CCM

New to Customer Communication Management (CCM)?

Customer Communication Management is defined as the process to compose, format, personalize, distribute and monitor content (physical or electronic), for external communication. CCM Solution is a set of Information Technology tools that help an organization:

  1.  Achieve enhanced customer experience by providing personalized and contextual communication to the right customer at the right time through his preferred channel
  2. Standardize communication across multiple channels (Print, Mail, Web, Mobile, Fax)
  3. Leverage all communication touch points for better brand positioning and to facilitate cross-sell and up-sell
  4. Ensure regulatory compliance from both content and SLA perspective
  5. Empower their customers for self service through on-demand communication
  6. Reduce operational complexities owing to multiple communication channels

Different communication channels are deployed depending on context, purpose, compliance, frequency and cost. For regular and structured communication like Financial Statements, Bills, Account notices etc. Offset and digital prints, E-mails and SMS are generally the communication medium deployed. For a more interactive disposition like Public Relations, Advertising, Trade shows, the company uses Social Media, offset prints, websites, blogs etc. Portals and mobile serve the on-demand communication channel offering self services like Order confirmations, On-line quotes etc. Each Channel is targeted at a specific target audience and designed according to a robust communication plan.

Need for CCM is clearly established

With the passage of time since the inception of customer communication, the concept has metamorphosed and now a clear need has been established for effective customer communication management, which acts as a single platform to manage any outgoing communication from the organization. The following fuel the need for an effective CCM solution:

Key Benefits from CCM

  1. Enhanced Customer Experience
    1. Personalized content and delivery channel
    2. Single consolidated communication for multiple services
    3. Need based communication
    4. Ability for Self Service
    5. Timely delivery
    6. No lost communication
  2. Revenue Management
    1. Leverage each communication for better brand positioning and Cross sell and Up sell
    2. Leverage each communication for trans-info i.e. educate your customers
    3. Facilitate faster time to market and service new market opportunities
    4. White Space Management
  3. Cost Optimization
    1. One platform to manage different communication channels
    2. Reduce Time to market
    3. Transition communication to E-Channels
    4. Streamline manual handoffs and reworks
    5. Automate high volume communications
    6. Reduction and simplification of templates
    7. Reducing maintenance cost by retiring legacy systems
  4. Risk & Compliance
    1. Standardization to governance norms and  mandates
    2. Control on content with centralized  monitoring
    3. Communication Audit Capability
    4. Adherence to Branding Guidelines

CCM Enablers

There are three main components for an effective CCM solution:

1. Document Output for Customer Communication Management

  • Multichannel Capability –
    . Print
    . E-Mail
    . Mobile
    . Web
  • Composition Designer to enable business users in designing highly interactive & personalized communications
  • Plug-ins for designing tools like MS Word/Adobe In-design etc.
  • Take input from disparate sources – CRM, Core Systems etc.
  • Multilingual Capability to generate Multilingual Communication
  • Data Consolidation from multiple systems
  • Easy Template Management
  • Personalization / Segmentation of Communication
  • White Space Management
  • Enforce Branding Guidelines
  • Batch Job Support

2. Business Process Management

  • Process Automation Workflow
  • Template Approval Process
  • Sampling & Approval before actual communication distribution
  • Workflows for Correspondence Approval
  • Straight Through Processing for on-demand communication
  • Business Activity Monitoring – Increasing Visibility through Dashboard
  • Business Rule Engine – Support Personalization in Communication – Multilingual, Trans-promos, and Delivery Channels etc.
  • Business Modeler – GUI based Designer for empowerment of Business Users
  • E-Forms:  To enable end users for self services
  • Event Management & Handling
  • Integration with disparate systems

3. Enterprise Content Management

  • Unified Content Repository for Archival for all communications
  • Ensure the adherence to regulatory bodies led compliances for document storage
  • Audit Trail/History
  • Template Versioning
  • Editing for changes in communications
  • Highly scalable & secure repository

These three enablers combine together to provide a CCM framework for Effective Customer Communication Management. A visual depiction of the same is given below:

Click To Enlarge

Key Benefits from CCM

  • Enhanced Customer Experience
  • Single statement template for multiple distribution channels
  • Easy change management
  • Cost optimization and better control on wastages
  • Loyalty generation and brand building
  • Consolidate overlapping technologies
  • Reducing IT support
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Better up-selling & cross-selling


Conclusion

CCM benefits companies as it is a holistic solution that integrates all forms of communication and all types of information across the enterprise. An all-inclusive approach is essential in today’s dynamic business landscape, with customer needs becoming more divergent and an unbridled mushrooming of devices and channels that consumers, agents, and third-party partners have at their disposal. CCM helps to consolidate the data (structured and unstructured) sourced from the entire range of communication channels, and creates a platform where this information can be utilized for selling, servicing, and more decisively spurting growth via new business and retention.

In the current state of the world economy, companies are introspecting and looking for more efficient ways to manage their existing resources. They are also focusing on optimum utilization of their present communication channels to increase sales. CCM’s primary aim is to gain maximum traction from every customer interaction, capture more information about customer needs, provide timely and targeted offers to enhance customer service, and drive unprecedented enterprise growth.