What is the purpose of self-service in a company?

Nowadays all businesses are in constant evolution, where their focus is to ensure convenience for all consumers. Users are looking for a comfortable way to solve their inquiries without having to go through tedious processes. That is why, next, we will know what self-service is for in a company, in addition to some important points about its general functionality.

What is self-service?

It is a process through which the customer, when wanting to purchase a product or service, can solve doubts regarding his purchase in an autonomous way; that is to say, without the need to enter into physical contact with the company. The focus of this type of platform is to improve the overall consumer experience independently from where the customer can be.

Knowing what self-service is for in a company allows marketing and advertising strategies to lead as many customers as possible to a personalized and comfortable service. In this aspect, self-service has stood out for being extremely useful, since it reduces response times and increases sales in the long term.

What is self-service for in a company?

Para qué sirve el autoservicio en una empresa

Some of the advantages provided by self-service in companies include the following:

  • Minimization of overhead costs. By eliminating traditional service channels and changing them to a digital format, modern companies have shown savings of 30% in their general capital.
  • Optimized time. With today’s technological development, online users require quick and concise answers to their questions. Therefore, by implementing a self-service system, the consumer’s initial interest in making a purchase is maintained.
  • Prolonged availability. These virtual platforms remain active 24 hours a day, since most of them operate through the use of cloud servers. This, in addition, provides a personalized and reactive level of attention to the customer’s needs.

What is self-service for in a multinational company with varied services?

When it comes to defining what self-service is for in a company with international coverage, we have the following points to highlight:

  • It molds to the type of culture and communication style of different regions to create a much closer and more reliable company-consumer relationship.
  • By adding automated systems, international self-service is optimized through feedback.
  • Booming self-service offers greater power to the customer by providing self-sufficient tools with which they are able to place greater value on their personal time.

How and why have companies migrated to self-service?

To know how and why companies have migrated to self-service, we must study the current business landscape. According to analyses carried out by international agencies, at least 70% of online consumers want to resolve their queries independently.

Companies have chosen to invest in more sophisticated web-based customer service technologies, especially because they are easy and less costly to maintain over time. In addition, it allows the hiring of trained personnel throughout the world, thus creating a much more extensive coverage.

Another determining factor in how and why companies have migrated to self-service is how they access this type of technology. Most businesses have opted to install dedicated servers and create automated live text chat software to meet the needs of their customers.

Other self-service options include self-service totems or self-service modules. These, for example, can be found in retail stores, banks, medical centers, pharmacies, supermarkets, among others.

In Belltech you can find various hardware and software to implement self-service in your company. We offer you the support and advice you need to carry out a solution like this. We invite you to leave us your details in our contact form and an agent will contact you in less than 48 hours.

What is conversational artificial intelligence and what are its advantages?

Conversational artificial intelligence is a technology that uses data, processes language in a natural way and develops automatic learning to engage in text or verbal conversations. In this article we will see its main features and advantages. As a preview, it is important to know that for companies the use of this tool saves time and money.

Characteristics of conversational artificial intelligence

This technology can recognize human communication patterns to engage in conversations in a natural way. This way, users can have an organic, positive experience and social interaction.

Questions may arise at this point about how well these systems work to achieve good results. The answer is that conversational artificial intelligence is the result of the convergence of years of development in voice assistant technologies.

On the enterprise side, conversational artificial intelligence is seen, for example, in different virtual assistance software. This type of software can understand even the most complex queries in a natural tone using artificial intelligence, thus providing fast and efficient responses to customers.

Conversational AI technology is a step up from what a simple chatbot can offer; where simpler chatbots can only answer pre-determined questions. A conversational AI simulates real conversations; with the ability to group topics and make connections between them to provide answers to complex questions.

How can this technology be used?

Inteligencia artificial conversacional Belltech

A customer service platform is one of the best places to apply these innovative systems. A bot equipped with artificial intelligence capable of engaging in real conversations can answer questions and handle complaints immediately and be available at all times.

Moreover, the use of bots in sales over simpler contact forms has proven to be more effective when aiming to generate leads.

