Clients Objectives

Clients' Objectives

Service providers don't introduce costly new technology to their customers unless there will be significant benefit to both the provider of the service as well as the user of the service. A clear set of objectives ensures that the designer understands the goals that must be achieved. These goals include

The business problem:	What is the underlying issue that the system should solve? (E.g., enable around-the-clock self-service to customers who have traditionally not had that option.)
The business objectives:	What measurable results should the system accomplish? (Reduce costs? Improve customer satisfaction? Increase revenue?)
The service:	What service should the system provide to callers ? (E.g., allow the callers to perform all their basic banking needs.)
The application:	What function ”or functions ”should the system perform? (E.g., a home banking system would allow callers to check balances , transfer funds, and perhaps reorder checks.)
The business process/environment:	How else do callers interact with the client? How should these other channels influence the design? (Does the caller have ATM access? And if so, should the same language of the ATMs be used in the speech-recognition system as well?)

It is essential to understand the business problem first, for several reasons. In some cases, the application a client wants may not be the best solution to the business problem. Understanding the business problem also provides you with essential clues to identify the system requirements, and enables both the client and you to measure and assess the success of the completed system. Some examples include reducing call center staffing costs by X %, or increasing annual revenue by $ Y. Again, the idea is to provide measurable criteria for system performance.

In developing an understanding of the business needs, you must also be mindful of the other applications and channels that represent the client to the prospective callers. For example, in addition to branch offices, a bank might have a brokerage division with its own Web site and call center. You need to know how the speech application(s) will fit into this business model. Will the speech-recognition system be the primary point of contact between all callers and the client? Does the client want to encourage callers to use its corporate Web site or extranet?

In addition to answering these business objectives, you should also research the brand of the client company ”its identity, positioning, messaging, and even its culture. The completed system needs to reflect and personify the company so that callers believe that the system is an extension of the company. If the sound of the speech application doesn't reflect the brand or tone of the company, callers might find their experience cognitively dissonant and confusing. After all, you wouldn't expect Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream to sound or act like John Hancock Financial Services, right?

Researching the character of a client company provides a deeper understanding of how the speech-recognition system should speak and behave to callers. This research helps you form an impression of how the completed system should sound. Ideas about vocal quality, tone, type, and use of language will eventually translate into the final design through both textual channels as well as in the production of the audio.