Nationwide Financial Services selected Cicero software to integrate key

business systems and automate processes to improve contact center

operational efficiency.

The Nationwide Financial Services contact center desktop project

integrates over 25 disparate business systems and secondary

applications. The primary goal of the project was to improve

operational efficiency and the customer experience while leveraging

existing technology assets. In a short period, the IT team, working with

Cicero, delivered an intelligent desktop that automated processes

and eliminated copying and pasting of data across all applications.

Results have included shortened new hire training, increased employee

productivity, and an improved the customer experience.

Summary

Case Study: Nationwide Financial Services

Operational Efficiency with Automation

Cicero Gets Data Others Can’t™

Challenge

Nationwide Financial Services (NFS)

is a member of the Nationwide Mutual

Insurance Company & Affiliated

Companies. NFS provides

savings and retirement products

including:

» Annuities

» Group and individual policies

» Life insurance

» Retirement plans, and

» Banking servces.

Before implementing Cicero’s

application automation software in their

contact centers, Nationwide’s Customer

Service Representatives (CSRs) had to

led to the selection of Cicero was that

it could overlay the existing

applications with Cicero’s framework

and be loosely coupled providing

a “plug-and-play” environment for

adding or removing applications to the

CSR environment.

“With Cicero, we were not required to

completely redesign our GUI for

each application. This also reduced our

expense for internal infrastructure

requirements since we didn’t have to

emulate our applications behind the

scenes,” says Doug Stafford, Associate

VP, IT Applications at NFS.

manually navigate several different

applications (e.g., 3270, Oracle Forms,

Web, Java, and many more platforms),

frequently having to re-key data

between systems. Detailed training

was also required on all of the different

applications to be able to navigate

them.

Nationwide built a business case for

this turnaround project based on

improving CSR productivity (measured

through reduced call times) and on CSR

job satisfaction, reduction in training,

and improved advisor and customer

satisfaction. A key consideration that

Solution

After analysis, the NFS project team determined that the ultimate solution they desired would be characterized by:

» A user-friendly solution that would be well received by users and would generate greater customer satisfaction.

» A quicker and more effective way to train agents on multiple complex business systems while decreasing operational costs, training costs, and staff turnover.

» Smooth cross-platform automation of primary systems, mission critical legacy applications, CRM, and web portals with CTI.

» Reduced data entry cost including error correction and updates, and a measurable increase in productivity.

In an extraordinarily short time

NFS IT and Cicero professionals

created the Cicero desktop

solution which integrated

CTI, key business systems and

numerous secondary applications

in use in the contact centers and

elsewhere within the Company.

Using Cicero, the CSRs now use a

central, integrated dashboard to

navigate between applications,

with key information (like

customer and policy numbers)

passed automatically between

applications.

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Key Results

Operational Efficiency

In addition to the enterprise level benefits to the IT organization and the company as a whole, there have been

many improvements in the day-to-day working levels of the organization.

» The job is easier. Each CSR has experienced substantially improved application ease-of-use as the Cicero

solution was phased in including: reduced initial sign-on times; automatic restarts for timed-out legacy

applications; reduced point-and-click navigation time to move between applications; reduced data entry time

and data entry errors by data sharing between applications.

» The job is more fulfilling. The generally improved morale and job satisfaction and has led to reduced turnover.

» The job is more interesting. CSRs can handle a variety of customer calls, reducing transfers and improving

customer satisfaction.

» The job is easier to learn. Cicero’s automation reduces training requirements and simplifies use.

» The job is easier to understand. The automation of many business specific tasks removes the requirement

that CSRs learn the interior complexities of each application.

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» A highly leveraged solution. The enterprise IT organization solved a

broad range of front-line operational problems with the deployment of

Cicero software.

» Extraordinarily fast results. The customer satisfaction metrics improved

substantially and target ROI measures were reached within the first 6

months.

» Safe changes. Modest training requirements and extreme ease-of-use

design made it possible to introduce change in nearly all parts of the

company with minimum risk and disruption.

» Outstanding success. The solution provided credibility for the enterprise

IT organization so that they could pursue their longer-range architectural

overhaul with the full confidence of the business unit managers and senior

executives.

Process Analytics & Automation

Cicero provides process analytics

and automation software for the

contact center and back-office. For

more than 15 years we have helped

Fortune 500 companies understand

how and why work happens

and thereby streamline routine

employee tasks, typically reducing

costs by 20% while significantly

improving the customer experience.

Cicero Gets Data Others Can’t™

919.380.5000

WWW.CICEROINC.COM

Nationwide Financial Services continues to realize key IT and operational

benefits. Overall the project:

» Integrates and automates over 25 applications including:

» Microsoft Office and other desktop productivity suites and tools

» Mission critical 3270

» Mid-range and client-server applications

» Older IBM 360 applications

» Siebel

» Oracle Forms

» Third-party packaged solutions for document management, call

tracking, and Citrix

» Web-based applications

» Web Services and portals both internal and external

» Reduced training from 8 to 6 weeks

» Eliminates copying and pasting between screens and applications

» Improves customer experience

» Increases CSR effectiveness and satisfaction

» Automates legacy and modern applications without access or changes

to source code

» Provides a comprehensive automation toolset that NFS uses to make

changes as needed

Automate Processes & Remove the Barriers to Employee Productivity

Cicero provides a drag and drop configuration environment that allows companies to share data and automate processes within and between applications

Benefits

© 2015 Cicero Inc. All rights reserved.

Cicero provides a higher

degree of automation,

enabling employees

to focus more on the

customer’s needs and less

on the complicated tasks

involved in meeting those

needs.

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