Tenix Solutions is a world leader in the provision of fully integrated traffic enforcement and parking management services. It is the largest traffic enforcement organization in the Southern Hemisphere, processing over 3.5 million notices per year in Australia and New Zealand. With 450 employees, Tenix Solutions successfully partners with both public and private sectors.
Tenix Solutions offers services to make road networks safer and more efficient, including traffic management services and enforcement, parking management services, and road safety alert systems. The company manages large volumes of infringements through a complete end-to-end processing service. This process starts with infringement detection, then moves through to prosecution, collections and enforcement.
‘Green screen’ navigation is cumbersome
To handle high volume customer service, Tenix Solutions maintains a busy contact center with 80 people. They use a IBM S/390 mainframe application called VIMS (Victorian Infringement Management System). The existing systems use desktop clients running Attachmate® EXTRA!® emulation, overlaid with a Visual Basic® interface.
The VIMS application has always been complex to navigate – even for highly proficient users. Several steps were required to gather information for each client contact, and calls took more time than they should. Customers were frequently put on hold, because the navigation between critical screen menus was slow. Operators had to manually note relevant information gathered from these screens, opening up the potential for errors in data entry.
Compliancy issues add to operator tasks
Based on contractual requirements, compliancy is a major issue for Tenix Solutions. Struggling through the navigation, operators often missed some steps. On each call, operators had to check all previous contact history, including both history codes and free text, requiring several navigation steps. The operators needed to view all history alongside the text.
Wanted: improved functionality for call center employees
Tenix Solutions was looking for better functionality from a user perspective and a Web-based, centrally managed solution to reduce IT support costs. The company also wanted to extend the life of its IBM mainframe, and realized any shift in back-end technology was going to involve a major reinvestment – with great risk and time commitment.
Web access would offer easier management and extranet capabilities for partner organizations, an essential requirement for the portfolio supported by Tenix. For example, when Department of Justice offices relocated, Tenix IT support was required onsite to reinstall and set up mainframe-based access. “Browser access would be far easier and we could save costs by reducing onsite staff,” said Neil Hyde, General Manager, Customer Operations for Tenix Solutions.
Because of high call volume, it was critical that any new application improve workflow and decrease the time an operator spends on the phone. For compliance reasons, they wanted to improve the quality of call handling. If Tenix could reduce staff training and turnover issues, they could also cut operating costs.
“As we provide services to outside government authorities and operate under contract with a fixed term subject to future renewal, any new investment needs to be very carefully viewed,” explained Adam Giles, Contact Center Coordinator for Tenix Solutions. “Leveraging is key.”
Smoother Web-based access
Attachmate presented a tactical solution to provide immediate benefits to operators and also deliver valuable information for design improvements for the new system. After three months of Proof of Concepts and analysis, Attachmate delivered the solution for the ‘e-VIMS’.
Using Attachmate mainframe integration technology, Tenix Solutions met all of its requirements in weeks, instead of months. The solution was running in less than eight weeks. A Web-based application lets operators view several screens in a single view, with all the details required to process a warrant, obligation, court order, or a payment. Historical searches are far simpler and easier to navigate. Call times are reduced because operators can view all history and free text side-by-side.
Reduced call times and increased call quality
Call quality is regularly audited by Tenix Solutions. Typically, if a call fails, it is because all information pertaining to the call was not easily accessible. “Using Attachmate mainframe integration technology, we are now able to improve calls, and decrease operator error,” said Neil Hyde. “Most significantly, we have reduced the number of screens that an operator needs to navigate, resulting in faster call turn-around, a greater rate of compliancy, and a huge increase in staff satisfaction,” he continued.
The business case was built on the return on investment from improved call turnaround. “A 30-second time saving per call will essentially reduce staffing costs,” explained Hyde. “Other benefits, such as improved compliancy and reduced IT support, are all a bonus.”
“With Attachmate, we have been able to address two conflicting issues: to keep call times to a minimum, and to complete all the steps necessary for compliance,” explained Adam Giles.
“We have been able to expand the use of thin client technology and take advantage of all it offers – and leverage our existing technology platform,” continued Giles.