Information Systems Projects in Contact Centers - Enterprise Information Systems Design, Implementation and Management: Organizational Applications - page 393

which is growing in use and importance. Video
calls appear pushed by communication operators.
The possibilities of obtaining the service are
becoming more mixed between in-house, out-
source and insource solutions. Actual research
considers the outsource possibilities (Aksin,
Véricourt, & Karaesmen, 2008; Gans & Zhou,
2007). In either case this decision has an impact
in solution design (security issues, performance
and distribution, among others) and must be
considered in the project.

considered a critical issue in the CCIS design.
A new factor was included in the framework,
the continuous improvement preparation. Any
smaller improve may have a huge impact in either
in the user's satisfaction either in the cost of the
resources. To improve is necessary to measure.
Measures come from records in the information
systems. Contact centers must define their own
key performance indicators, and they must be
include in the service's design in an early stage.
The use of an adequate framework for CCIS
projects will enable: the development of a system-
atic and structured research in knowledge areas
related with CCIS; the identification of the criti-
cal factors and the specific characteristics of the
different types of projects; the identification and
development of project management approaches,
best practices, tools and techniques; organizations
to have a framework to build decisions processes
based on their needs, choose the best alternatives
in order to reach their strategic goals; the creation
of standards and norms; the increase of the success
in CCIS projects.
This is a dynamic and growing area. Contact
centers' research represents a dynamic work that
must evolve with the changes in the area. In this
way, much work has to be done in the future.
New questions arise like: Are traditional informa-
tion systems project methodologies adequate for
contact center projects? How to consider these
identified key factors in the project phases?

concLusion

Contact centers' economic role is significant and
is growing. Technology, processes and procedures
are key issues to ensure productivity in the centers,
so CCIS projects assume a central role.
The present research validates, expands and
actualizes the existent framework for supporting
the activity of CCIS project managers, result of
previous research. The framework gathers the
relevant factors to consider in a CCIS project and
their characterization.
This study was influenced by an interpreta-
tive approach. In order to capture specialists'
knowledge, a focus group was developed. The
participant's specialists have a wide experience of
work in the area as consultants, project managers
and product developers. They worked in contact
centers projects of several businesses, in different
geographies, with markets of different maturities
and dimensions. A framework with twelve key
factors and their characterization was created.
Results expand the framework that was previ-
ously proposed and are generally supported by
other studies. This brings aspects regarding CCIS
projects like considering the complete flow of
interactions and not the traditional approach divid-
ing interactions between inbound, outbound and
blended. The relation between users and agents is
considered the key link for a long-term relation-
ship between users and organizations. Thus, it is

references

Aksin, O. Z., & Harker, P. T. (2003). Capacity
sizing in the presence of a common shared re-
source: Dimensioning an inbound call center. Eu-
ropean Journal of Operational Research , 147 (3),
464-483. doi:10.1016/S0377-2217(02)00274-6