Advantages of conversational artificial intelligence for companies

As we have already stated, this technology entails a number of benefits that companies can take advantage of. We list the most important ones below:

  • Bots with conversational intelligence can build relationships with current or potential customers in a personalized way.
  • Thanks to automation, it is possible to serve a much larger volume of customers or users in a cost-effective way.
  • Through these systems it is possible to get to know customers better because a large amount of data is collected during the various processes.
  • The response time is reduced and the satisfaction of the persons making an inquiry is increased.
  • It frees up customer service personnel for critical or complex tasks.
  • This technology is scalable and can work with hundreds of people at the same time. If necessary, demand peaks can be planned for.

Better communication with young users and customers.

Messaging app powered by AI of this type also enable better communication with young audiences. This is because the younger generation prefers chats or messages to telephone communication. On the other hand, the use of slangs or spelling mistakes are not an impediment to conversation.

At Belltech we offer different solutions based on conversational AI for your company. This way, it is possible to optimize your customer service department and improve the profitability for your company. AI is a technology that is causing an evolution in the communication channels of companies, do not hesitate to contact us with any questions through our contact form.

How can Cloud Contact Center benefit your company?

In recent years, customer service in companies of all sizes has become a constantly evolving factor. The implementation of new technologies and virtual platforms has allowed this area of service to adapt to the needs of any user. In this matter, cloud based contact center solutions have been a breakthrough in the way businesses interact with their customers. Below, we will delve into more detail about this solution and its general functions.

What is Cloud Contact Center?

This term defines a contact center platform that it is supported in a on demand, decentralized and online basis designed to maintain direct contact between the company and its clientele. It is a technology based on the use of virtual telephony on a large scale, allowing agents to operate remotely, offering contact options such as text messages or calls.

Tools of this style are characterized by storing valuable information on servers hosted in the cloud, which are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through these networks, the personal data of customers is kept safe with more sophisticated security measures thanks to the use of modern encryption methods.

Features of Cloud Contact Center

Contact Center Cloud - Belltech

Among some of the features we can mention about the cloud contact center, we have the following:

  1. Versatility. The expansion and ease of access to this type of technology allows companies to hire agents anywhere in the world.
  2. Stability. Customer service servers make use of encryption structures designed to keep personal information out of harm’s way. In addition, the speed of data transmission is extremely high.
  3. Diverse communication. By using a cloud contact center, a user on the network can easily switch communication options. With this, interaction can occur via calls, messages or video chat in real time.

Benefits of cloud contact centers

Some of the benefits of customer care modalities such as this are as follows:

  • Lower logistical costs. By using cloud servers, companies typically reduce their administrative costs by 40%. This is because maintenance costs of such platforms is much more cost-effective in the long run.
  • Better connectivity. The netcode implemented in this customer service platform allows for optimized communication at both ends. In recent years, improved connections have contributed to optimizing the response times of companies to their customers, ensuring higher sales.
  • Convenience. It is estimated that at least 60% of users in the network make the affiliation to digital or general services through their phones. In this sense, customer service in the cloud allows people in Colombia, for example, to resolve doubts before making a purchase from a Chilean or Mexican company.

How can a Cloud Contact Center benefit my company?

By implementing a cloud contact center, businesses within online platforms can offer fast and secure customer service. In addition, it contributes to generate a higher level of trust in the long term, especially in younger audiences. Innovation is a growing trend within all customer based industries, so investing in an improved customer service platform will bring benefits in the future as the quality of your customer experience increases overall.

In Belltech we offer contact tools to improve consumer experience for all businesses. We have a wide range of services that will facilitate fast and efficient real time connection between agents and users within the platform. Contact us through our contact form!

How do self-service technologies impact customer service and satisfaction?

In an increasingly technological world, evolution has been key in a certain sense, especially in terms of self-service technologies. This type of technology has contributed greatly to improve customer service on companies through all industries.

What are self-service technologies?

According to Research Gate, “self-service technologies (SST) are defined as technology interfaces that allow customers to produce a service without the direct involvement of employees.”

