Little is more essential to call center operations than technology. From the telephony that enables patient calls to the quality monitoring and reporting software that helps ensure service levels, technology is the backbone that allows you to execute patient access processes. The necessity, cost, and wide range of options make the realm of call center technology intimidating— especially if you are inexperienced or unfamiliar with the nuances of the business. Investments must be chosen wisely or service can suffer...
Essential Operating Technologies
- Telephony platforms (with CTI and ACD)
- Auto-call back and whisper technology
- Multiple inbound lines and IVRs
- Autodialer
- Queue Management
- Omnichannel Communication
- CRM/CMS
- Workforce Management System
- IT infrastructure and Supporting Software
- Ticketing & Project Management Systems
- Reporting, analytics, and monitoring software
- Multi-Language Translation
- Hardware such as computers, headsets, and phones
- Data, Application, and Storage Servers
There’s no doubt that technology is one of the most essential (and costly) aspects of call center operations. Beyond the necessity of basic telephony, CRMs, and infrastructure technologies to manage patient call volumes, the sophistication of these technologies often goes hand in hand with the quality of the patient experience that you can offer. Additionally, you’ll require monitoring and data analytics technologies to identify opportunities for better efficiencies and improve processes to ensure service quality. Also, technology is essential to compliance; so you’ll need a high-tech suite to enforce the security of patient data. And since technology is always changing, there will inevitably be to need to evolve and upgrade these systems— adding to the overall expense.
Overwhelmed? It’s understandable, and we haven’t even touched on cost.
Implementation costs alone for infrastructure technologies can be substantial. Estimates for one-time implementation fees start around $25,000 and don’t include the per-seat or per-minute subscription fees included with most basic operational software. With evolving patient demand for a better digital experience and the necessity for performance monitoring, keeping pace with the latest technology incurs separate significant costs. Conservative estimates per agent for the basics can be broken down as follows; CRM and telephony $1800, workforce management $1750, data management and integration $500, reporting and data transparency $500… This results in nearly a half-million dollar investment for a small call center with little more than 100 agents and doesn’t include the previously mentioned subscription fees, per-message cost for reminders, or other tech-related incidentals— not to mention the cost for operations, HR, IT, or other staff necessary to support the agents...
Beyond the basics listed here, there are a large variety of new technologies, including cutting-edge applications of automation and AI, that can elevate the patient experience and assist in optimizing your access center. Costs to develop or implement these can vary greatly and while they may not be essential to operations today, many would argue they will be in the near future.
Want to learn more about call center technology and the cost of operating your own healthcare call center?
Access our free white paper that compares the cost of in-house and outsourced operations, Healthcare Call Center: DIY or Buy?
Or reach out to schedule a conversation with one of our technology experts.
.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=blog%20image%20(8).png)
