Case Studies

Gaitame.com Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Gaitame.com) was founded in April 2002 to provide foreign exchange (FX) trading services to clients. After using the original CRM system for 7 years, problems were encountered on both the client and server side. In 2018, the decision was made to replace the existing CRM system with FastHelp, marking a significant transition for the company, which has been using it since October.

We inquired extensively about the process from the selection of the CRM system to the start of system operation within the company, as well as its implementation effects. Furthermore, we delved into points crucial for a successful CRM system replacement to avoid failures.

Gaitame.com Contact Center

Gaitame.com has two offices, one in Tokyo and the other in Okinawa Prefecture, with contact center operations conducted at the Okinawa branch. When the Okinawa branch was opened in 2005, its initial purpose was to provide system backup and handle contact center operations during disasters. Today, approximately 20 operators provide explanations on trading methods, how to operate trading tools, and handle inquiries regarding customer account information, deposits, and withdrawals.

The contact center handles several thousand telephone inquiries per month, with an average talk time of just under 10 minutes. Additionally, we handle several hundred email inquiries per month. In addition to addressing inquiries, we manage tasks such as updating news sites and certain websites, verifying and testing new smartphone apps, and providing emergency response in case of issues.

Renewed the CRM system after approximately 7 years, focusing on three key points.

In October 2018, Gaitame.com's call center replaced its previous CRM system and began utilizing FastHelp. Mr. Nakane explained the background behind the system, "The old CRM system was introduced about seven years ago. As a result, there were issues such as limitations in the client environment, lack of compatibility with Windows 10, and the decision to end maintenance on the server side. In addition, there was an impending maintenance deadline on the telephony side, and maintenance costs were increasing, so replacement itself had been scheduled. “So, starting two years before the switch (around spring 2016), we began gathering information, speaking with numerous vendors, and attending exhibitions," he explains. “Ultimately, we narrowed it down to three products and compared their system configurations, costs, and features. In January 2018, they made an informal decision to go with FastHelp.”

When selecting a new CRM system, Nakane emphasizes, "The decision cannot be made simply based on whether it has many functions, good performance, or a high market share." "We made the selection with three points in mind: 'We're going to the trouble of introducing a new system,'" he said.。

The first most important consideration was "scalability". We wanted the ability to easily customize display items, allowing for flexible screen changes tailored to daily operations, such as when conducting limited-time campaigns or adjusting to legal revisions.

The second is "ease of transition from the operator's perspective". The company prioritized minimizing the burden and stress during system migration for operators who use the system in their daily work. For operators, it is stressful to learn how to operate a completely different CRM system, even though there are no changes in the content of customer service or internal operations. For 'ease of migration,' Nakane mentioned, “We checked not only that the system was similar to the CRM system we were originally using, but also whether it could be customized to resemble it.”

He also mentioned "cost" as the third point. He continued, “It's often difficult for management to fully grasp the importance of CRM systems for contact centers. We made a conscious effort to regularly explain to management the value of how the existence of a CRM system leads to improved efficiency in daily operations and enhances the quality of responses.”

The FastHelp implementation was evaluated for its smooth data migration and transition to the new on-site system.

For this system replacement, we simultaneously replaced the telephony and CRM systems, which were nearing their maintenance deadline.

"I think we were able to cut costs by replacing the system all at once. We dedicated a lot of time here because we had to coordinate with many vendors simultaneously," says Mr. Nakane. Although numerous vendors were involved, TechMatrix Corporation was entrusted with the project's progress, and Mr. Nakane himself, rather than the Information Systems Department, took charge internally. "After considering the operational aspects post-implementation, I believed it best for me, being on-site, to take charge. Understanding the intricacies of the implementation project enables swift on-site responses to operational issues or the need for new customizations."

Nakane elaborated on the challenges, stating, "Due to the environment where business PCs are separated from the internet and the company's security policy, ensuring security while implementing cloud telephony required significant time and effort in coordinating how to allow communication to the cloud." He added, "On the other hand, FastHelp's on-premises deployment facilitated smooth implementation, as the communication between the original data center and contact center was already secure."

Conversely, regarding what was easy, he said, “Migrating data from our traditional CRM system to FastHelp was extremely easy.” He said, “The data extraction from the old system was performed by our in-house systems department, and thanks to trial and error based on data composition analysis by TechMatrix, we were able to successfully migrate the data.” Continuing, he mentioned, "Because the design and UI were similar to the system we were originally using, we were able to transition without any discomfort in terms of operability."

