Implementing new software solutions can be daunting. It’s critical that each client feel valued and have the support and help they need when implementing the Centerpoint Customer Communication Management platform. A dedicated customer service team supports each implementation project. The team includes a project manager, a document developer, and a technical consultant.
Each organization we work with is different, with its own processes and requirements. There are, however, some questions we almost always get:
But before we go into the details, you as a client must decide how much you want to do yourself and how much help you want from us. We have three types of clients
Metaforce handles all the practical parts of the implementation and running of the platform. The client provides us with requirements, documents, and data, and based on that, a dedicated customer service team will develop all documents, forms, and messages for the client.
This is a popular way to set everything up, making the customer less reliant on Metaforce. You will still have a dedicated customer service team, but you will also train your workforce to become Certified Metaforce Document Developers. Usually, more complicated batch productions are handled by Metaforce.
In this case, all document development is done in-house by the client. Typically, larger organizations choose this solution as they have a dedicated department to support this task.
The introduction of any new software will raise questions and uncertainty in an organization. And often, the uncertainty is more closely related to communication than to technology. We have helped many organizations implement our services and follow a proven methodology to ensure a smooth introduction of the platform, functionalities, and benefits it brings to our clients. It’s critical to involve all colleagues who will be impacted by the introduction of Metaforce as early as possible. The level of impact is determined by the role everyone has in the organization.
These are the individuals who build all the documents, forms, and messages the organization uses.
These individuals use the documents, forms, and messages built by the document developers to make their customer communication personal, relevant, and compliant.
Planning. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. That’s why we start every implantation project with a clear plan involving all relevant stakeholders from the new client. It’s critical for both the client and Metaforce, to have a realistic timeline and agree on expected outcomes.
Identify the types of communication needed. The first step is to identify what types of communication you, as a Metaforce client, will be created using our platform. We support both batch and on-demand documents, and most of our clients use a mix of both. The best way to determine this is through a one-day workshop with all relevant stakeholders.
Configure your environment Identify the applications, databases, and systems Metaforce needs to communicate with. It’s worth mentioning that there is no need to make any changes to your existing business systems
Set up communication with external services To enable Metaforce to send your communication to external digital mailboxes such as Kivra (amongst others), we need a tenant key from the 3rd party provider to make this happen. We also need to set up dataflows between our engine and your print provider
Archive and/or my pages If you have your own portal (my pages) or archive, we also need to set up the permissions for Metaforce to post documents there
Testing 1-2-3 Now you can start testing if your setup works as intended.
Test environment. Setting up your test environment is key to a successful implementation. In our experience, it takes 7-10 working days to set up your test environment, and the steps to complete this are:
Once you’re satisfied your test environment works as intended, it’s time to set up your production environment.
Identifying what templates are needed. The last step is identifying the types of documents, forms, and messages your organization needs to build. Often, this is an excellent opportunity for you to consolidate and standardize your templates. It’s not unusual for our clients to have bespoke templates for different departments. Even different purposes within a department can have different templates. The typical types of documents our clients need are yearly/monthly statements, claims, new client confirmation, renewals, changes to terms & conditions, upgrades and downgrades, forms, newsletters (changes in law, compliance)
The easy answer is – it depends! If you’ve got your own Metaforce Certified document developers, then you’re ready to run things on your own. If you’ve opted for a model where we help you develop documents, forms, and messages, then we will continue to work closely with you and your organization.