IVR Really Work In Field Employee Safety by Barnard Crespi
For the past few years IVR implementations have been questioned for poor implementation results as organizations push the technology to the limit in efforts to cut costs from handling calls from customers.
However prior to this trend IVR was perceived an exceptional technology; it played a role where there was a balance between efficiency customer satisfaction return on investment. Im sure many recall the days when the way to get to the right place meant remembering to press 1 4 3 you were where you wanted to be. It wasnt all that bad customers were happy business managed their costs the technology did its job as advertised.
Most of the attention has been focused on IVRs application in call centers however IVR plays a significant role in other industry applications providing both businesses callers with significant benefits a positive experience return on investment.
For over 30 years the Algoma Health Unit AHU has provided public health services to citizens of the Algoma district. With offices in Blind River Elliot Lake Sault Ste. Marie Wawa AHU has a large geographical area in which to provide service coverage. Case managers public health nurses family support workers health practitioners public health inspectors work in these areas servicing a very broad constituency. Like many health organizations across North America AHU was facing the need to continuously communicate with staff in the district have the ability to respond quickly efficiently to any situation where there could be a potential public health or staff safety risk.
To address the problem AHU embarked on a process of redesigning their communication response processes policies. This initiative resulted in the revision of policies procedures the use of automation for employee tracking communications response processes.
The new process required an off hours call center to track communicate with staff a manual solution that created operational bottlenecks increased costs.
After careful review of the manual solution by health unit management which included consultation with the Health Safety Committee a decision was made to evaluate a computerized solution utilizing IVR.
A team led by Suzanne Irwin System Records Manager examined multiple employee tracking response requirements. It was important that a staff tracking system did more than just collect data document safety issues. Immediate alerts notifications to management responses to situations where an out call professional may be in a precarious position were a priority.
While it was clear that moving from a manual people intensive system to track staff electronically when responding to potential safety situations was crucial management felt strongly that attention needed to be paid to the work processes surrounding the solutions as well. Working closely with the Health Safety Committee plus employees their input ensured that the solution selection as well as the timing of implementation would meet the immediate need to track employees with the ability to respond quickly efficiently to potential risk situations.
The agency appreciated that with the selected IVR solution there was continuous open two way channel of communication with staff. Information was tracked in real time thus eliminating the need for dedicated human resources personnel to manually monitor all that was required was the standard issue field employee mobile phone.
Today when staff are leaving on a visit request all they do is pick up their mobile phone in less than 60 seconds they provide key information though a self service IVR Telephone portal. When they have completed the visit the practitioner will simply call in sign out with the option to set the parameters for the next visit. In the event a practitioner forgets to sign out the IVR will place an automated reminder call with the option to postpone the sign out time. In the event that an employee fails to respond to the reminder call then the IVR will automatically issue alerts to the field safety coordinators on call.
Program Directors coordinators can monitor who is in the field where. Safety officers can review the logs on an historical or real time basis assess the effectiveness of safety policies subsequently making improvements where required based on objective data.
After the IVR solution was implemented AHU reduced administrative costs associated with Employee Safety Tracking Response processes by over 80%. Our IVR solution allows us to manage by exception eliminate the need for a dispatcher eliminate the need for after hours call center support by 95% resulting in significant operational savings. reported AHU. With access to field employee information 24 7 over the web or via telephone Program Directors safety coordinators can make decisions in real time.
The IVR solutions Embedded Audit Trail management reporting allows AHU to focus on strategy ensure compliance execute their safety policy.
In addition AHU chose a Software as Service Model which provides AHU operations expertise with no overhead. With no need for additional infrastructure AHUs IVR implementation deployment took days not months.
IVR does work does deliver on its promises there is balance between efficiency user satisfaction return on investment. The management of Field Employee Safety Health Care is just one of many applications Where IVR Does Really Work.
You can get many tips on this topic by downloading several available guides on IVR datatel systems. com IVR Surveys datatel systems. com IVR Really Work In Field Employee Safety
