the warm sun of Phoenix this week to be at the <a href="http://www.ata2011convention.org/">American Teleservices Association (ATA) Convention and Expo</a>. HardMetrics just joined the <a href="http://www.ataconnect.org/">ATA</a>, and we're excited to be exhibiting for the first time at their Convention.<br /><br />In fact, we even got a brand new backdrop for our booth. Take a look at the <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4uuEOWQ8wo4/TX-yxwt4BrI/AAAAAAAAAws/C4hJIzEUhbo/s1600/ATA+Convention+1.jpg">picture</a> I snapped on my BlackBerry at the end of this post. The Convention wraps up tomorrow, so if you're here, stop by <a href="http://ata2011convention.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=24">booth #305</a> to say hello.<br /><br />I'd love to meet you and talk about the challenges your contact center is facing, what you see as the big trends in the industry this year, and how you're optimizing operations to stay ahead.<br /><br />Being surrounded by the people of our industry and discussing the common challenges we all face is always eye opening. No matter how long you've been in the business, there's always something new to learn when you get together with hundreds of your colleagues.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />And what's been even more valuable is how we're able to overcome those challenges through knowledge sharing and the technical solutions that so many vendors, including HardMetrics, are showcasing on the show floor today. Everything from to the work-at-home model, to social media customer care, to <a href="http://blog.hardmetrics.com/2011/02/delivering-on-promise-of-business.html">our own solution</a>, which helps enterprises make sense of the massive amounts of data created by call centers.<br /><br />But so far it's been a great couple of days getting to meet to a lot of our customers and spending time with them. My only regret has been not being able to sneak in a round of golf. ;)<br /><br />Keep your eyes on the blog. When I get back and have the opportunity to collect my thoughts and compile my notes, I plan to share with you some of the insights I've learned from talking with so many people at the hub of our industry at this wonderful event. And now that picture I promised you.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4uuEOWQ8wo4/TX-yxwt4BrI/AAAAAAAAAws/C4hJIzEUhbo/s1600/ATA+Convention+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4uuEOWQ8wo4/TX-yxwt4BrI/AAAAAAAAAws/C4hJIzEUhbo/s320/ATA+Convention+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HardMetrics' brand new booth design</td></tr></tbody></table>Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-3702729262666364332011-03-09T13:18:00.000-05:002011-03-09T13:30:39.327-05:00Delivering on the promise of business intelligence and operational analytics<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_deby4QawewM/TU_8nZhbORI/AAAAAAAAArQ/Xp0xhFZUMdE/s1600/New+Picture+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_deby4QawewM/TU_8nZhbORI/AAAAAAAAArQ/Xp0xhFZUMdE/s320/New+Picture+%25282%2529.png" width="320" /></a>There is a revolution taking place in the world of <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Business%20intelligence">business intelligence</a> and <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Operational%20analytics">operational analytics</a>. Status quo is no longer acceptable. Companies need greater visibility into what is actually going on in the business.<br /><br />They need depth. They need flexibility. They need it quicker. And they need it to be financially possible (cost effective).<br /><br />To remain competitive in today's real-time, on-demand business environment, enterprises simply must tap into the data they generate to gain more visibility into business metrics -- such as revenues, expenses, and operational efficiency -- while comparing business segments in real time to identify best practices and/or areas for improvement.<br /><br />But to date, business intelligence solutions that promised this much-needed visibility just haven't delivered. Projects are measured in months and years, and require vast amounts of specialized resources and budget.<br /><br />Applications that do make it to end users don't often meet their needs. Reliance on <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/">Excel</a> is rampant. Low-level tool vendors are promising that they can deliver on the complexity and scale requirements of enterprise-scale analytics, but they can't. The result? Frustration. Lack of capability. Lost opportunity.<br /><br />Data remains locked in siloed enterprise systems, and hard-charging decision makers still pine for a future when ground-level changes in the business are visible in real time so that positive trends can be leveraged, or negative trends that impact the health of the business can be quickly triaged, diagnosed, and reversed.<br /><br />With all of the strides that have been made in the technology and IT arena, it is perplexing that advanced reporting, operational analytics, and business intelligence haven't reached the point where mass deployment, intuitive interfaces and features, and dynamic data access are practical and possible.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Consumers can track spending in real time via easy-to-read dashboards in personal finance programs such as <a href="http://quicken.intuit.com/">Quicken</a> or <a href="http://www.mint.com/">Mint</a>, but C-suite executives can't do the same with corporate activity and spending. It's frustrating and confounding for end users, management, and executives alike. The solution to the problem requires experience, thought leadership, innovation, and an end to status quo approaches.