Siemens Healthcare customer care centre agents support medical professionals who are using the company’s diagnostics and imaging equipment in hospital environments. Acquisitions had resulted in multiple systems with limited flexibility. Vital technology needed future proofing to meet the increasing needs of its customers. Consistency and business continuity were the new watchwords.

With a distributed team, Andy Barnett, head of service operations, made the inspired decision to introduce a cloud-based virtual contact centre. Selecting BT Cloud Contact has enabled Siemens Healthcare to unify its UK customer service, providing Andy with a palette with which to paint boundless omnichannel possibilities.

Cloud-based contact centre boosts medical equipment support.

Case study - Siemens Healthcare Limited.

The more we looked at BT Cloud Contact, the more we realised it would suit our requirements on a number of levels.

Andy BarnettHead of Service Operations Siemens Healthcare

BT Cloud Contact injects versatility into vital Siemens Healthcare customer service.

Case Study - Siemens Healthcare Limited.

Cloud-based model suits distributed team.When customer care is a business fundamental, contact centre operational efficiency is vital. At Siemens Healthcare, corporate acquisitions had brought a variety of telephone systems into its contact centre environment. Calls arrived in different ways depending on the products hospitals had purchased. Although customer service remained first class, operating with different platforms limited flexibility, functionality and business efficiency.

The company’s customer care agents handle around 400 calls a day from experts using its equipment in UK hospitals. They need information or troubleshooting services to be provided quickly and efficiently. Add around 100 internal calls from Siemens field engineers and up to 1,000 outbound calls to customers every day and the customer care centre’s importance is clear.

Andy Barnett, head of service operations, says: “We’d already started to bring our customer service activities under one structure, but we also needed to stitch together our customer channels.” With more than 60 home and remote workers in the mix, the trend towards cloud-based virtual solutions resulted in Siemens Healthcare investigating BT Cloud Contact.

Powerful, proven flexibility and business continuity.Pay-as-you-go rather than upfront capital investment was one attraction. The flexibility to quickly upscale and downscale teams was another. Andy recalls: “The more we looked at BT Cloud Contact, the more we realised it would suit our requirements on a number of levels.” Business continuity, always a healthcare priority, was fully covered too.

As a long-term Siemens Healthcare partner, BT had already earned the company’s trust. It was also ahead of the competition with a tried-and-tested solution proven in other businesses. Andy says: “If we had to leave this office tomorrow, we could continue to take customers’ calls on BT Cloud Contact. That’s very powerful.”

A BT team joined the Siemens Healthcare internal task force, working onsite to build the software and run a detailed user acceptance programme. BT Cloud Contact now sits on top of the existing telephone network, which remains unchanged. Implementation was completed in only eight weeks.

“This was a major project and I was impressed by the way BT handled it. We formed good relationships with their project team who did an excellent job,” says Andy.

What I most like about this solution is its simplicity. With a telephone and an internet link, you can connect to the customer care centre from anywhere in the world. I’m extremely pleased with the package we have in place.

Andy BarnettHead of Service Operations Siemens Healthcare

If we had to leave this office tomorrow, we could continue to take customers’ calls on BT Cloud Contact. That’s very powerful.

Andy BarnettHead of Service Operations Siemens Healthcare

Case Study - Siemens Healthcare Limited.

Customer experience just keeps getting better.With BT Cloud Contact, Siemens Healthcare has been able to further enhance customer service. For example, rapid call transfer between virtual team members means the right specialist is engaged to deliver the fastest possible response. This has substantially improved first time call resolution rates. BT Cloud Contact is very versatile too. “We can set up new agents quickly and easily just about anywhere,” confirms Andy Barnett. “That also gives us the flexibility to provide service across international boundaries.”

Siemens Healthcare offers a first-class experience to all customers. Team leads oversee the customer care centre in real time, attending to and fixing any issues as soon as they arise. BT Inbound Contact allows Siemens Healthcare to maintain the phone numbers customers are used to, as well as further

strengthening the company’s business continuity. That’s because the BT Inbound Architect online tool enables calls to be redirected to a disaster recovery site in seconds.

With BT Cloud Contact it’s easy to add new functions, and more are becoming available all the time. This enables Siemens Healthcare to develop its operations in ways not even considered 12 months ago. For example, agents now manage incoming emails in the same queue as phone calls. While taking CRM into the cloud will equip customer care agents with more background on the customers they’re supporting. Meanwhile, the possibility of communicating with the organisation’s 180 field engineers via web chat is currently being explored.

Andy concludes: “What I most like about this solution is its simplicity. With a telephone and an internet link, you can connect to the customer care centre from anywhere in the world. I’m extremely pleased with the package we have in place.”

Offices worldwideThe telecommunications services described in this publication are subject to availability and may be modified from time to time. Services and equipment are provided subject to British Telecommunications plc’s respective standard conditions of contract. Nothing in this publication forms any part of any contract. © British Telecommunications plc 2015. Registered office: 81 Newgate Street, London EC1A 7AJ. Registered in England No: 1800000

Core services.• BT Cloud Contact

• BT Inbound Contact

• BT Inbound Architect

October 2015

Find out more:

Contact your BT account manager directly