The bank also decided to send data from the mainframe to the Web application only once a week, so developers opted to include only the more static data. Items such as the amount of money in each customer's portfolio, which could change frequently, were left out. But customer names, contact information, and bill-paying options were included. The next steps were to create the SQL database that would house the data in the Web app and to create links between fields in the SQL database and those in the mainframe flat file. The final task was to customize the front end by prioritizing information and placing the most used data on the first pages of the browser application.
Agents using the new application can enter transactions directly into the browser window.
Once the data is in the Web application, anyone who needs customer information can access it from any PC or network appliance connected to the Web. The system also alerts managers when a transaction hasn't been acted on within a specific amount of time. Doering says the application has made the contact center more efficient. Most people think of collaboration as something people in the same company do with each other or with business partners. But companies can also collaborate with customers.