The world of retail, banking and customer service are sectors that have pioneered in the implementation of self-service technologies; effectively benefiting from the new “robots”. We see machines that help us to obtain an queue, avoiding long lines, taking advantage of the precise information given by artificial intelligence system; machines that help us speed up our shopping in both retail stores and supermarkets; machines that help us with orders in the reception and shipping of parcels or packages.

Regarding the evolution of self-service technologies in Latin America, we can refer to the example of Chile, a country that has experimented a substantial growth in digital transformation overall and the use self-service in all kind of business; according to Marcel Goic, an industrial engineer from the University of Chile, director of the Center for Retail Studies (CERET), the inclusion of the evolution of technologies in the Chilean market has been solved thanks to:

  1. Automation, which has proven to be effective in margin reductions motivated by stable cost reductions.
  2. The progress of digital channels.
  3. The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), which facilitates machine interaction in less structured situations.

How does self-service hardware benefit your company?

Tecnologías de autoservicio con Belltech

The implementation of self-service hardware implies an evolution of physical stores towards improving customer service. This is because employees can dedicate themselves to more critical tasks. In this way, it is possible to produce greater customer satisfaction at a lower cost.

According to the above, it is possible to influence customer satisfaction with certainty. Improving also customer loyalty and preference of self-payment or self-service at retail outlets or branches; this marks a positive trend in interactions of subsequent users based on different attributes such as: speed, ease of use, control, reliability and enjoyment.

Certainly the planning, execution and control of hardware operations to sustain these desired standards is based on first class professional services, that provide operational continuity of all services, monitoring management, predictive support teams and on-site attention.

Undoubtedly, the successful use of SST (Self Service Technologies) can “bind” consumers to a supplier, representing a feature that differentiates a retailer from the competition.

If you found this content interesting and want to know more about SST, self-service or self-payment and the base technology solutions for its development and how to apply it in your organization, in Belltech we will be happy to support your Digital Transformation projects. We offer you the support and advice you need to carry out a solution like this. We invite you to leave us your details in our contact form and an agent will contact you in less than 48 hours.

MARKETING AUTOMATION

Efficiency and effectiveness in omnichannel marketing campaigns

New technologies and high customization capabilities have been key to strengthening the relationship between consumers and brands. During recent years, new solutions have benn developed in order to optimise processes and deliver high quality products and services, with a special focus on the consumer experience. One of these solutions is Marketing Automation.

¿What is Marketing Automation?

It is the use of various software tools to automate marketing processes. It allows to improve the contactability of touchpoints and to offer this information in a timelier manner as soon as the customer requires it. It can be used for example, to define onboarding, post-sales and retention flows where the delivery of information to customers is ensured through omnichannel messaging tools.

Improves consumer communication with brands, helps build customer loyalty and optimises operational flow by automating repetitive tasks.

To make it simple, it allows companies to have greater efficiency and effectiveness regarding their defined Marketing actions, to help guide target audiences towards the fulfilment of a greater contact strategy.

In order to make use of Marketing Automation, it is necessary to implement a software platform for implementation and monitoring of actions. Said platform works with stored customer data, such as email, date of birth, geographic location, etc., or through data stored in cookies that record user behaviour.

Marketing Automation software is constructed on a couse-effect logic, establishing conditionals  in user interaction patterns and triggering a certain response based on the fulfilment of said conditions. When a user performs a certain action on a website, the software (according to its profiling and automation) will guide they with a proactive response, be it triggering the display of onpage information, sending an email SMS, etc.

For example, if a user visiting an eCommerce site has added products to their cart, but did not complete the purchase, it is possible to automate the sending of emails a few hours later, suggesting the completion of the purchase. There are also other simpler actions such as sending certain messages through different media in an automated way, with a certain frequency or stablishing automatic responses to direct messages.

Among the utilities and benefits of Marketing Automation, we can highlight:

  • Target audiences segmentation: a correct segmentation of the target audience, according to their behaviour, profile or, for example, if they meet a certain condition. This allows us to group lists from different databases, thus personalising mailings. The automation of these processes is an effective way to manage campaigns with repetitive actions.
  • Understand and learn: a reciprocal action, in understanding what users are looking for on the web and teaching the software at the same time, so that in future encounters with users, they can be offered a tailored experience. And this is one of the main objectives of Marketing Automation, to channel the actions of users in order to increase conversion and improve user satisfaction. 
  • Reduction of time and cost: in which marketing actions are carried out, as these are processed automatically, scheduled at different dates/times, according to the established strategic plan, saving time for the future organisation, reducing costs and making the most of the available resources.

