Multi-OEM contact centers leverage the technologies of various contact center providers in different locations around the globe.
There are upsides to having such a multi-OEM environment. For instance, one contact center provider may offer more robust support services in North America while another may be better in Europe.
Yet, in the age of connected global contact center operations, the magnitude of dealing with numerous platforms across different countries can be intimidating. That's where HCLTech comes in.
But first, let's take a deeper look at what exactly constitutes a multi-OEM, and why some companies have them.
A Global Contact Center Environment
Globalization, you might have heard of it.
In 2024, the world is a far more connected and interdependent place —whether it be the ability to get into banal arguments online with a stranger living on the other side of the planet or the fact that you can now pick up a Big Mac in over 100 countries worldwide.
But it isn’t just McDonald’s operating on a multinational level – global enterprises are routinely deploying contact centers to provide support across multiple countries.
In a discussion with CXToday, Gurpreet Kohli, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Telecom & Networks at HCLTech, explained how this situation can arise for a variety of reasons, from mergers and acquisitions in different geographical locations to global expansions.
The requirement for different platforms to be used from country-to-country can stem from complex issues like the need for specialized requirements in some territories, as well as more basic scenarios like leaders from different domains having preferred vendors.
The multi-OEM houses all of these separate systems, as Kohli explains:
“When we consider a multi-OEM environment, there could be various vendors offering recording devices, databases, data lakes, data warehouses, your analytics platforms, your marketing platforms, and your core contact center.
“All those put together create that entire customer support and service portfolio.”
The Challenges of Managing a Multi-OEM Contact Center
With such a varied and vast portfolio, it is unsurprising that multi-OEM contact centers encounter their fair share of difficulties.
For starters, they must manage multiple partners and their subsequent billings. Such a process presents complications, which wastes time and resources.
Moreover, working in an ecosystem that may contain three or four different versions of the same tool – such as a contact center or recording device – can lead to considerable issues with interoperability.
“There could be transfers or movements of interactions from one platform to another. That’s where interoperability becomes a little difficult,” explains Kohli.