Cisco BroadWorks ECCR Replacement: Plugging the Gaps in Your Reporting Strategy

Insightful analytics and comprehensive reports are essential for running a successful business. Unfortunately, it’s easy to end up with gaps in your reporting strategy, particularly when the functionality of crucial pieces of technology changes.

For example, the most recent edition of the Cisco BroadWorks platform (Release 24.0) doesn’t include the advanced reporting functionality of the Enhanced Call Center Reporting (ECCR) service. Although many companies relied on this solution within the BroadWorks supervisor client, the ECCR was declared ‘end of sale’ in 2019.

While many organizations have continued to use the ECCR technology in previous versions of BroadWorks, updating to the latest version means you won’t have access to this tool for call center activity reporting. 

So, what can you do now?

We’ve put together the ultimate guide for service providers to ensure you don’t miss out on essential reporting features after you update your platform.

Your Guide for a New, Real-Time Reporting Solution

While all users will be required to update to the latest version of Cisco BroadWorks, this also necessitates finding an alternative, real-time reporting solution to fill the gap left by ECCR.

Let’s take a look at some of the points to consider when searching for analytics software.

ECCR Comparative Functionality

The closer your replacement is in terms of functionality and feature options to ECCR, the easier the transition will be. Compare everything from the report types and customizations available to the metrics you can track to make sure your new analytics software has everything you need to maintain your current reporting strategy.

Additional Functionality: Real-Time Reporting

Feature parity is a minimum requirement, but why settle for “just as good” when you can have something even better? You’re already making the transition to new analytics software, so now is the perfect time to upgrade.

Consider the features ECCR didn’t offer your team, such as real-time reporting capabilities. The historical reports available in ECCR allowed customers to make broad assumptions about your company’s performance by looking at patterns and trends over a set period. Real-time reporting, on the other hand, offers detailed, highly accurate insight into what’s happening in your company at any given time.

By upgrading to software that offers real-time reports, you can make quicker decisions on how to respond to problems as they arise. Additionally, real-time performance indicators and benchmark reminders can be a great way to engage and motivate your teams for increased productivity.

Additional Functionality: Extended Insights

Access to real-time metrics is just one of the ways you can consider upgrading your analytics software as you transition away from ECCR. For instance, what if you could examine the performance of your teams in a host of environments, including the remote landscape? In the age of hybrid work, the ability to track employee productivity and communications metrics – such as the percentage of abandoned inbound calls or how many of your agents respond to calls immediately – in real time can be a huge benefit.

A comprehensive reporting solution can also provide you with historical and real-time metrics for a more diverse, omnichannel environment. While ECCR was a helpful tool for producing voice call reports, the customer service landscape is diversifying rapidly. Today’s customers connect with businesses across a range of channels including live chat, email, and video. Choosing an ECCR replacement that can examine all of these platforms is important for maintaining a deeper knowledge of your contact center.

Reliability, Accuracy, and Support

Analytics and business metrics are essential assets for the success of your business, so the accuracy of your reports should be a top priority. You need to be confident your statistics are accurate and your reports are reliable to make the right decisions.

In addition to producing accurate reports, your new analytics software vendor should work with you to resolve any issues you might be having. A reliable level of support from your vendor, in terms of everything from SLA results to technical expertise, will give you peace of mind when handling your data.

Check factors such as the vendor’s SLAs, responsiveness, platform downtime, and whether they offer access to online self-service resources for guidance. By taking the time to get to know the level of service and support your vendor can provide, you can determine the best company to forge a long-term relationship with.

Vendor Portfolio and Credibility

The start of any successful purchase often begins with the right research, which is another reason why reviewing the portfolio of the reporting vendor you’re considering working with is crucial. Are they a specialist in analytics? Do they have the right connections in the cloud communications network?

Gain answers to these questions by looking at accreditation, strategic alliances, and professional memberships to determine if this is a company you can trust. If the vendor offers a broad portfolio of solutions – aside from analytics and reporting – can you be sure the team has the right resources to manage multiple platforms? Verify that the vendor has the know-how required to deliver the quality of product and the level of support you need as your business evolves.

Pricing

While there’s more to choosing an excellent ECCR replacement than budget alone, pricing is always a significant factor in a business buying decision. Consider the licensing and billing model used by the vendor. Are there any annual, monthly, or one-off charges you need to think about? How does the pricing structure align with your business model? It’s also worth checking not just what the price is now, but how often the vendor’s prices change.

What’s Next?

Migrating away from ECCR and into a new age of reporting can seem like a daunting prospect. Fortunately, with a little planning, you can find the right partner to help guide you through the process. With Akixi, you’ll get the expertise, guidance, and exceptional reporting functionality you need to compete in the modern business world.

Contact Akixi today to see how we can help you transform your reporting strategy.

Either get in touch with your Akixi Business Development Manager directly or email us at sales@akixi.com / call +44 (0)1293 853 060 and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.