Marketing Automation allows for analytical and statistical control of the data being provided and updated.

Accordingly, Nadia Vidal, Product Manager of Belltech Electronic Channels comments on the importance of using Marketing Automation in the management of multichannel campaigns: “Marketing Automation today is key for companies that want to stand out and enhance contact with their customers. It is no longer just a matter of sending separate email campaigns and push notifications, today it is necessary to orchestrate a complete customer journey and use different channels for this. And without Marketing Automation it becomes quite a complex task as, without the right tools, the work can become quite operational and can tend to make mistakes as basic as sending campaigns with the wrong name”. 

Regarding the benefits and her perspective of what Marketing Automation comes to solve, he adds: “It allows marketers to save a lot of time on routine tasks, such as database cleaning, customer profiling, integrations, etc. And focus on more strategic tasks that create value for the end customer.

On the other hand, it is key for boosting Customer Engagement, as it allows for greater personalisation of customer interactions, notably improving the experience with the brand. In short, they allow us to reach the customer at the right time”.

We also asked her about some key metrics to highlight the advantages of the use of Marketing Automation: “According to some studies, within the next few years *86% of organisations will be competing on customer experience, which is why Marketing Automation is so important today for companies of all sizes. In addition, when they implement customer engagement their customers are 7.2X more likely to make a purchase, have a 76% longer LTV and have 3X higher retention”.                 

(*Source: Gartner 2021 and Braze: Customer Engagement Review) All these benefits contribute to the efficiency of the marketing strategy, seeing significant increases in conversion opportunities while maintaining a cross-channel presence, achieving an omni-channel strategy so sought after by brands today.

If you found this content interesting and want to know more about Marketing Automation and the technology solutions that are the basis for its development and how to apply them into your organisation, at Belltech we will be happy to support your Digital Transformation projects, offering you the support and advice you need. We invite you to leave your details at www.belltech.la/en/contact-us/ and an agent will contact you in less than 48 hours.

EVOLUTION OF OMNICHANNEL STRATEGIES FOR THE TIMES TO COME

WHAT SHOULD NOT BE MISSING IN PLANNING FOR 2022

We start a new year adding knowledge under the “new normal” we have been experiencing in recent times, one that brought the loss of some freedoms and new necessities to be considered; both for the consumer and for small and large companies.

The world keeps rolling and as always, we must evolve and adapt to new paths to better and more efficiently support the choices and needs of our consumers, focusing our 2022 strategy on solutions that encompass all possible points of contact with the customer.

In our last edition, we talked about the technologies that would be key to keep up to the evolution of customer needs and we concluded that it is not possible to ensure success without a good Omnichannel strategy. Today, having well designed and interconnected contact points is a must.

“Omnichannel” is a concept that seeks the unification of all service channels, ensuring that the customer can interact and communicate through the medium that suits him best. It differs from “multi-channel” in that the objective of the latter is to make the presence of a company/brand available in different channels, but each channel is managed autonomously and separately, giving rise to many problems in the flow of user interaction.

The objective of omnichannel is to stablish lasting relationships with customers by being scalable and adapting the channels or means by which it communicates, that is, moving from one channel to another according to customer requirements. One of the most important factors to achieve this is to keep the data provided by users constantly updated and without errors. This concept becomes key to developing customer-based strategies and improving their experience.

It is essential that the entire business plan reacts to changes in consumer behaviour and coordinates to deliver a unified experience with the same standards, regardless of the channel through which it is consumed.

Regardless of where the client is, the service will always be exceptional, based on a comprehensive experience.

