Outsourcing technical support takes more than just finding cheaper agents or cutting headcount. For one IT service management company, SYKES improved efficiencies through a combination of best practices, change management programs and a unique on-site/work-at-home scheduling model.
Our Brand Partner
Our brand partner is a U.S.-based, multinational, Fortune 500 IT service management company. Also the largest privately held business software and IT services brand, they provide IT production and recovery services — designing, building, and running resilient and available production environments.
Founded in 1978, the company employs more than 3,000 workers worldwide and recently underwent a major leadership change. SYKES began a partnership with this brand in 2016, providing tier 1 and 2 technical support for network and compute technology solutions.
Challenge Presented
Our brand partner needed to reduce operational costs and was looking for a partner to help move some of their technical support to an off- or near-shore solution. They were also hoping to improve tech support efficiencies and maintain high-quality service throughout the transition.
Our Approach
SYKES conducted a deep analysis of the brand’s operations, production environments and processes, looking for efficiencies and repetitive tasks we could automate to free-up resources for more productive work. We presented a solid proposal which has since been adopted globally by the brand.
Through our analysis, we identified an opportunity to transition a portion of the brand’s technical support from in-house locations in the U.S. to SYKES’ Costa Rica site. This would enable us to source agents from the SYKES Tech Academy, where candidates learn skills and earn certifications that qualify them for technical/digital positions.
In addition to applying best practices SYKES has established through decades of experience with global technology brands, we implemented a corporate change management program to mitigate transitional risks. Together, these strategies allowed for a consistency of production quality while improving overall operational efficiencies.
To achieve further savings, SYKES implemented a rotating work-at-home model for agents. This reduced overhead by enabling a shared work space — agents alternate shifts in the office and working remotely so that each work station could effectively serve multiple agents without overlap.
Results
- Achieved brand’s savings goal with no degradation of service
- Improved operational efficiencies through transition to Costa Rica and shared workspace model
- SYKES became brand’s exclusive support outsourcing provider
- Program evolved to include advanced tech services
- Brand implemented our recommended efficiency project globally