<br /><br />At HardMetrics we focus on <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/HardMetrics%20Performance%20Manager">performance management</a> -- the measurement of what a business has done, the determination of what went well and what didn't, the identification of what happened where, and the diagnosis of what is required to extend and exploit the good and fix the bad.<br /><br />The analytics we deliver are a subset of the larger business intelligence segment. We focus on assisting customers to optimize sales, customer service, and overall operations. These processes require customer interactions and are highly dependent on <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Call%20center">call centers</a> and other multi-channel communication methods.<br /><br />By focusing on call-center-driven organizations, and single-mindedly working to make our solution deep-thinking and rich-featured, yet easy to implement and use, cost-effective, and flexible, we've successfully bridged the gap between data challenges and decision making for our customers. We've enjoyed great successes and accomplishments in our space, and are fortunate to have signature clients such as <a href="http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Home">Motorola</a>, <a href="http://valueofx.telerx.com/">Telerx</a>, <a href="http://www.tcim.com/">TCIM Services</a>, <a href="http://www.novo1.com/">NOVO1</a>, and <a href="http://aaasouth.com/">AAA Auto Club South</a> (to name a few), who rave about our solution, our team, domain expertise, and our support.<br /><br />On this blog, we plan to answer many of the questions that have dogged analytics and business intelligence, and share <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Case%20study">case studies</a> of how cutting-edge enterprises, and specifically call-center-driven businesses have deployed performance management and operational analytics solutions to enhance revenue opportunities, increase operational efficiency, leverage best practices across the organization, and identify and fix underperforming operations.<br /><br />In addition, HardMetrics is the third company that I have worked to build successfully from the ground up, so I will share some of my insights as an entrepreneur on how to launch, nurture, and grow mature software companies.<br /><br />HardMetrics has some of the software industry's leading experts on analytics, performance management, and business intelligence. People such as <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/p/about-brian-m-turley.html">Brian Turley</a>, <a href="http://hardmetrics.com/przybylowski_j.html">Joe Przybylowski</a>, <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/mentzer_s.html">Stan Mentzer</a>, and <a href="http://hardmetrics.com/Perkins_r.html">Ronn Perkins</a>. They will also contribute their expertise and know-how to the blog, and will select guest columnists from our customer base.<br /><br />Why listen to us? Because we believe we are one of the few companies in the world that has cracked the code, enabling our customers to quickly, cost-effectively, and successfully deploy enterprise-scale business intelligence solutions that change the game for our clients.<br /><br />Because we eat, sleep, and breathe this stuff. Because we are rooted in performance management and have extensive domain expertise in sales, service, operations, and call center processes. And also, for purely mercenary reasons: We hope to earn your trust and your business as our client.<br /><br />Have a burning question about performance management, operational analytics, or business intelligence? Want to know why consolidated analytics and reporting is such a challenge? Need to understand why in this age of technology most global organizations still have vast numbers of critical resources dependent on Excel for daily decision making? Looking for ideas?<br /><br />Leave your questions and feedback in a comment on this post. And watch the blog for posts that will touch on every detail of the business intelligence world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-21152216235186299012011-03-08T13:15:00.000-05:002011-03-09T17:27:35.724-05:00How streamlining 21 million data elements improves business performance<a href="http://www.gregoryfca.com/blogs/hardmetrics/documents/Hardmetrics_TCIM_CS_FINAL.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RByqlAOFV7s/TW1gqGe-SOI/AAAAAAAAAuU/gTWhm56H8rU/s320/HardMetrics+TCIM.png" width="227" /></a>How do you go from manual data preparation and reporting to complete automation and sophisticated performance and operational analytics?<br /><br />How do you go from the risk and cost of mountains of spreadsheets, manual processes, and inconsistent data to clear business insights at the push of a button? That's a good question to ask <a href="http://www.tcim.com/">TCIM Services, Inc</a>.<br /><br />The leading provider of outsourced <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Call%20center">call center</a> services was struggling to keep pace with globally produced data from over 20 unique data sources that contained over 21 million raw data elements. After working with us, all of that information is now seamlessly processed and neatly packed inside and managed by <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/HardMetrics%20Performance%20Manager">HardMetrics Performance Manager</a>.<br /><br />Now they have on-demand access to financial, operational, and payroll data that's able to be sliced and diced any way to ensure that they are internally operating at peak efficiency and delivering top-notch service to their Fortune 100 client base.<br /><br />It's the kind of transformative process we thrive on. For the deep dive on how we got them from there to here, read the case study below or <a href="http://www.gregoryfca.com/blogs/hardmetrics/documents/Hardmetrics_TCIM_CS_FINAL.pdf">download the dressed-up PDF</a>.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><b>Overview:</b><br />TCIM Services, Inc. needed enhanced visibility into the key performance metrics that drive the success of its business so that it could continue to provide top-notch service to its Fortune 100 client base.