When we talk about comprehensive experience wherever the client is, one of the most important banking entities in Chile, Banco Estado, demonstrates what this means. Recently, they have inaugurated their most remote offices with a self-service and “remote service” model. 73 remote locations; more than 400,000 people, the vast majority without a access to banking services in their communities, where most costumers often needed to travel to the closest town or city will now be benefited with access more than 155 operations, most of them in the form of self-service and others through a video call through contact with a remote Banco Estado executive.

This initiative not only adds self-service totems, but also, with face-to-face executive attention for certain procedures on scheduled days, in addition to the incorporation of ATMs. A variety of channels that will work synchronized towards omnichannel to satisfy the needs of its customers.

Likewise, the multinational company Falabella recently announced that it will invest close to US$700 million in 2022 according to La Tercera Pulso newspaper, where 60% of the resources will go to investments in technology and logistics, while the remaining 40% will go to expanding the network of stores in the different countries that the Retail company operates. One of its leaders, Domingo Lama – Country Manager Chile, shares through the platform “E-Commerce Institute” and its “Digital Commerce e-Líderes News” on YouTube about how retailer strategies evolved towards a unified commerce and highlights: “…We see clearly that there has been a tremendous evolution in terms of omnichannel strategies, going from multichannel where each of the channels did not have any conversation with each other, to an omnichannel focus that is a more unified version for the customer, how we communicate through our different media and how the pandemic accelerated this to us. In the case of Chile, e-commerce went from being 12% to 20% and even a little more. […] it is not only to appear to be a single business through the multiple points of contact on the front-end for the client, but also in the back-end, where the data, the processes, the stocks , the prices of the different products in the different channels are connected. We are in an era of omnichannel, the call is to unify systems to offer better experiences to customers” he concludes.

In the same way, Jose Ignacio Calle, Director of Omnichannel Transformation of Mall Plaza, completes the concept, and indicates: “…the client is not binary, the person is one as a whole and the brands must get used to the situation in which the client finds himself, it is not that the client interacts with a part of the business by connecting through a given channel, but with everything that is the company itself. The evolution in the operation, logistics and marketing, have to do with technology, but also with the organizational culture.

Domingo Lama (Falabella) adds: “…according to the data I manage, between 70% and 80% of consumers combine the purchasing processes between the online showcase and in store purchase – showcase and online purchase, even showcase, online purchase and in store return. Customer interactions are becoming increasingly complex, so the need for companies to be Omnichannel and offer unified solutions is growing.”

Both agree that the evolution of companies includes an omnichannel approach that leads to a unified commerce process, the transformation of companies towards an omnichannel approach will only continue growing and developing, that does not mean having more channels, but rather being tightly connected with each other. other. Information is only one, so that more than connection alternatives, we must generate solutions for customers.

If you found this content interesting and want to know more about Omnichannel strategies and applications for your business, in Belltech we will be happy to support your Digital Transformation projects, offering you products, support and consultancy services you need to carry out your projects. We invite you to reach us out at https://belltech.la/en/contact-us and an agent will contact you in less than 48 hours.

COMMUNICATIONS TRENDS THAT WILL SHINE THIS 2022

Tools of the future that will be at our disposition

On the verge of the new year and because of the vertiginous scenario of social restrictions fluctuations, new quarantines and new COVID variants that 2022 will bring, a high level of activity is expected for the telecommunications industry.

As usual, the pandemic keeps bringing changes in all aspects of our lives; economic, social and above all technological. For it is the modern technological infrastructure that has allowed the world to keep working in these times, adapting to the needs of companies, which were looking for rapid changes in the face of imminent needs.

It is important to point out the impact that the years 2020-2021 caused in the advancement of digitization and connectivity of companies to support the multi-systemic processes of consumers, companies and even state agencies.

Until July 2020, the digitization level of products and/or services in the world reached 55%, jumping 7 years in relation to the pace at which digitization was being adopted in pre-pandemic periods (according to this McKinsey report).

And since this increase in the digitization of products or services requires solid connectivity, telecommunications networks have become increasingly essential to ensure the operational continuity of many other multiple industries.