Examples of business improvement using FastHelp

Mr. Nakane listed six examples of business improvement as a result of implementing FastHelp.

[Business Improvement Example 1] Improved efficiency in updating customer flags
"Previously, flags were manually added and updated for each customer, but with FastHelp, CSV data can be imported all at once, enabling batch processing and reducing the work time to about 1/10."

[Business Improvement Example 2] Importing new customer data.
Initially, FastHelp was only configured to automatically retrieve customer data periodically from the core databases. However, irregular data retrieval into FastHelp was also initiated. As this can now be carried out by on-site personnel, they began to tackle the task. This serves as an example of how tasks that previously required outsourcing to vendors can now be performed using internal resources.

[Business Improvement Example 3] Customization to prevent human errors.

After implementing FastHelp, a human error occurred that overlooked or missed customer status. The reason for this was that customer status had to be checked on the administrator screen of the core system rather than the CRM system, and it was not displayed on the CRM system screen. However, in FastHelp, the same item was not displayed. Since the data from the core system had already been imported, the in-house administrator placed the same item in a prominent place on the operator screen. We were able to implement error prevention measures with about 5 minutes of customization work.

[Business Improvement Example 4] Reducing the burden of responding to inquiries from other departments within the company.

FastHelp was mentioned for its ease of searching and narrowing down past inquiries and response histories, as well as for the ease of output. The ability to save and share extraction item conditions and create templates has facilitated the collection of data for inquiries and periodic reports from various other internal departments, greatly reducing the workload of supervisors.

[Business Improvement Example 5] Substantial reduction in post-processing time.
After using FastHelp, it became easier to gather statistics by increasing the items selected through checkboxes and radio buttons on the operator input screen. Despite the increase in input items, the post-call processing time remained at approximately the same level before and after the introduction of FastHelp. It is considered that the post-processing time has been effectively reduced.

[Business Improvement Example 6] Deployment to outbound business.

We are also expecting expansion into outbound operations. In the past, outbound work lists were managed in Excel, both when making calls and when administrators tabulated the results. However, as the number of projects increases and the list becomes longer, managing them in Excel becomes difficult. Therefore, three months after introducing FastHelp, we switched to using FastHelp for operations.

Although the effectiveness itself has not yet been analyzed, it is certain that post-call management and analysis have become easier.

3 key points to avoid system replacement failures.

Mr. Nakane listed the following three key points for successful CRM replacement.

Firstly, it's crucial to obtain a demo environment rather than relying solely on information like catalogs. This allows for hands-on confirmation of not only features and specifications but also the actual experience of interacting with the screens of operators, supervisors, and administrators. He emphasizes the importance of thoroughly verifying usability in a fully authorized demo environment from the product selection stage, even if a fee is charged. "After using FastHelp in a demo environment for about a month, we were confident that it would work. Additionally, the company's ability to provide a demo environment and support helped us gain confidence in the vendor's reliability and credibility."。

Secondly, he emphasized the importance of early communication with operators. "Changing systems is just a hassle for operators," he said. It is felt that it is crucial to create an environment where understanding is deepened and acceptance is facilitated by disseminating the information early and often. "We also feel that sharing the demo environment with everyone contributed to minimizing the impact of the implementation," he continued.

Thirdly, it's crucial for the contact center department to actively engage from the product selection stage, instead of solely relying on the IT department just because it's a system. By having supervisors participate in meetings from the product selection stage, customization requirements that suit on-site operations can be formulated. He also felt that information sharing with operators went smoothly. "Rather than advancing the project with specific members alone, involving supervisors and veteran operators, and actively sharing the demo environment allows us to determine whether the product is the best fit for our company." He added.

Techmatrix support response is highly praised, and the contact center aims to further improve its level of support services.

Nevertheless, he acknowledges Techmatrix leadership role among the various vendors as "helping us a lot." On the other hand, solely changing the system won't entirely prevent operational mistakes due to human error. For this reason, the company is implementing various initiatives aimed at achieving “zero operational errors” such as utilizing checklists for tasks and reading manuals aloud.

The contact center, often considered the lifeline of FX services, is unwavering in its commitment to strive for further improvement, seizing the opportunity presented by the replacement of the CRM system.