<br /><br /><b>The TCIM challenge:</b><br /><ul><li>Eliminate manual and error-prone processes.</li><li>Improve timeliness and accuracy of data.</li><li>Define consistent metrics across nine call centers.</li><li>Provide ability to analyze data comparing and contrasting various metrics across the global organization.</li></ul><a name='more'></a><br /><b>Solution:</b><br />HardMetrics Performance Manager helps TCIM increase profitability and customer satisfaction with timely access to data and analytics.<br /><br /><b>Benefits:</b><br />HardMetrics is used at all levels of TCIM senior management, from customer service supervisors to senior executives. It provides on-demand access to key metrics with drill-down functionality so the company can evaluate business performance from a global, geographical, call center, account, team, and individual level.<br /><br /><b>Contact Center Services Leader Transforms Business Performance Management</b><br /><br />TCIM Services, Inc. is a leading provider of outsourced call centers with seven locations in the United States and two in the Philippines. The company’s clients include Fortune 100 companies<br />who depend on TCIM call center agents to assist their customer support and product sales efforts.<br /><br />TCIM call center agents are expected to maintain excellent customer satisfaction levels while meeting program-specific objectives in a cost-effective manner. In addition, TCIM must respond quickly to customer changes and growth while continuing to provide excellent customer service. To accomplish these objectives, TCIM closely monitors the performance of all of its call centers down to the individual agents.<br /><br />Prior to deploying HardMetrics, TCIM relied on a combination of internally developed online systems, ad hoc query capabilities, and typical spreadsheet management. As a result, the flow of information was slow, and management questioned the integrity of the data any time a manual<br />report was completed. In addition, the company never really knew whether it had complete information driving the profitability of operations or the quality of customer service. TCIM was in need of a new, more responsive and deep-thinking solution.<br /><br />Scott von Kleeck, Chief Information Officer, says: “We chose HardMetrics after an extensive vendor review process because their team was very knowledgeable in the areas of data integration, business metrics, and call center performance management. Their offering was a complete, ready-to-deploy solution. The power of their analytics engine meant our implementation would be easier and faster than other options, while providing us the flexibility to meet increasing demands and unspecified future requirements. Furthermore, HardMetrics’ domain expertise with call centers meant they understood our industry and spoke our language.”<br /><br />The goal of the project was to give front-line managers through executive management on-demand data access to truly drive profitability and customer satisfaction. The HardMetrics solution was deployed within 90 days. The bulk of that time was spent mobilizing internal efforts and defining the metrics to be introduced and standardized with the new system.<br /><br />Since deploying HardMetrics in 2006, TCIM management is benefiting from timely access to data that provides enhanced visibility into changes in operational metrics. Over 21 million raw data elements from 20 unique data sources are seamlessly processed by HardMetrics Performance Manager on a daily basis that provide key performance metrics to the management team. The data includes all of the key drivers of TCIM performance, including financial, operational, and payroll data. Users are<br />also able to slice and dice the data any way they want, all from an easyto-use Web-based interface.<br /><br />HardMetrics Performance Manager also lets TCIM eliminate creation of ad hoc reports and special IT projects to perform detailed analysis. “We’ve freed our IT staff from performing manual data analysis and enabled our internal customers to analyze the operations through self-service access to critical business performance metrics,” says von Kleeck.<br /><br />Call center managers can view agent and team performance objectively, view a client program globally, and more actively monitor business performance on behalf of the customer.<br /><br />“Our account managers’ ability to rapidly drill down into performance metrics and truly manage the client account has been extremely beneficial in execution of client programs,” says von Kleeck. “It is critical to understand short-term and long-term trends; but if it takes too long to get the data and understand the facts, your business has probably already changed. You cannot work with stale data. HardMetrics has enabled TCIM to move beyond managing by gut feel or intuition and into<br />an environment where we can effectively identify problems, trust that the underlying data is accurate, and make necessary changes quickly.”<br /><br /><b>For more information</b><br /><br />HardMetrics, Inc.<br />610-263-8000<br /><a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com%20/">www.HardMetrics.com </a><br /><a href="mailto:info@hardmetrics.com">info@hardmetrics.com</a>Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-23141359829309048502011-03-07T13:02:00.000-05:002011-03-09T17:27:24.674-05:00What to expect from HardMetrics in 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Du8jvylq1NQ/TW5sLG8t48I/AAAAAAAAAuY/mfXB-OSxKY0/s1600/New+Picture+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Du8jvylq1NQ/TW5sLG8t48I/AAAAAAAAAuY/mfXB-OSxKY0/s320/New+Picture+%25282%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>Wow! It's been a whirlwind few weeks since <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/2011/02/software-pro-joins-hardmetrics-as.html">I joined HardMetrics</a>, but as I've gotten to know my HardMetrics teammates and many of our clients, my instincts have been 100 percent confirmed: This is a great opportunity for me.