One of the most important technologies, which is rapidly making its entry into Latin American markets, is 5G telecommunications networks; a huge boost to connectivity and business transformation, as well as a leap in the quality of services for people. In fact, there are already several projects that also put the 6G network on the table: “…6G sixth generation in mobile connectivity, is a technology that is expected to use high frequency TeraHertz radio waves, which finally closes the gap between the digital, physical and human worlds,” as defined in an article on telecommunication trends published by Geotech Solutions on LinkedIn.

And in case any doubt remains, 7G is also being worked on. -British Telecom’s (BT) head of networks emphasized that initial research is underway for the 7G network that will be categorized into 7G base and 7.6G. According to analysts, 7G is intended to enable interaction between different systems worldwide, for example, the United States (GPS), China (Beidou), among others. According to the article “The future of networks: 6G and 7G” by LPS, “Telecommunications will remain globally competitive… maintaining competitiveness and labour production, taking advantage of emerging technologies that enhance the evolution of customer experience, network expansion and infrastructure management.

Constant connectivity and improved customer service, with the evolution and application of new technologies may become key elements for both the evolution of enterprises, as the backbone for telecommunications companies.

On the other hand, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI and ML) solutions are consolidating in the market, backed up by greater consumer confidence.

With the arrival of new connectivity speeds such as 5G, the AI and ML technologies will operate hand in hand, able to handle even greater amounts of data, updating their prediction and analysis capabilities, improving the customer experience in an Omnichannel sense, ultimately generating great opportunities for business growth.

Another technological tool that is gaining strength, and of which we have already spoken previously, are cloud based services, a great solution that helps in the transfer of operations and maintain continuous flow for companies, becoming an essential ally when carrying out digital transformation processes.

With a close relationship between the aforementioned technologies, which promise greater integration, connectivity and communication between customers and companies, the omnichannel service and development of communication technologies will lead in the hyperconnected market of tomorrow.

If you found this content interesting and want to know more about Digital Transformation, Contact and communications solutions and how to integrate them into your organization, in Belltech we will be happy to support your Digital Transformation projects, offering you products, support and consultancy services you need to carry out your projects. We invite you to reach us out at https://belltech.la/en/contact-us and an agent will contact you in less than 48 hours.

Cloud Computing

Essential ally in digital transformation

Digital ecosystems grow at a tremendous pace. We are living in a world that-although we saw coming- advanced quickly and hastily. We have accepted it and settled into our new normal.

Although Cloud Computing has been around for many years, was not until the pandemic arrived that many businesses faced the necessity to continue their operations from a remote working mode, an option who many thought would not be successful, but has proven to come to stay with us.

However, the fundamental solution to face this changes for businesses, where to manage, classify and communicate operations was the critical goal, was the adoption of Cloud Based Services. An accessibility and storage solution that was up to the requirements and demands of the moment, just waiting to be implemented across organizations.

Cloud Computing is an information managing system that set a beforeand after in the way of working, either as an individual or as a company.

By definition it is: “A computer system that is hosted on one or more servers, which can be accessed from any device connected to the network, usually through a web browser. In this way, the resources of this system are kept on-demand, easing fast and secure access to centralized data from anywhere.

It is also know as Virtual Cloud. Users can access all kinds of information quickly and efficiently without the need for dedicating own resources to data storage. All the information, data, documents and even operational processes are kept in a diversified external server, which is independent in a structural level, therefore, users can access information easily from anywhere, thus eliminating the storage concerns and allowing to redirect resources to other business aspects, for example, e-commerce, as well as saving in infrastructure and assets.

We must understand that digital transformation is not just about technology itself, but also the way organizations implement and manage said technology on an organizational culture level, having an agile disposition to drive the necessary changes within the organization and foresee customer needs.

Cloud based services can help improve operations, collaboration and data mining, throught a centralized and reliable way, available on demand. This technology provides a solid outsourced infrastructure to understand customers based on data, in synchrony with both business and consumer needs.

The large amount of data generated today is the basic for understanding and improving processes and Cloud Computing infrastructure preserves and manages said data and processes, such as: RPA, CRM and others, most of them often a fundamental ally for the development of new strategies throughout the company. The key is to scale processes to generate and obtain more and better quality information.

