Manufacturers are having to grapple with a vast range of challenges; supply chain difficulties, skills gaps, changing commercial and distribution models, harnessing the potential of automation and AI, to name just a few. In which case the role, purpose and configuration of contact centres may seem like a question for another day.
But communicating with and managing customers is now a core undertaking – and manufacturers changing how they do it can have significant positive impacts across the rest of their business.
Customers, customer everywhere!
Managing customers in a commercially effective and brand-enhancing manner is a challenge, but the first challenge is often to define exactly who those customers are.
For manufactures they may well include: end-users, service and maintenance providers, sales agents and distributors, logistics and shipping agents, governmental agencies – as well as colleagues such as finance, billing, mobile engineers and so on.
All these customers have their specific needs and expectations, but all need to be handled and addressed in a manageable way, with best practice techniques developed, optimised and consistently deployed.
The financial case for consolidation of contract centre activities is often obvious, but the adoption of new contact centre advisor-supporting tools and technologies now make a high-performing, multi-skilled service a feasible reality.
A tower of babel?
Today, very few manufacturers can afford to operate in a single language market or markets. Globalised supply chains mean that – whether selling direct to end-users or through dedicated or networked agents and distributors – manufacturers inhabit a multilingual world. Without the ability to interact remotely with customers across most or all of the languages they use, firms will limit their scope to penetrate overseas markets and/or rise up the value chain with the product/service proposition.
Irrespective of the undoubted advances made in translation technologies which can enable multilingual customer support, operating a multilingual contacts centre – be that in a centralised hub, or through distributed in-country operations – is very challenging and costly. Increasingly, the skills to do so successfully – and leverage those supporting technologies – is a specialised undertaking.
Facing up to the cybersecurity threat
The threat from cybercrime and data security challenges more generally grow and grow. Aviva’ research suggests that 20% of UK businesses are subject to cybercrime annually (https://www.aviva.com/newsroom/news-releases/2023/12/One-in-five-businesses-have-been-victims-of-cyber-attack-in-the-last-year/ ) and the impact of such crime is increasing as organisations’ digital shifts progress.
Distributed, ill-managed systems and lines of communication often present firms’ greatest areas of vulnerability. Added to which ‘social engineering’ and scammers’ targeting of individuals employees continues to account for most points of corporate failure, giving criminals access to vital systems and data.
Professional, secure and well-trained contact centre operations can provide a robust defence against the cybercrime threat. Again, a consolidated contact centre function, with tested processes and technology to underpin data control, isn’t a guarantee of cyber resilience. But it’s a great way to address threats whilst building internal coherence and capabilities.
Need to talk?
Customer Contact Panel based in Sheffield, a city with a proud industrial history and a strength in advanced manufacturing technologies. So, we know a little bit about manufacturing, but we know a lot about contact centres! Contact centre services are intrinsic to the manufacturing sector’s success. We can help guide firms through the best approaches, infrastructures and technologies to deliver the best customer management. This includes outsourcing to specialist providers who can deploy their expertise and insight, allowing manufacturing firms to focus on developing their products and services.
We’re always happy to chat. Get in touch