<br /><br />When I entered "free agency," I had a number of potential career moves put in front of me, but I was looking for a company that had a great solution, a great product, and a great team.<br /><br />I know how to build a successful sales and marketing organization. That's my core skill set and area of expertise, but the best sales organization in the world can't sell a product that doesn't hit the mark with its target market.<br /><br />Last January I started talking to the HardMetrics team, and I was immediately impressed. <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/solutions.html">HardMetrics Performance Manager</a> flat-out works for <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Call%20center">call center-driven organizations</a>. Our customers are willing to step up and tell the world about the positive changes that are enabled by real-time visibility into call center operations and the subsequent impact on overall <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Business%20operations%20metrics">business operations</a>.<br /><br />They rave about our launch process, our domain knowledge, the quality of our staff, our ongoing customer support, and our flexibility in accommodating changes as they learn, grow, and expand the scope of their implementations. We have proven <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Case%20study">case studies with signature clients</a> that can be publicized and expanded upon. In short, the only thing that was missing was additional market presence and visibility. And that's where I come in.<br /><br />I'm excited to be on board. I've enjoyed my interactions with customers I've met, and there are a number of customers I'm planning to meet with in the near future. They have all given me great feedback on our company and our solution, and expressed a willingness to participate in the HardMetrics customer community.<br /><br />To capitalize on that, I'm planning to establish a user group advisory board. If you're interested, please <a href="mailto:brian.turley@hardmetrics.com">let me know</a>. In addition, we've already started the process of increasing visibility through a concerted marketing initiative.<br /><br />We plan to have a significant presence at trade shows such as the <a href="http://ata2011convention.org/">ATA 2011 Convention and Expo</a>, <a href="http://www.socap.org/">SOCAP International 2011 Symposium</a>, and the <a href="http://www.icmi.com/ACCE2011">ICMI ACCE Conference and Expo</a>. I'll post more details on where we'll be and what we'll be doing at each show as they get closer. I look forward to meeting all of you in the coming weeks and months!Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-49055927698533324282011-03-03T12:36:00.000-05:002011-03-09T17:27:03.279-05:00New home for HardMetrics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_deby4QawewM/TUx7UIfB-oI/AAAAAAAAArM/MDwg1QXhn6Q/s1600/New+Picture+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_deby4QawewM/TUx7UIfB-oI/AAAAAAAAArM/MDwg1QXhn6Q/s200/New+Picture+%25281%2529.png" width="200" /></a></div>We're moving out and into a new, larger corporate headquarters in Wayne, Pa.! We announced the exciting news in a <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110111006720/en/HardMetrics-Establishes-Corporate-Headquarters-Philadelphia-Suburbs">press release</a>, which you can read below.<br /><br />Our three-and-a-half year lease with <a href="http://www.brandywine.com/">Brandywine Realty Trust</a>, the property’s owner, provides us with a strong foundation for today, and plenty of room to grow tomorrow.<br /><br />Ideally located in the Philadelphia suburbs along the Route 202 Technology Corridor, this new facility will provide access to the many technological, educational, and transportation resources in the Philadelphia area, as well as a deep pool of professional talent.<br /><br />Many of the Philadelphia region’s most successful corporations are our new neighbors, such as <a href="http://www.sungard.com/">SunGard</a>, <a href="http://www.amerisourcebergen.com/">Amerisource Bergen Corporation</a>, <a href="http://safeguard.com/">Safeguard Scientifics, Inc.</a>, <a href="http://www.seic.com/">SEI</a>, and many others.<br /><br />Despite the challenges of today's economy, HardMetrics has continued to enjoy strong growth. This is an indication of the increasing market recognition of the value of <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Performance%20management">performance management</a> technology and solutions.<br /><br />We have gained significant penetration within the financial services, insurance and membership services, and cable and MSO verticals. We are a leader in providing solutions to the outsourced <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Call%20center">call center</a> sector. We also are happy to have several very happy Fortune 500 clients.<br /><br />These customer-focused corporations operate in highly competitive markets. They need to operate at peak efficiency. They understand the value in being able to simultaneously collect, measure, manage, and monitor both call center and <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Business%20operations%20metrics">business operations metrics</a>. The demand is increasing dramatically, and we are investing in the infrastructure needed to meet that demand. <br /><br />Our move to a new, larger facility is a tangible demonstration that HardMetrics is on the move (figuratively and literally). This new headquarters will further advance our aggressive expansion plans for 2011 and beyond. Come and visit us in our new digs soon!