Real Talk With Xerox US Customer Business Operations

The ChallengeEvery day, Xerox customers are directly and indirectly served by the company’s US Customer Business Operations (USCBO). Whether customers are placing equipment orders, making payments or calling with invoice questions, their contract-related needs become an integral part of the USCBO workflow. To provide customer support that is both immediate and informed, the USCBO team relies on 135 different applications. Keeping USCBO’s systems up and running is as mandatory as keeping them current.

“We significantly enhanced the systems that keep our operations up and running to ensure that our 225,000 U.S. customers have the most efficient ordering and contract services, and quickly get the right answers.”

Customer Support Services

– Barrett Sullivan Chief Administrative Officer Xerox US Customer Business Operations

The SolutionThe Xerox Technology Information Management (XTIM) team reassessed USCBO’s IT infrastructure and identified critical areas with the potential for improvement. At the heart of XTIM’s recommendations was a significantly enhanced disaster recovery solution. Today, with the solution in place, USCBO is serving customers more efficiently, without worrying about service interruptions. In addition, the group has realized significant operational savings that are being reinvested to continually revitalize customer support.

Real Results• Reliable, uninterrupted order and

contract services for 225,000 Xerox customers in the U.S.

• Advanced disaster recovery solution that protects against lost customer data and minimizes downtime due to a redundant infrastructure and enhanced data recovery protocols

• 60% faster order processing

• 75% of all customer calls handled during initial contact; substantially fewer callbacks

• Significant operational savings reinvested in new customer service systems and processes

Uptime Upkeep: A Proactive Solution for Uninterrupted Customer ServiceWhen it comes to serving customers, what happens behind the scenes at Xerox US Customer Business Operations (USCBO) is almost as important as the customer interactions themselves. If orders aren’t processed rapidly or questions can’t be answered because a system is down, the customer experience suffers.

To ensure that disruptions remain minimal, the Xerox Technology Information Management (XTIM) group teamed with USCBO to implement a state-of-the-industry disaster recovery solution. The outcome? Enhanced stability and reliability for USCBO’s infrastructure, superior service for customers.

An Internal Model with External ValueThe XTIM organization provides internal IT services on a global level, using a framework that organizes IT functions horizontally, rather than according to hardware, software, etc. The framework’s components range from planning to solutions development to operational support.

In implementing the USCBO solution, the XTIM support group went beyond their “standard” responsibilities. Rather than simply maintain USCBO’s systems, they improved them. Working closely with USCBO, they created a disaster recovery solution that involves redundant systems, enhanced data recovery protocols and a modernized IT infrastructure with lower operational costs. All of which means USCBO can serve customers with greater efficiency and confidence.

Peace of Mind for Customers and Those Who Help ThemUSCBO aids internal and external Xerox customers, answering 297,000 calls and 180,000 written inquiries a year. For internal customers, the group oversees every aspect of order and contract management. For external customers, USCBO is a hub of essential information, addressing all questions, issues and requests related to customer orders, contracts and invoices.

“We sold our business and need to move printers.” “I’d like you to bill us differently.” “What’s the status of my order?” “We want to extend our contract.” “Our address is changing.” On any given day, these are some of the issues the USCBO Customer Care team might address, along with customer concerns about device performance.

The mission to meet these diverse needs is reinforced by over a hundred USCBO applications and systems. The mission to keep those applications and systems operational and current is upheld by XTIM.

Redundant Infrastructure for One-of-a-Kind ServiceAt the start of the project, XTIM analyzed USCBO’s critical and non-critical systems—and their interrelationships. Systems were prioritized according to the importance of their uptime to customers. For example, the system that processes customer contracts is a high priority while an internal system for weekly team statistics is low.

A redundant server infrastructure lies at the heart of the solution, enabling the activities of one data center to be rapidly recovered at another should a system go down. Systems run in parallel, so if a primary system is forced offline, customer data and uptime are protected. In addition, contracts with external IT vendors have been revised to include a currency mandate, ensuring supportable systems over the long term.

XTIM also plays a critical role in USCBO’s natural disaster testing, connecting systems in outdoor trailers to satellites to confirm readiness for natural catastrophes.

Greater Uptime. Faster Turnaround Time.Thanks to the continuous availability of multiple, integrated systems, USCBO customer service is now better than ever. 75% of all customer requests are met on the first call (most remaining cases require an additional step, such as reviewing a tax exemption request). Orders are processed 60% faster. Responses to written inquiries happen in one-fourth the time. Callbacks are significantly fewer. And the lack of downtime backlogs means USCBO doesn’t play catch up and customers don’t wait for systems to get back up.

Equally important, the enhancements have led to greater customer satisfaction. Customers are now describing their USCBO experience as, “accommodating and a genuine pleasure,” “solution-focused and the epitome of professionalism,” and “excellent, ensuring my needs were met now and in the future.”

These new efficiencies, combined with lower technical support costs, have resulted in considerable operational savings that are being reinvested in new customer-focused initiatives. One recent example is a workflow platform that automatically pushes relevant data from multiple systems onto a single Customer Care screen, delivering more customer information in less time.

Putting it simply, the stability, productivity and cost-efficiency of USCBO have never been stronger, but tomorrow’s USCBO customer experience is certain to be even more impressive.

“ It’s a collection of hardware and services that allows us to quickly recover activities in one Xerox data center by backing them up at another Xerox center so business partners—and customers—don’t have to worry if a disaster occurs.”

– Chris Landry Vice President Xerox Technology Worldwide Application Production Operations

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