Finally, in this way we can observe that Cloud Computing platforms become an essential tool to carry out digital transformation processes, being a universal solution for all type organization, from the smallest to the largest. When used with creativity and ingenuity to establish omnichannel solutions that meet the needs of each consumer niche.

If this content was interesting for you and you want to know more about how we can help you implement cloud based services at your organization, at Belltech we will be happy to support your Digital Transformation projects, offering you the support and advice you need to accomplish a solution like this. We invite you to submit your contact information at www.belltech.la/contact/ and an agent will contact you in less than 48 hours.

The boom of self-service

The age of CX opportunities in LATAM

After the strong effects caused by the pandemic and in some cases social movements throughout the americas, we are experiencing a period of profound change. One of the most important regarding in consumer industry is the consumer itself; they experienced the full might of the pandemic and its restrictive measures, from an initial shock caused by the uncertainty and confinements to a quick adaptation to new channels offered by the market in these everchanging circumstances.

Is in this context, and mainly due to imposed social distance measures resulting from the necessity of protecting both consumers and workers that purchase flows through self-service kiosks -which many thought would be adopted fully in a long-term basis- have consolidated as a safe, efficient and easy way to interact with customers in the “new normal”.

The uncertainty caused by the pandemic led to a rapid transformation of consumer habits, prioritizing the use of credit and debit cards and e-wallets as payment methods, encouraging most businesses to adapt and provide a solution, often deploying the aforementioned self-service-kiosks. This is because after the evolution of consumer habits, most of them want fast, hassle-free services, without queues and as clean as possible, both from a health and experience perspective.

In this regard, self-service alternatives growing may be related to more than just the pandemic factor itself but for the recommendations to not handle cash, as it can help spread the virus, thus also demonstrating the grow in card or e-wallet payments.

Likewise, having limited capacity in stores, and the customers desire to avoid queues and crowds has also influenced the preference of consumers for stores that offer self-service checkout, since this payment method can provide a much faster purchase flow for payments o requirements, specially considering that avoiding crowds may be a key aspect for encouraging purchase decision.

Another important point is customization and customer experience; self-service purchases have improved tremendously in their capabilities, not only in hardware capabilities, but also in the overall experience that can be delivered through this terminals, most commercial self-service kiosks will offer the possibility to pay or schedule services in a nicely crafted, easily navigable interface.

According to America-retail.com: “Emerging technologies such as data analytics or artificial intelligence, applied to payment systems, allow us to better understand users and make proposals increasingly adapted to new consumer habits.”

In this way, many opportunities have been created for businesses to implement and promote self-service systems, improving customer experience as a key factor for success today.

Continuing to improve and update self-service systems will be most important to consolidate a digital culture of commerce and consumers, generating in this way new possibilities for brands to connect to their customers and discover new sale opportunities. Without a doubt, the new age of self-service will be one of better relationships between customers and brands, and continuing to pursue this development will be key to achieve success in Customer Experience.

If this content was interesting for you and you want to know more about how to implement Self-service solutions for your business, at Belltech we will be happy to support your Digital Transformation projects, offering you the support and advice you need to accomplish a solution like this. We invite you to submit your contact information at www.belltech.la/contact/  and an agent will contact you in less than 48 hours.

Belltech Agile Framework

Agile Methodology for everything

When we talk about Agile, Scrum and Agile framework we imagine walls full of colored post-its notes stuck all over the place with catchphrases, and people interacting, etc. All the above is a rather imaginary cliché that we have seen repeatedly, but this goes beyond writing and arranging ideas on a wall. Instead, it is about how to apply one or more frameworks, with the purpose of establishing ourselves in the long term, to make an impact in the organizational culture, achieve disruptive results and implement projects at all scales of purpose.

It all begins with an Agile Framework, which is the basis used for project development with a specific objective. In this case, this specific objective is to streamline processes in the most efficient way, which is at the same time, an agile framework applicable to all types of software projects. In simple words, it is a framework based on essential values such as: transparency, teamwork, communication, and transversality, therefore, it is a humanized work style that is always seeking continuous improvement in order to achieve specific objectives. There are many methodologies related to this matter, however, according to the 13th Annual State of Agile Report from May 2019, the Scrum methodology is the most used. This report was created in 1986 by two Japanese management experts: Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka, who published an article in Harvard Business Review called New New Product Development Game. That paper concerned a new and improved approach to the development of commercial products, in which they used as a reference and analogy a rugby team and their scrum.