<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110111006720/en/HardMetrics-Establishes-Corporate-Headquarters-Philadelphia-Suburbs"><b>HardMetrics Establishes New Corporate Headquarters in Philadelphia Suburbs</b></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Continued growth and expansion for operational analytics and business intelligence solutions company fuels establishment of new corporate roots</i></div><br />WAYNE, Pa.--(<a href="http://www.businesswire.com/">BUSINESS WIRE</a>)--<a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/">HardMetrics</a>, the leading provider of performance management and operational analytics solutions for call center driven organizations, today announced that the company has selected Wayne, PA as the location for its new corporate headquarters.<br /><br />The new headquarters, at 565 East Swedesford Road, is located in the heart of the Route 202 Technology Corridor in the suburbs of Philadelphia. HardMetrics has entered into a 3.5 year lease with Brandywine Realty Trust, the property’s owner.<br /><br />HardMetrics was co-founded in 2003 by CEO Rob Winner, a serial entrepreneur with a track record of building successful start-up and growth stage software companies. HardMetrics has established its software products as best-in-class business intelligence solutions that help enterprises make sense of the massive amounts of data created by call centers and other mission critical operational platforms. HardMetrics centralizes data from a wide variety of sources within the call center, including in-house and externally produced data, and translates it to usable, actionable business information that can be accessed across all end user roles by corporations of all sizes who depend on call centers, and by companies that own, manage, and operate call centers on behalf of corporate clients. HardMetrics has an impressive list of blue chip customers, counts several recognizable Fortune 500 corporations among its clients, and has achieved significant penetration among the major players in the highly competitive outsourced call center sector.<br /><br />Rob Winner says, “Despite being in a highly-competitive market and facing the challenges of a struggling economy, HardMetrics is in the midst of a serious growth cycle. We have an impressive installed base of clients, great success stories, significant traction and aggressive growth plans for 2011 and beyond. Our software, which enables customer-focused corporations to simultaneously collect, measure, manage, and monitor both call center and business operations metrics is in high demand, and we are investing in the infrastructure needed to meet that demand. The centralization of our corporate functions in this new facility is a key milestone for the company.”<br /><br /><b>ABOUT HARDMETRICS</b><br /><br />HardMetrics is a leading provider of on-premise and on-demand analytics and business intelligence solutions for call centers and the companies that depend on them. Organizations of all sizes use HardMetrics to transform call center and operations data into actionable information that drives enhanced efficiencies, profitability and customer satisfaction. HardMetrics solutions are easy to deploy and cost effective, enhancing visibility at every level of the enterprise. For more information, please visit the company’s website at <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/">http://www.hardmetrics.com/</a>.<br /><br /><b>Contacts</b><br />Gregory FCA<br />Joe Crivelli, Senior Vice President, 610-228-2100<br />Mobile: 610-299-6700<br /><a href="mailto:JoeC@GregoryFCA.com">JoeC@GregoryFCA.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-38259456382839563172011-02-28T09:50:00.000-05:002011-03-09T17:26:47.443-05:00Software pro joins HardMetrics as President<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_deby4QawewM/TUx4uHLqqcI/AAAAAAAAArI/nTuIVPMcCuc/s1600/Brain+Turley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_deby4QawewM/TUx4uHLqqcI/AAAAAAAAArI/nTuIVPMcCuc/s200/Brain+Turley.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>Early in my career as an entrepreneur, I learned that one of the most important elements to building a successful business (besides always having enough money in the bank) is to have the strongest team possible.<br /><br />As CEO I lead the charge to hire and retain the best and brightest talent available. At HardMetrics we have accomplished some pretty impressive feats, and this is directly related to the fact that we have a highly pedigreed and hand-selected staff.<br /><br />In keeping with that philosophy, today we announced that HardMetrics has scored another major coup: We added <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/p/about-brian-m-turley.html">Brian Turley</a> to the team in the position of President.<br /><br />Brian has ascended the corporate ladder to become one of the leading software executives in the industry. As an example of his relentless pursuit of corporate success, he started in a sales role with Strohl Systems shortly after graduating from college, and eventually became CEO.<br /><br />He ultimately orchestrated and led the sale of Strohl to <a href="http://www.sungard.com/">SunGard</a>, and remained there as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Software Solutions for <a href="http://www.sungard.com/ourbusinesses/availabilityservices.aspx">SunGard Availability Services</a> before joining HardMetrics. That effort requires a unique set of skills and is a clear indication of what a driven and motivated leader Brian Turley is. Our hiring of Brian affirms our commitment to recruiting the best and brightest to drive HardMetrics forward.