MBIE adopts Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Media release

11 February 2013

MBIE adopts Microsoft Dynamics CRM to improve client experience

New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is installing the Microsoft Dynamics Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to simplify its interactions with customers, reduce costs and keep its organisation better informed about opportunities to improve service.

The two-phase implementation into MBIE’s Christchurch-based service centre began last month, with the full roll-out to be completed by mid-2013.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM enables MBIE to more effectively contribute to the Government’s goal of delivering better public services for business by using the data collected from contact centre interactions to inform and shape policies that deliver greater value to customers.

“This gives us a clearer picture than we’ve ever had before of not just the issues we need to pay attention to, but also the time taken and cost to resolve them,” says Jeremy Dickson, Manager of the Ministry’s Business Service Centre.

Mr Dickson said one of his aims was to eliminate the need for people to follow up on, or re-explain, their initial enquiries or contacts with the Ministry.

“This product gives us the power to achieve that goal. It’ll also help ensure that we can continue to increase the number of enquiries we’re able to resolve at the first point of contact.”

One of the keys to achieving these efficiencies is the fact that Microsoft Dynamics CRM will assess the type of call and link the Ministry’s front-line call staff to relevant parts of its ‘knowledge store’ in real time, as the call is answered. It does this while minimising the caller’s exposure to the interactive voice response system.

“The new technology will allow us to enhance the human element of the contact process,” says Mr Dickson.

“The thinking behind it is simple – when you call our Ministry you’ll be connected with minimum fuss to someone who can see your interaction history, the information you’re after now, and who will be in a position to do for you what you need done.”

As well as providing the Ministry with information about the problems and issues people are calling to discuss, Microsoft Dynamics CRM will help quantify, in both time and money, the benefit of the solutions to these problems. This will enable the Ministry’s business units to prioritise fixes.

“Until now we’ve had a case-based CRM product without an underlying client structure – so when you called us we dealt with your case but we were less informed to the other ways we could help your business. We will now be more informed, helpful and able to add greater value to interactions."

The Ministry selected Microsoft Dynamics CRM on the basis of its price competitiveness over the product’s lifetime, its functionality and its ease of scalability.

“We’d like ultimately to integrate this product with all our client-facing registers, such as the New Zealand Companies Office. We are building reporting information into our data warehouse to enable a better end-to-end view of the dealings any business has with parts of this Ministry. The business intelligence and resulting improvements and efficiencies should add significant value to businesses,” adds Mr Dickson.

The Ministry has completed the testing phase, making process improvements in the course of testing, and has already logged more than 16,000 cases in the new system. Statistics gathered in the first two weeks of operation show almost 96% of calls are resolved at first point of contact, and the average call time has been reduced by 3 seconds, saving a total of 375 hours per annum.

“We are very happy with the productivity gains achieved in this short space of time, and expect these gains to significantly increase as more client data is added and staff become more familiar with the system,” says Mr Dickson.

The solution is designed to put the right answers at the agents' fingertips, giving them a comprehensive knowledge base, and allowing for innovative ways of engaging business, says Microsoft New Zealand Dynamics Lead, Lindsay Zwart.

"We are excited to be working with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to create greater efficiencies in the public sector, helping make tax payer funds go further, and also improving the overall experience of the Kiwi businesses, entrepreneurs and workers that interact with the Ministry."

For more information on Microsoft Dynamics CRM please visit www.microsoft.co.nz/crm or contact your technology partner.

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