AT&T Wireless

Customer Care application suite, acquisition-driven data conversions

AT&T Wireless (AWS) is the largest independently traded wireless carrier in the United States. They operate one of the largest digital wireless networks in North America. With more than 19.5 million subscribers, they offer customers high-quality mobile wireless communications services (voice or data) to businesses and consumers.

Challenge

AWS (then McCaw Cellular) had a disparate, disjointed infrastructure for servicing customer needs. They lacked integration across various applications, resulting in duplication of data and inefficient business processes. To meet this challenge, AWS looked for help in designing and implementing a full-blown customer care system. This system had to provide a total real-time customer view to the call center representatives, starting from the in-store point of sale, as well as accommodate business rules concerning credit and availability. It also had to perform at sub-second response times and with complete reliability.

At the same time, executive management wanted to grow via aggressive merger and acquisition campaigns; however, no strategy existed that would integrate these new markets onto a single, coherent platform. As a result, AWS eventually ran five separate regional call centers, each with no access to data from any another region. To combat these inefficiencies, AWS announced the requirement to completely integrate and standardize their back-end systems and regional call center applications. In addition to other efficiency increases for the enterprise, it would enable call centers to handle each other's overflow for the first time.

In a related growth-inspired request, AWS asked for help in designing a process for rapidly assimilating back-end data stores of customer-related information. In this way, as AWS acquired new markets by buying and/or merging with other wireless service providers, the new markets could be quickly incorporated into the operations of the company.

Solution

Partnering closely with a Big Five consultancy, Übermind architected and implemented Axys, the underlying framework for an application suite covering the full spectrum of customer care. The Axys component-based, multitiered architecture has successfully accommodated countless follow-on features and business rules, allowing AWS to stay nimble in response to changing conditions. Übermind played a pivotal role in the design and implementation of Axys-enabled applications, including:

  • Phone activation and POS system, used by sales agents in AT&T stores
  • Collections and receivables tracking utility, integrated with their billing application
  • Credit monitoring/rating application, linking billing and receivables information to provisioning systems
  • Web-based Online Care System, enabling customers to manage account information and service plans
  • Queue-based auto dialer that contacts customers, displays relevant account information for customer service representatives, and connects the two parties as the customer answers

Übermind then began a two-year effort to achieve total cross-market and cross-network integration of AWS's five regional customer care centers. Again partnering with a Big Five consultancy through all phases of architecture, design, and implementation, Übermind standardized all customer care apps and tied them to a single data store. Each single region has access to all regions' account data. Via an efficient call load-balancing layer, calls are automatically routed to the home region and, in heavy load situations, to the call center best able to handle the load.

In another key strategic effort, AWS formed the New Markets Acquisition Team. With Übermind providing core architecture and implementation expertise, this "swat team" executes all data conversions and systems integrations for every AWS acquisition. Übermind developed a business process and utility suite that significantly simplifies new market acquisitions, leading the design and implementation for these conversions and integrations from upfront business analysis through final signoff.

Results

  • Increased efficiency for Customer Service activities
  • Enhanced customer experience
  • Streamlined merger/acquisition activities