<br /><br />Brian's primary responsibilities at HardMetrics are growth, revenue, customer satisfaction, and building upon our successes to date so that we realize our massive growth potential. We've made a name for ourselves with signature clients such as <a href="http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Home">Motorola</a>, <a href="http://www.timewarnercable.com/">Time Warner Cable</a>, <a href="http://www.tcim.com/">TCIM Services</a>, <a href="http://valueofx.telerx.com/">Telerx</a>, and <a href="http://aaasouth.com/">AAA Auto Club South</a>, who are optimizing sales, customer service, and operations with <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/solutions.html">HardMetrics Performance Manager</a>. <br /><br />The call center is ground zero for customer interaction -- the place where customers and prospects find themselves when they decide to buy, or conversely when they have a customer care issue that needs to be addressed and/or fixed.<br /><br />Our clients have learned firsthand how important it is to leverage trends that are immediately visible in this mission-critical operating environment. Now, under Brian's leadership of our sales and marketing initiatives we can bring our know-how and proven <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Case%20study">case studies</a> to the huge universe of companies that depend on call centers to provide the first line of defense with their valuable customer base.<br /><br />Brian will be a major contributor in the enhancement of our marketing efforts, will own the build-out of our sales team, and will work with clients to drive even greater efficiency, productivity, and profitability from their sales, customer care, and business operations processes with HardMetrics Performance Manager. Read what else he'll be doing in the <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110119006180/en/HardMetrics-Expands-Management-Team-Accelerate-Growth-Opportunities">press release</a> we issued over the wire.<br /><br />In his spare time (if we allow him to have any!), he will also contribute here on the blog, so you can expect to hear more from him soon. Join me in extending a warm welcome to Brian!<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110119006180/en/HardMetrics-Expands-Management-Team-Accelerate-Growth-Opportunities">HardMetrics Expands Management Team to Accelerate Growth Opportunities with Hiring of Brian Turley as President</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Software industry veteran brings experience from SunGard and Strohl Systems</i></div><br />WAYNE, Pa.--(<a href="http://www.businesswire.com/">BUSINESS WIRE</a>)--<a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/">HardMetrics</a>, the leading provider of performance management and operational analytics solutions for call center driven organizations, today announced that Brian Turley has joined the company as President. Mr. Turley will work closely with HardMetrics’ Chief Executive Officer, Rob Winner, and will focus on accelerating the company’s revenue growth through new customer acquisition, expansion of relationships with existing clients, and enhancement of sales and marketing initiatives.<br /><br />Founded in 2003, HardMetrics has established its software products as best-in-class business intelligence solutions that help enterprises make sense of the massive amounts of data created by call centers and other mission critical operational platforms. HardMetrics centrally collects data from a wide variety of sources within the call center, combines it with in-house as well as externally produced data and translates it to usable, actionable business information that can be used across all end user role levels by corporations of all sizes who depend on call centers, and companies that own, manage, and operate call centers on behalf of corporate clients. The company has attracted an “A” list of corporate customers, and Mr. Turley’s track record of building successful software companies will enable HardMetrics to aggressively expand its sales and marketing initiatives, develop additional client relationships, as well as enhance existing and build new awareness with the analyst community.<br /><br />In commenting on the announcement, Rob Winner said, “HardMetrics is on a steep growth trajectory. With Brian Turley we add a highly-pedigreed professional to our experienced and accomplished management team and continue our philosophy of hiring the best and brightest available talent on the market. Brian’s sales and marketing expertise immediately enhances the collective intellectual capital of the company and delivers the firepower we need to execute on the considerable business opportunity before us. Brian’s mandate is to leverage our track record of success in empowering our customers with the ability to quickly and dramatically increase the efficiency, productivity and profitability of their Sales, Customer Care and Operations business processes. Brian’s expertise and energy will assist in accelerating our growth even further.”<br /><br />Prior to joining HardMetrics, Turley was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Software Solutions for SunGard Availability Services. Turley also enjoyed a successful career at Strohl Systems, joining the company in 1996 as Sales Support and eventually ascending to the role of Chief Executive Officer, where he helped the company to become a leader in business continuity planning software and services. As CEO, Turley was responsible for executing on the successful sale of the company to SunGard, a pioneer and leading provider of availability solutions. Turley graduated from West Virginia University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.<br /><br />Brian Turley added, “HardMetrics has true disruptive technology: powerful and intuitive, yet easy to deploy, easy to support, easy to use and the most cost effective solution of its kind available on the market today. HardMetrics cracks the code on the real business challenges that customer-focused corporations face by collecting measuring, monitoring and simultaneously managing both call center and business metrics with dashboards, scorecards actionable reporting and data visualization. Customers rave about HardMetrics because our solutions work as advertised and deliver real results. Now, we can leverage this success and build additional value, additional customer relationships, and additional awareness throughout the industry. This opportunity fits my skill set perfectly and I look forward to working shoulder-to-shoulder with Rob Winner and the entire HardMetrics team to continue to grow and enhance the value of our company.”