Scrum Methodology characteristics:

It is iterative and incremental: it is iterative because it seeks cyclic work in short periods, to give sprint or reports, aiming to improve at every opportunity. On the other hand, it is incremental, as each iteration must be better than the previous one, sprint after sprint, from the most to the least important.

Fast turnaround due to a delivery management in weekly or short-term iterations.

It is an empirical methodology, since it experiments and keeps what works, therefore, it is a continuous improvement or what the Japanese call Kaizen. It manages risk by frequently seeking feedback.

Pillars on which Scrum is based: Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation. The first one consists of the entire scrum team being able to see what will be done or dealt with in each step, such as: Sprint Planning, in which the team plans what will be done; the daily, in which the team highlights what will be done during the workday; and the sprint review, which is a review of the built and potentially deployable products in production, as well as a review of what has been achieved or what has failed. However, this transparency indicates a change in the mentality of those enterprises that will use it, otherwise, it will invalidate any kind of measure. Inspection and adaptation go hand in hand, as all the work done is examined, and unwanted items are fixed, in order to learn quickly from mistakes.

Agile Framework can be used in all types of projects, such as those related with management, production, human resource management, etc., as well as in the creation and maintainability of software products or other types of products.

The value of the Agile Framework, which was created exclusively by Belltech for its customers, is its ability to focus and make resources more efficient so that projects are developed in the best way with good working relationship.

At Belltech we understand that our customers may require Agile roles or roles that leverage that transformation by going through hybrid models. This is how roles have been built according to each project, adapting to the different levels of agility and needs of each enterprise.

Belltech has a consulting model based on 5 fundamental pillars: Exploration, Needs Understanding, Scope Definition, Agile Maturity Diagnosis, and Execution and Iteration. This is a model in which the proposal formation path will depend on the agile evolution of the organization. Belltech considers 3 levels, in which the first one, Practice will be implemented if the company has some agile practices, even if without consistency. The second one, Doing, is where agile habits are emerging at the team level. Finally, the third level, Being, in which teams are beginning to mature and seek scalability of habits, culture and practices.

Depending on the state of the Agile Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing teams, Belltech has designed a guidance and training path that aims to lead the teams into giving their best and reach the next state of maturity.

We asked our Agile Coach Cindy Velásquez, an agility expert, about these frameworks, and before focusing on the details, she told us: “the success of each transformation initiative towards agility is intrinsically related to the openness and change management. Therefore, since we will always encounter barriers from traditional companies, it is in our hands to manage those barriers and turn them into opportunities to raise awareness of the benefits of working on projects using agile frameworks and an agile mindset”. She also added that, “Agile working methodologies are an established framework that is based on fundamental pillars with values and principles. However, it is necessary to develop the soft skills that are important for the team’s success. Finally, since this whole process needs to be supported by a cultural change, as it interacts and delegates, a change of mindset is required in the different hierarchical levels of the organizations”.

Cindy told us that Belltech’s Agile consulting has the characteristics to perform a “hybrid work at an expert level” because we can take advantage of the client’s technical expertise and provide the roles with the agile skills and capabilities needed to build valuable products. In addition, our consulting not only works towards project agility, but also for the development of differential technological components.

Scrum, in short, is a framework in which guidelines are given, but the scrum master is the one who must know how to guide them so as not to get lost among trivial specifications of the framework. Therefore, knowing how to choose a scrum master is the first decision to start this great change in the improvement of projects for your company, and Belltech, with its great experience, provides you with support and advise during this first decision.

If this content was interesting for you and you want to know more about how to implement Agile Frameworks in your organization, at Belltech we will be happy to support your Digital Transformation projects, offering you the support and advice you need to accomplish a solution like this. We invite you to submit your contact information at www.belltech.la/contacto/  and an agent will contact you in less than 48 hours.