Press Release
Press Information
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
03 Aug 2006
For additional information, contact
Catherine Nowocien, 716-835-5041
copc@graytoncompany.com
Microsoft Initiates Process for Certification to the COPC-2000 VMO Standard
Williamsville, NY – Customer Operations Performance Center Inc. (COPC Inc.) announces that Microsoft Inc. has initiated the process of becoming certified to the COPC-2000 VMO Standard for Vendor Management Organizations. Microsoft's Managed Global Service Operations (MGSO) in Redmond, Washington, as well as their MGSO Asia Pacific operations, are currently involved in the certification process which will ensure that key approaches, processes and metrics are in place to provide effective management of their Customer Service Provider (CSP) relationships.
Microsoft elected to pursue certification to the COPC-2000 VMO Standard as an effective means to drive a consistent approach for supplier performance. "Certification to the COPC-2000 VMO Standard is in accordance with Microsoft's mission to work to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential," stated Mike Simms, General Manager of Microsoft’s Global Outsourcing Organization. "Just as Microsoft constantly updates and improves their products, we continually look to evolve our company to be in the best position to accelerate new technologies as they emerge, and to better serve our customers. We see the COPC® Framework as integral in carrying that commitment forward."
The COPC-2000 VMO Standard is uniquely positioned as the only vendor management standard available for the contact center industry and represents a breakthrough in CSP management. Driving more consistent vendor performance, greater scalability and flexibility, the COPC® Framework ensures better service to end-users. Ultimately, these standardized processes, procedures and metrics result in lower acquisition costs, fewer CSP replacements, and overall increased customer satisfaction.
The COPC-2000 VMO Standard sets forth minimum requirements for buyers of third party customer contact center services. These requirements fall across four categories – leadership and planning, key business processes, key people processes, and performance – representing a system of global best practices for effective management of relationships with third party Customer Service Providers. The activities cover the full lifecycle of CSP management: vendor selection and sourcing; program implementation; management of people, programs, and suppliers; performance metrics; and effectively closing and/or transitioning programs.
In addition to a well-defined sourcing strategy, Microsoft is on course to realize the following benefits from the certification process:
- Better relationships with their CSPs and the ability to obtain the CSPs best resources
- Objective measures for activities that directly impact end users, clients, and CSPs
- An aligned VMO and CSP performance measurement system
- Performance improvement methodologies demonstrated to produce results
- Lower costs for acquiring and managing client and CSP relationships and services provided by CSPs
Microsoft's relationship with COPC Inc. goes back to 1996. Microsoft has served as a member of the prestigious Standards Committee, a multinational group of thought leading buyers and suppliers of customer service organizations, which governs, reviews, and updates the COPC® Family of Standards to reflect the industry’s evolution.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
About COPC Inc.
Customer Operations Performance Center Inc. (COPC Inc.) is the world’s leading authority on operations management and performance improvement for buyers and providers of customer contact center and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. The COPC® Performance Management System includes site certification programs, operational management training, Six Sigma in Contact Centers, performance improvement consulting and vendor sourcing and management services.
Since 1996, COPC Inc. has helped organizations in 35 countries drive results averaging two to five times Return on Investment (ROI) with a payback of less than one year. These results are achieved by leveraging the COPC® Family of Standards, the industry’s oldest, most rigorous and only high performance set of global best practices and performance metrics that simultaneously increases customer satisfaction and profitability.
Global clients include Accenture, Apple, BT Group, Bertelsmann Arvato, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cable & Wireless, Citigroup, Convergys, General Motors, Genpact, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, NTT, Sony, Telefónica, Telstra, and Wipro.