<br /><br /><b>ABOUT HARDMETRICS</b><br /><br />HardMetrics is a leading provider of on-premise and on-demand analytics and business intelligence solutions for call centers and the companies that depend on them. Organizations of all sizes use HardMetrics to transform call center and operations data into actionable information that drives enhanced efficiencies, profitability and customer satisfaction. HardMetrics solutions are easy to deploy and cost effective, enhancing visibility at every level of the enterprise. For more information, please visit the company’s website at <a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com/">http://www.hardmetrics.com/</a>.<br /><br /><b>PRESS RESOURCES</b><br /><br />Contact: Joe Crivelli, <a href="mailto:JoeC@GregComm.com">JoeC@GregComm.com</a>, (610) 228-2100<br /><br />Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6578159&lang=en">http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6578159&lang=en</a><br /><br /><b>Contacts</b><br />Gregory FCA<br />Joe Crivelli, Senior Vice President<br />Direct: 610-228-2100<br />Mobile: 610-299-6700<br /><a href="mailto:JoeC@gregcomm.com">JoeC@gregcomm.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-33180344700378614082011-02-24T09:24:00.000-05:002011-03-09T17:26:17.425-05:00Happy data, happy customers<a href="http://www.gregoryfca.com/blogs/hardmetrics/documents/Hardmetrics_Telerx_CS_FINAL.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-G_VUxBKiNR0/TW1gioG-CNI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/sk8_yzwNtRE/s320/HardMetrics+Telerx.png" width="230" /></a><a href="http://valueofx.telerx.com/">Telerx</a> is in the business of making customers happier. But you can't make customers happier if you can't measure whether they're happy or not. How do you measure it?<br /><br />By analyzing massive amounts of <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Reporting%20and%20performance%20analytics">customer contact and call handling information</a>, survey and satisfaction, CRM, and other sources of customer interaction data. Even social media.<br /><br />Easier said than done. In addition to centralized corporate data, Telerx had operations data scattered across the U.S. in six contact centers.<br /><br />But with our help, Telerx was able to consolidate that information into <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/HardMetrics%20Performance%20Manager">HardMetrics Performance Manager</a>, correlate relationships and events across the disparate sites, customers, programs, campaigns, and more.<br /><br />Now Telerx management can instantly access the latest data any time, from anywhere. Even better, they can simply drag and drop different data elements into a single report to compare and contrast data from different sources. Find out more in the full <a href="http://www.gregoryfca.com/blogs/hardmetrics/documents/Hardmetrics_Telerx_CS_FINAL.pdf">PDF</a> or read the case study below.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><b>Overview:</b><br />As the leader in outsourced customer care contact center services for the pharmaceutical and consumer package goods industries, Telerx is expected to deliver exceptional customer care from its six contact centers in North America. Telerx needed the ability to better analyze customer contact and call handling information across disparate management systems to improve customer satisfaction.<br /><br /><b>The Telerx challenge:</b><br /><ul><li>Integrate data and consolidate reporting from six North American contact centers.</li><li>Eliminate manual processes and human errors.</li><li>Centralize and standardize data. Promote availability, accuracy, and trust.</li><li>Simplify and expedite report generation while introducing advanced analytics.</li><li>Enhance decision making.</li></ul><a name='more'></a><b>Solution:</b><br />Telerx selected HardMetrics Performance Manager to capture, measure, visualize, investigate, and report on the performance of the contact centers and their impact on business performance. HardMetrics Performance Manager proved the most cost-effective, efficient way to analyze contact center operations for Telerx and its clients while improving business performance.<br /><br /><b>Benefits:</b><br />With HardMetrics, business analytics and metrics are available and customizable on demand and Telerx management has the ability to consolidate hard-to-combine data in a self-service, intuitive, Web-based application. The result is a better bottom line and a significant improvement in customer satisfaction.<br /><br /><b>Leading Contact Center Outsourcing Specialist Enhances Competitive Edge with HardMetrics Performance Manager</b><br /><br />Telerx depends on business analytics and reporting from its six contact centers across the U.S. and Canada to optimize relationships with Fortune 500 clients. These companies trust Telerx to deliver exceptional customer care. However, according to Diana Helfinstine, Senior Vice President of Operations at Telerx, analyzing customer contact and call handling information presents a significant challenge because multiple contact center management systems and vendor platforms are involved.