Build your ideal platform with smart integrations and add-ons
Cloud-based customer contact has become the new standard. It makes intelligent contact centre solutions quickly and easily accessible to organisations of all sizes. However, an off-the-shelf platform doesn’t always meet every requirement.
Fortunately, most cloud solutions can be easily and securely connected to other systems using APIs. With smart integrations and practical add-ons, you can add extra features or resolve limitations. In this blog, we’ll outline the possibilities for you.
Why integrate and expand?
Using integrations and helpful add-ons makes your contact centre smarter and more efficient. Employees can work faster and more conveniently (EX), for example because they no longer need to manually search for information or reenter data. This saves time and reduces the chance of human error.
It also provides you with powerful insights, since all the information is in one place. This enables teams to make better decisions and respond more quickly. As a result, customers are helped faster and more clearly. This improves service quality and creates a better customer experience (CX). Great for your customers – and for your organisation!
What’s the difference between integrations and add-ons?
Integrations are connections to other software tools you’re likely already using. By connecting them to your customer contact platform, you reduce the need to switch between systems. Everything comes together in one place. Here are a few examples of common integrations:
- CRM integration (like Salesforce or MS Dynamics) – When opening a customer ticket, you instantly see who the customer is, their purchase history, and any previous interactions.
- Collaboration tools (like MS Teams or Google Workspace) – So employees can easily consult colleagues while helping a customer.
- Payment systems (like Mollie or Buckaroo) – You can immediately see whether a payment was successful and provide quicker support if needed.
- Single sign-on (like Okta or MS Azure) – Staff only need to log in once. Secure and convenient.
- Calendar integration (like Outlook or Google Calendar) – Schedule appointments with customers directly from the platform, without emailing back and forth.
Add-ons, on the other hand, are extra features you build on top of the standard platform to fill any functional gaps. These features can be highly valuable. Some cloud platforms even offer a marketplace where you can download ready-made add-ons, such as:
- Chatbot – Let a smart chatbot or virtual assistant handle common questions, freeing up your team for more complex queries.
- Reporting – Get the specific data insights and performance metrics your organisation needs to make better decisions and react quickly.
- Session Border Controllers (SBCs) – For managing, securing and optimising voice and video traffic, particularly in VoIP telephony.
- WFM smartphone app and/or dashboard – Agents can manage their own schedules, and planners get access to more functionality than standard packages provide.
- Knowledge management – Give agents instant access to the right information, enabling them to assist customers more effectively and efficiently.
Building custom add-ons
If your organisation or contact centre has specific needs that can’t be met with a standard add-on, consider building your own. This lets you add features that are tailored to your team’s exact requirements.
At DDM Consulting, we specialise in optimising contact centre solutions, including through custom add-ons developed by our experts. Here are a few examples:
Event Controller
Cloud platforms typically offer less control over call routing and agent status than traditional on-premise solutions. That’s why we’ve built an Event Controller that uses more detailed status information and calculates real-time statistics. This gives you much more flexibility in directing interactions to the right agent and makes it easier to meet specific SLA agreements.
Skill-Changer
In many organisations, agents can now choose whether to take direct calls, internal calls, or specific lines. In most standard cloud platforms, this means manually enabling or disabling queues one by one – a slow and error-prone process. With the Skill-Changer plug-in, agents can easily adjust their ‘task skills’, which automatically determines which queues they are active in.
Skill-Matrix
The Skill-Matrix is a clear tool that lets supervisors view and adjust all agent skills and queue activations at a glance – either individually or in groups. We’re currently expanding this tool with a Skill-Planner, which allows you to automatically or manually adjust skills at specific times. This is extremely useful for managing recurring peak times, team meetings or urgent changes.
Continuous improvement
Integrations and add-ons make your off-the-shelf customer contact platform more complete, intelligent and responsive. But you don’t need to do everything at once. Start small and choose what brings the most value to your business. Test if it works, and expand from there. This step-by-step approach is what we call continuous improvement.
Which integrations or add-ons are right for you depends on your organisation’s needs. Every situation is different. Want to make your contact platform smarter? Follow these steps:
- Review the status quo – What tools are already in place? What data would you like to access from your contact centre platform?
- Explore the possibilities – Most platforms provide an overview of available integrations.
- Identify what’s missing – Are there any manual, repetitive, or time-consuming tasks? There might be an add-on for that.
- Work with an expert – Some integrations are simple, others require technical knowledge. If you don’t have in-house developers, get expert help.
Smart working starts with smart choices. Need help selecting or building integrations or add-ons? Our experts have the business and technical expertise to help you get the most out of your platform. Curious about what’s possible for your contact centre? Get in touch with Steven Moonens (Belgium), Rijk van Ooijen (Netherlands) or Patrick Kleiner (Germany) – they’ll be happy to help.
About DDM
At DDM Consulting, we understand that a 'one size fits all' approach is unthinkable when it comes to choosing a customer contact platform. After all, every organisation is unique! That's why we offer you a wide range of renowned contact centre solutions, and provide advice based on over 20 years of experience in customer contact.
Evolution, not revolution
Together with you, we’ll evaluate your current contact centre processes and your requirements for the new platform. We’ll advise and assist you in developing more efficient workflows, driven and supported by AI wherever possible. Based on your priorities, we’ll create a dynamic roadmap that makes the transition to a new, improved contact centre manageable.
Proactively embracing cutting-edge technology
This roadmap remains central to the project, even after the new platform is up and running. It evolves with changes within your organisation and developments in contact centre technology. Our experts assess every new release to determine its value to you as a customer. They take the initiative, ensuring you always have the relevant knowledge at your fingertips.
Creative solutions for better customer contact
And if you're looking for specific functionalities that aren't (yet) available on the chosen platform, there is plenty of scope for in-house development of add-ons tailored to your needs. Our team possesses the business and technical expertise to achieve the maximum potential, even if you've opted for an out-of-the-box solution.
DDM Consulting provides the proactive and creative approach to your CX evolution!
