Xerox has recently announced plans to split into two companies, with one portion remaining as Xerox and the other becoming Conduent, a business process outsourcing company that will offer solutions for customer service as well as other areas. The split will take place Jan. 1.
Xerox's customer care offerings already include 52,000 agents across 160 facilities and call centers that handle 2.5 billion interactions daily. The company also offers automation tools and other resources, such as Agent IQ, which helps train agents and get them up to speed quickly.
By branching off as Conduent, the new company will have an opportunity to evolve into a "next-generation customer care solution, combining rich analytics and building in new features to strengthen offerings," Chuck Koskovich, senior vice president of Xerox global customer care, says.
One of the next-generation tools that Xerox is increasingly focusing on is chat, which is slowly beginning to play a key role in how customers engage with companies. "This is an area that's being driven by our clients. [We're always thinking about] how we can optimize the experience for our customers. Chat is becoming a preferred channel for many customers. Where we'd ultimately like to take chat is to virtual agents [with] machine learning," Koskovich says.
Koskovich also predicts improvements and enhancements to Xerox's agent workflow simplification tool once Conduent begins operations at the beginning of next year. The challenge with large companies is that they almost always rely on multiple systems and tools for their customer service needs; the Xerox simplification tool "pulls everything into one platform that overlaps the different technologies and puts them in one place," Koskovich says. "It makes internal interactions as well as customer interactions more seamless."
As for Conduent's future relationship with Xerox, Koskovich says, "We're anxious to see where it goes. The time that we've been a part of Xerox will move us forward and drive innovation."
Xerox has a long history in the customer care space, and Conduent will likely continue to leverage Xerox's legacy experience and standing. "Conduent will begin its next chapter as a stand-alone company with a name that conveys the vital business we conduct every day," Ursula Burns, chairman and CEO of Xerox, said in a company statement. "Conduent is well-positioned to build on its strong heritage as a leader in business process services and will carry forward the values and culture of innovation, diversity, and integrity from Xerox."
In addition to customer care solutions, Conduent will also provide transportation solutions and software as well as healthcare payer and provider services. According to a statement from Xerox, once fully operational, Conduent will have the second-largest market share in the business process outsourcing industry.