<br /><br />Diana Helfinstine said: “We host a number of CRM systems and we don’t always have complete information coming from our clients’ automated, call-distribution systems. Billing structures are often different, as well. Despite the disparate nature of this information, we needed to create <br />reports on a frequent basis. A lot of resources were involved in taking this information, pulling it together, and formatting it. It was an incredibly cumbersome process.” <br /><br />Helfinstine continues, “Whenever you have humans interacting with data there’s always a chance for mistakes to be made: Manual processing is error-prone and one person’s interpretation of the data <br />might be different than someone else’s. A consistent point of view becomes much more difficult to obtain.”<br /><br />Telerx evaluated many CPM solutions to address this challenge, but most were over-engineered, expensive, and complicated. A peer company that had good experience and tangible success using HardMetrics Performance Manager in a similar environment recommended that Telerx evaluate this contact center-focused solution. <br /><br />“We knew we needed to talk to HardMetrics. When we did we were very impressed with what they could offer. HardMetrics had a cost-effective and flexible solution with the functionality we needed, combined with the domain expertise needed to help with implementation,” says Helfinstine.<br /><br />After due diligence, Telerx implemented HardMetrics Performance Manager in April 2009. Since its early days of implementation, Helfinstine and her team at Telerx have experienced many advantages. <br /><br />“With a drag and drop process you can take different data elements and bring them together into one single report and then compare and contrast data from different sources,” she says.<br /><br />The HardMetrics solution has also simplified and expedited report generation for Telerx. According to Helfinstine, “Using a manual process, we spent hours developing reports for all the data our clients needed. With HardMetrics, we simply click on the various elements and create a report in a matter of seconds. Once that’s done, I can go in and export that information to my clients, all within a very short period of time, compared to the hours it used to take to manually pull everything together.”<br /><br />Since implementing HardMetrics, Telerx has greatly improved the effectiveness of its customer care operations and is now enjoying enhanced timely visibility into business trends affecting their clients’ bottom line.<br /><br />“We have built an ROI analysis around this implementation and are successfully meeting that return,” concludes Helfinstine.<br /><br /><b>For more information</b><br /><br />HardMetrics, Inc.<br />610-263-8000<br /><a href="http://www.hardmetrics.com%20/">www.HardMetrics.com</a><br /><a href="mailto:info@hardmetrics.com">info@hardmetrics.com</a><br /><br />Telerx <br />1-800-283-5379<br /><a href="http://www.telerx.com/">www.Telerx.com</a>Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3621189804634286529.post-55745593105163040922011-02-21T09:15:00.000-05:002011-03-09T17:25:49.262-05:00A triple threat of webinars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_deby4QawewM/TUx4T4_Y-1I/AAAAAAAAArE/sxZ5ZM-2j20/s1600/New+Picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_deby4QawewM/TUx4T4_Y-1I/AAAAAAAAArE/sxZ5ZM-2j20/s320/New+Picture.png" width="320" /></a></div>One of the things we hope to do here on our new blog is to feature some of our most successful <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Webinars">webinars</a>. <br /><div><br /></div><div>Make sure you subscribe to the blog either through e-mail or <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Hardmetrics">RSS</a> so that you're always aware of our upcoming information series. </div><div><br /></div><div>We'll let you know in advance when they're going to air, encourage you to sign up, and feature the archived versions. To give you an idea of the type of information you can learn in our webinars, take a peek at the three we recently produced that I think you'll find really valuable.<br /><br /><ul><li><b><a href="http://hardmetrics.com/webinar_form2.html">Improve Corporate Performance and Efficiencies with Operational Analytics</a></b> tells you why <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Business%20analytics">analytics</a> and <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Business%20intelligence">business intelligence</a> in most organizations continue to struggle to meet the needs of their end user community. We look at how <a href="http://valueofx.telerx.com/">Telerx</a> put <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Operational%20analytics">operational analytics</a> into action to successfully visualize, investigate, and report on the links between the call center and business performance.</li></ul><br /><ul><li><a href="http://hardmetrics.com/webinar_form.html"><b>Business Units and Business Intelligence</b></a> shows you why the business intelligence landscape is changing for the better for business users. We dive into how <a href="http://www.aaasouth.com/">AAA Auto Club South</a> is taking advantage of these changes and was able to gain access to 750 metrics in an organized, easy-to-use, Web-based application.</li></ul><br /><ul><li><a href="http://hardmetrics.com/dl/HM_Motorola_Webinar_20090225.pdf"><b>Making Metrics and Analytics Work across your Operation</b></a> confirms that data and <a href="http://hardmetrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Reporting%20and%20performance%20analytics">reporting</a> don't have to be siloed. We look at how <a href="http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Home">Motorola</a> was able to consolidate reporting and performance analytics for its global customer care operations to become timely, accurate, and consistent.</li></ul><br />Feel free to view them at your leisure. Then tell us what more you'd like to learn about. Leave us your thoughts in a comment on this post. Make sure you stay up to speed with all of our webinars by bookmarking the "<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Hardmetrics">webinars</a>" tag.</div>Brian Turleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12541443747702102943noreply@blogger.com0