The following captures an interview with Impact Technologies CEO Bryan Baehr on November 10, 2017.
Becky: Impact Technologies celebrated its’ 27th anniversary this year. Tell us what that meant to you.
Bryan: It’s ALL about IMPACT! Bob (Wacker) and I focused on delivering well-considered and well-built technology-based solutions that have a significant positive impact on our customers. While we sought to impact others, we have been blessed every step of our 27-year journey by the impact that others have had on us. People trusted, stepped forward and took leaps of faith. Not blindly but considered.
Becky: What inspired the name Impact Technologies?
Bryan: Our goal is to have a significant, meaningful impact with the effective, thoughtful, creative use and application of technology.
Becky: What makes Impact Technologies unique in the industry?
Bryan: Our applications are “front office” not “back office” applications. We’re passionate about users being in charge of their workspace and being able to configure for themselves how applications should flow and appear on their screen or how data should appear in reports without having to rely or wait on IT staff. We believe people want to work and thrive in an environment where they are empowered and one that promotes a heightened sense of self-efficacy.
Becky: Why do you think you’ve achieved such success?
Bryan: First we get the business basics right. We listen. We commit. We deliver. Then our applications deliver superior usability, implement with ease, and then are backed by our exceptional customer service that leaves our customers ecstatic and coming back for more!
Becky: No company today has been without its share of difficulties. You must have had some difficult times.
Bryan: Well if you are going to be in business for any length of time you better understand economic cycles. It is easy to run a business in boom times but can you survive in a bust economy. How do you know? Well, for us we started Impact Technologies in the recession of 1990. My father thought I was crazy. But I knew if our solutions and business practices could stand that test, we should be able to flourish in strong economic cycles. Good times did come, but the 2000 technical recession followed by the tragic events of 9/11 created great strain. And just when things got rolling again, the financial crash of 2008 struck. I can tell you with certainty that faith, hope and love are incredibly powerful. Our families were blessed with full measures of each to get us though that period! Through it all we never lost sight of needing to have fun along the way. We played some golf, laid by the pool on beautiful Impact Technologies towels, howled at the horse races, watched in awe at Jai Alai and have memories that must remain in New Orleans and Las Vegas.
Becky: OnTraQ Plus is Impact’s latest product. Tell us a little about OnTraQ Plus.
Bryan: Prior to starting Impact Technologies I had spent 16 years in the contact center business both in operations and in application development. Everyone knew how passionate I was about effective contact center management and were anxious to see what application I would launch. In 1990 I had one on the drawing board but it got set aside as we instead ventured into identity management. Ten years later Siemens approached us to build a supervisor real-time dashboard and historical reporting system for a large customer in Chicago. They wanted to convert them to a new ACD system but the customer wanted to replace there antiquated Genesys system. They wanted a single dashboard application that combined real-time analytics and historical reports, and that was so easy to use that supervisors could configure and design their own dashboards and reports. Siemens entrusted us to design and build the OnTraQ application. We jumped at the challenge!
In the past year, we expanded OnTraQ for the Cisco UCCX, UCCE and PCCE call center environments. And, at Cisco Live 2017 we announced OnTraQ Plus which adds an intuitive and interactive agent desktop, featuring a best-in-class customizable user interface. OnTraQ Plus allows agents to optimize their performance based on their individual preferences and work methods as they engage in the customer journey. And, no Professional Services are required to implement or maintain it. Agents literally “login and go.” The reaction at Cisco Live was fantastic, which was accentuated when Experts Exchange recognized OnTraQ Plus as one of “9 Great Products from Cisco Live 2017.”
Becky: I hear the enthusiasm in your voice. So, why do you believe OnTraQ Plus will be a success in the market?
Bryan: Impact Technologies’ strength over its 27 history has always been streamlining workflows through the creative application of technology. That shows up by our solutions empowering point-of-the-spear workers to engage with technologies in manners adaptable to their specific use cases and their personal work styles without having to depend on, wait on or pay for technical resources in the back office. OnTraQ Plus provides front-office contact center desktops that go beyond just delivering the right data at the right time by creating an environment of self-efficacy and empowerment. We’re leading the way. There’s nothing else like it in the Cisco environment. OnTraQ Plus replaces the Finesse desktops, messy gadgets and marginally functional CUIC. Not only does OnTraQ Plus provide a superior user experience, it is so much easier to use and implement. OnTraQ Plus is the next generation front office for the UCCX, UCCE and PCCE contact centers.
Becky: Why will Impact continue its success into 2018 and beyond?
Bryan: Because we’ll follow the model that has served us well for 27 years. We’ll continue to build solutions based on the well-considered, passionate customer input we’re blessed to receive. As we’ve served customers well, it is wonderful to see how they reward us by seeking us out to solve their next great problem. So, we are we going? Look around, opportunities to put people more directly in control of the challenges they face through creative and intelligent application of technology are right in front you and us!
