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As contact centers embrace the future of Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) platforms like Genesys Cloud, one of the biggest challenges they face is transitioning from legacy systems—particularly complex IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems. These systems have been integral to contact centers for years, handling routine inquiries and routing calls to the appropriate agents. However, legacy IVR systems often lack the flexibility and scalability needed to meet modern customer expectations, and migrating them to the cloud without service disruption can be daunting.

In this blog, we’ll explore the challenges we faced when transitioning Desjardins' legacy IVR systems to Genesys Cloud and how we overcame them by using Genesys Voice Microservices and APIs to ensure a seamless hybrid deployment.

The Challenge: Managing Legacy IVR Systems in the Cloud Transition

Desjardins, like many large organizations, had relied on its legacy IVR systems for years to manage high call volumes and automate customer interactions. These systems were deeply integrated into the company's infrastructure and played a crucial role in customer service operations. However, as the company grew and customer expectations evolved, the limitations of their on-premise IVR system became more apparent. The rigid infrastructure couldn't scale easily, and the system lacked the flexibility to support modern features like AI-driven interactions and omnichannel routing.

The key challenge during the transition to Genesys Cloud was how to migrate Desjardins’ IVR systems without disrupting the ongoing customer experience. Completely replacing the legacy IVR system in one go would risk downtime and potentially degrade service quality. Therefore, we had to adopt a hybrid deployment strategy to ensure the legacy system could operate alongside Genesys Cloud until the migration was complete.

The Solution: Leveraging Genesys Voice Microservices for Hybrid Deployment

To tackle this challenge, we utilized Genesys Voice Microservices—a key feature of Genesys Cloud that enabled us to implement a hybrid architecture where the legacy IVR could coexist with the new cloud-based system. This approach allowed us to phase out the old system gradually while ensuring continued customer support.

1. Phased Migration with Voice Microservices

Instead of a complete overhaul, we implemented a phased migration using Genesys Voice Microservices. This hybrid deployment strategy provided several advantages:

  • Minimized Disruption: By allowing the legacy IVR to function alongside the new cloud platform, we ensured that customer interactions remained seamless throughout the migration process. Customers experienced no downtime or degradation in service, as both systems operated in parallel.
  • Gradual Phasing Out: The hybrid setup allowed us to gradually transfer call routing, customer interactions, and self-service capabilities to the Genesys Cloud platform. This gave us the time to thoroughly test the new system before fully decommissioning the old one.
  • Flexible Scaling: As certain services were moved to the cloud, we took advantage of Genesys Cloud’s scalability. For example, during high-volume periods, Genesys Cloud dynamically handled increased traffic, while the legacy system managed the rest.

2. API Integration for Seamless Functionality

One of the most critical aspects of this transition was ensuring that key functionalities—such as call routing, reporting, and interaction management—remained fully integrated throughout the migration. For this, we relied heavily on Genesys APIs, which provided robust integration capabilities between the legacy systems and the new cloud platform.

Here’s how we used Genesys APIs to streamline the transition:

  • Call Routing Integration: We used Genesys’ open API framework to ensure that call routing functions were consistent across both platforms. Calls coming into the legacy IVR system were dynamically routed to the appropriate agents or queues within the Genesys Cloud, ensuring a smooth transition from on-premise to cloud-based routing. This allowed the company to maintain continuity while gradually shifting traffic to the cloud.
  • Reporting and Analytics: During the hybrid phase, maintaining unified reporting was crucial for tracking the effectiveness of the new platform. By leveraging Genesys APIs, we integrated the legacy system’s reporting functions with Genesys Cloud’s real-time dashboards, allowing Desjardins to monitor all customer interactions—whether handled by the legacy system or the new platform—in a single, unified view.
  • Enhanced Flexibility: Genesys APIs also made it easy to integrate third-party tools and legacy databases into the new cloud environment. This meant that Desjardins could continue using their existing customer data systems without disruption, while simultaneously benefiting from the advanced analytics and reporting offered by Genesys Cloud.

Overcoming Obstacles: Key Lessons from the Transition

While Genesys Cloud’s microservices and API framework played a crucial role in the success of this transition, there were several additional factors that contributed to overcoming the challenges:

1. Thorough Testing and Validation

The hybrid deployment allowed for comprehensive testing of the new Genesys system without affecting live operations. By continuously validating the system during the phased migration, we identified potential issues early and made necessary adjustments before they impacted customers.

2. Stakeholder Involvement

Throughout the transition, we maintained clear and frequent communication with Desjardins’ key stakeholders, ensuring they were informed of progress and involved in decision-making. Their insights helped ensure that critical business processes remained uninterrupted during the migration.

3. Training and Support

Transitioning to a new platform meant that Desjardins' contact center agents and support teams had to learn new processes and tools. We implemented a robust training program to familiarize them with Genesys Cloud’s features and to ensure they were comfortable managing both the legacy and cloud systems during the transition.

The Results: A Seamless Transition with Enhanced Functionality

By leveraging Genesys Voice Microservices and API integration, Desjardins was able to migrate its legacy IVR systems to the cloud without any disruption to customer service. The phased migration allowed for a smooth transition, and by the time the legacy system was fully decommissioned, Desjardins was already benefiting from the following:

  1. Scalability and Flexibility:With Genesys Cloud’s scalable infrastructure, Desjardins could now handle seasonal traffic spikes effortlessly, something that was previously a challenge with their on-premise IVR. The ability to scale up or down depending on call volumes has resulted in more efficient resource allocation and cost savings.
  2. Improved Reporting and Insights:Genesys Cloud’s real-time reporting and analytics provided Desjardins with a unified view of all interactions, enabling better decision-making and more targeted customer support improvements. Integrating the legacy reporting system with Genesys Cloud’s dashboards ensured that the company could track every aspect of the migration and its impact on operations.
  3. Enhanced Customer Experience:By gradually transitioning to the cloud, Desjardins maintained a high level of customer service throughout the migration. The predictive routing capabilities of Genesys Cloud also meant that once the transition was complete, customers experienced faster, more accurate call routing, leading to higher satisfaction rates.

Conclusion: Hybrid Deployment as a Solution to CCaaS Implementation Challenges

Migrating from legacy systems to Genesys Cloud doesn’t have to be a disruptive, all-at-once process. By adopting a hybrid deployment strategy using Voice Microservices and APIs, we ensured that Desjardins experienced a smooth transition with no service disruptions, all while gradually phasing out their on-premise IVR system.

For organizations facing similar challenges, the key takeaway is that hybrid deployments allow for flexibility and continuity during migration. Whether integrating legacy systems with cloud infrastructure or managing the transition in stages, tools like Genesys APIs and microservices can play a critical role in ensuring a seamless shift to the cloud. With the right approach, businesses can enjoy the benefits of a modern, scalable CCaaS platform like Genesys Cloud without compromising the customer experience.

This blog emphasizes how Genesys Cloud’s Voice Microservices and APIs can help businesses manage complex CCaaS implementations and overcome the challenges of transitioning from legacy systems.

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