Janusz Tomiczek – Business Tiger 2017 talks about the BSS industry

He has many-years’ experience in creating and carrying out telecommunications projects and also in managing multi-person teams. During his professional carrier he was responsible for development of solutions, verification of market demands and support of sale and presale processes. He also participated in R&D works concerning application of new technologies. Currently, he is responsible for the vision and development of the company, its sale and marketing strategy, development of sales and communication with the domestic and foreign partners. Janusz Tomiczek – president and CEO of Alfavox Sp. z o. o., 2017 Business Tiger.

Kamila Czyżyk, Pro Progressio: Dear Janusz, first of all, let us congratulate you receiving the Pro Progressio’s title of “2017 Business Tiger”. You have been involved in Call Contact Centre industry for many years. Let’s talk about the beginnings. Why did you decide to involve and develop in Call Contact Centre industry?

Janusz Tomiczek: First, I would like to thank for receiving the prestigious title of Business Tiger 2017. I am very happy that my contribution to development of the industry has been recognized. It’s a great honour for me and a huge mobilization for further work. Coming back to your question – that’s right, I have been involved in Call Contact Center industry for many years and I feel real respect for it. For me, the decision to develop my professional career in that particular field was obvious. I’ve been interested in modern technologies and possibilities of their implementation for communication with another person for many years. This industry leaves little time for boredom, its dynamic development encourages to create more and more advanced solutions with application of Speech Recognition, automation or the intriguing AI technology. I have the pleasure to speak with interesting people every day, both the suppliers of such technologies and the clients, with whom I can exchange views and share knowledge, which is also a very valuable experience for me.

When we look at the development of Call Contact Centre industry, we can easily observe that the technical side had been the biggest influence on its evolution. What, from your point of view, can be described as the biggest technical change in the area of software, currently used by Call Contact Centres?

In my opinion, as for today the solutions like Omnichannel Contact Center and especially the development of communication through social media, video and videochat channels are of high interest. The consumers are more eager to use the Internet to resolve different issues and they do that more and more frequently, so it is quite understandable that the industry is developing in that particular direction. I think that the use of systems such as Autonomous Digital Assistant based on Artificial Intelligence as well as Business Intelligence and Machine Learning modules is the biggest technical change in the area of software. Furthermore, Call Contact Centers choose to implement ASR, Speaker Verification or chatbot solutions bearing in mind the benefits and high performance indicators that can be achieved through such implementations in a relatively short period of time. We should also not forget mobile apps.

Alfavox is the technology company. Not only Polish but also international clients use your software. Which functions are currently the most frequently used by users?

Statistically, voice channel is the leader in this ranking, however, we should also mention recent noticeable interest in social media and video as well as chatbots and Dronn robots. The latter of the above-mentioned solutions deserve special attention since they set a new direction of development of the industry. Through robotisation the user can receive services in real time and twice as efficient as the standard ones irrespective of availability of human agents. Nowadays, time, responsiveness and correct identification of needs are key determinants for users.

From technological point of view, which solution, in the most efficient way, can improve and optimize the work of Call Contact Centre companies?

I think that today the solutions based on artificial intelligence open up many new possibilities for the industry. Currently published results indicate that the systems based on artificial intelligence bring about real optimization and efficiency of Call Contact Center departments. I would also like to emphasize the importance of drawing special attention to better and deeper integration of new solutions with the external IT infrastructure, which is another important factor that improves operation of CC companies.

You have received the title of “2017 Business Tiger”. What advice would you give to the companies, who are looking for a new Call Contact Centre services provider?

A good provider is able to precisely define the needs and indicate the specific solutions that meet customer expectations. In my opinion, understanding the needs of customers and confidence placed by the customers in their provider after the provider’s competence and capabilities have been proved, are especially important. I know by experience that potential of CC departments can be used efficiently through application of adequate technology that not only ensures that the current expectations are met but also enables to effectively implement a vision of the further development of the company. Some projects require application of the advanced AI solutions and the state-of-the-art modules that automate customer service, particularly in the fields of E-commerce, Banking or Outsourcing CC, whereas other projects need a direct human-human interaction, for example via video or videochat. I think that individual and partnership-based approach to the client is a crucial aspect while taking up the decision on choosing a good provider. Another important aspect is the awareness of time and speed at which providers implement a solution, scalability of that solution and possibilities to further extend the system depending on the company’s business needs.

Finally, I would also like to point out that the process of customer service and handling of call/ contact center systems does not solely depend on the technology, but first of all it depends on people, and Alfavox always pays special attention to that point. Successful business and high revenues are possible through synergy of human creativity and unlimited opportunities offered by technology.

Thank you very much for the conversation and wish you many new and interesting challenges.

The Business Tigers List is a subjective rating of Pro Progressio Foundation. Each of the listed Business Tigers is recommended as an expert in business relation building. The complete list of Pro Progressio Business Tigers is available in the Pro Progressio 2017 Annual Report: https://goo.gl/Vm1E3g