Utilize this technology to “auto-evaluate all calls” for customer service quality monitoring and also reduce time for customer support through auto-response/response support

transcosmos inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President and COO: Masataka Okuda) and transcosmos analytics Inc. (Head Office: Tokyo, Japan; CEO: Yoichi Kawano), a wholly-owned subsidiary which specializes in research and analysis, started to enhance contact center framework and facilities from summer in 2017. Now, transcosmos will fully utilize AI/voice recognition technology in order to boost quality and operations efficiency at all contact centers. With success in the verification test on “auto-evaluation of all calls” for customer service quality monitoring, transcosmos aims at deploying the AI/voice recognition system to all of its contact centers.

■ Expectation and reality of voice recognition technology at contact centers

Recently, the use of voice data is attracting market attention along with the improvement of hardware processing ability and the rise of AI speakers. Contact centers, a reservoir of voice data, are no exception. Clients’ needs for auto-recognition technology and AI are on the increase. They want contact centers to use voice recognition technology to convert voice data into text in order to monitor support quality, whilst using AI to provide auto-response/support response, summarize conversations, analyze VOC, improve FAQ, and more.

Yet, in order to achieve expected results from the voice recognition system, it is essential to develop a deployment plan with clear objectives and KPIs, after fully understanding the challenges to deploy the system, such as time and effort required to improve/tune the accuracy of text recognition. However, in most cases, the system has issues in accuracy and profitability. transcosmos has gone through various trial and error processes, taking tremendous time and effort to solve these issues. Still, it was hard to utilize and establish the system as part of the operations, except for some clients.

■ After enhancing the team and facility for voice recognition, transcosmos succeeded in the verification test and subsequently deployed the automated quality monitoring system

As machine learning and natural language processing technologies penetrate the market, the use of voice data started to spread to wider fields. Recognizing this trend, transcosmos started to drastically enhance their R&D team and facilities from summer in 2017, to enjoy the benefits of AI/voice recognition technology in all operations fields. After conducting trial operations, transcosmos succeeded in the verification test on automated quality monitoring in the new environment using the voice recognition system.

With this new system, clients can use uniform criteria to “auto-evaluate all calls”, including the evaluation of basic support services such as “greeting”, “use of technical terminology” and “timely response”, which traditional “human” based monitoring systems could not deliver. Based on the monitoring results, transcosmos will add new KPIs such as stability of service and KPI achievement ratio. transcosmos will boost quality and operations efficiency by showing the evaluation data in dashboard and making records by using BI, overviewing the performance per center/team, identifying factors for increase/decrease in inquiry volume, and smoothly executing the PDCA cycle to make improvements.

■ Continue to drive the use of the voice recognition system for auto-response, response support, conversation summary, VOC analysis, FAQ improvement, and more

transcosmos will implement this auto-quality monitoring system which uses the new voice recognition technology to all of its contact centers, one by one. It will also develop and deploy new KPIs such as “received VOC such as opinions/requests” and “solved unhappy customer’s issue” based on accumulated operations know-how, whilst making further investments in facilities and enhancing R&D team structure.

In collaboration with transcosmos AI laboratory, “Communication Science Lab”, transcosmos will develop new services in order to utilize voice data for auto-response, response support, conversion summary, VOC analysis, FAQ improvement and other highly demanded themes, in order to support clients to further improve their customer experience.

* transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos inc. in Japan and other countries.
* transcosmos analytics is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos analytics Inc. in Japan and other countries.
* Other company names and product or service names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of respective companies.

■ About transcosmos analytics Inc.

transcosmos analytics was established as a 100% subsidiary of transcosmos in May 2012, in order to provide KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) service and to support clients in improving efficiency with their intellectual production activities whilst creating new values. transcosmos analytics responds to the rapidly-changing marketing environment flexibly and speedily in order to expand its clients’ profits and to maximize their customer satisfaction.

■ About Communication Science Lab

In September 2017, transcosmos established “Communication Science Lab”, a laboratory specifically for applying science to ever-digitalizing business-to-consumer communication by utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as AI and robotics as well as data science like machine learning and natural language processing. Communication Science Lab will solve information asymmetry problem between consumers and businesses by accumulating information assets including a corpus-based approach, a rule-based approach and algorithms that are essential in making next gen-communication in the digital age. Ultimately, Communication Science Lab aims at becoming the largest “communication data bank” in Asia.

■ About transcosmos inc.

transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have combined superior “people” with up-to-date “technology” to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients’ business processes focusing on both sales expansion and cost reduction through our 177 locations across 33 countries with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of e-commerce market on the global scale, transcosmos provides a comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce Services to deliver our clients’ excellent products and services to consumers in 49 countries around the globe. transcosmos aims to be the “Global Digital Transformation Partner” of our clients, supporting the clients’ transformation by leveraging digital technology, responding to the ever-changing business environment.