ALEXANDRIA, Va. (USTCNS) --- Military Traffic Management Command customers will have an easier time getting answers to their questions in the near future.

Beginning late this summer, new software and telecommunications links will transform the way customers interact with the command.

In the past, some customer service was via a toll-free number through several help desks scattered around the command. Questions were routed to different areas of the command via distribution.

Responses were not correlated or tracked at the command level.

An Information Management work team is developing a series of initiatives that will streamline the command's customer service function. Customer service in the future will be consolidated and automated and synchronized with a similar initiative at U.S. Transportation Command.

"We are developing a consolidated customer care call center," said Paula Mihalek. "It will allow us to profile our customers to better meet their needs, gather statistics and be more proactive than reactive.

"This will significantly improve upon our customer relationships."

This enhanced customer service will be accomplished by the blending of a unique mix of advanced computer software and telecommunications equipment.

Another benefit of this developmental work will be significant improvements to MTMC's Web page that will make it more useful, functional and attractive to users.

To develop the center, a process action team was developed in early March of a trio of Information Management specialists: Patricia Bryant, Dennis Norkus and Mihalek.

Among their first moves was to identify key personnel in passenger, personal property, freight and ocean cargo. These transportation processes -- in such programs as CONUS Freight Management, Integrated Booking System, Personal Property Re-engineering Pilot and Group Operational Passenger System -- will be a direct part of this customer service.

The expanded 20-member process action team then divided into four functional work areas -- customer measurement, personnel, knowledge base and technical support.

Rather than copy an existing center, team members studied similar customer call centers in both industry and government.

The shape of a plan began to develop.

"We found that through state-of-the art technology, organizations were meeting their customer needs better," said Norkus.

The best centers had the capacity to allow customers to solve their own problems," said Bryant. "They provided solutions to common problems on the Web and through advanced telephone technology."

The essence of the system is the advanced computer software that instantly brings up a customer profile of facts and recent inquiries.

"It allows the customer representative to be more personable and knowledgeable about customer knowledge and concerns," said Mihalek.

The work team reviewed five separate software systems for the customer center. They chose Siebel software.

"This software system focused more on customer relations, customer measurement and overall fitting MTMC's needs," said Mihalek.

To implement the program, MTMC has contracted with American Management System, Inc., of Fairfax, Va., to assist in the development of customer call center software.

"The recognition that a customer relationship management system offers the opportunity to leverage resources and improve services across the command demonstrates MTMC's desire to deploy the best technologies available," said Richard Crespin, who leads the firm's Department of Defense Customer Relationship Management Practice.

This effort is coordinated with a parallel effort at Transportation Command.

"We will have initial operating capability for freight in August," said Norkus. "We anticipate seeing an increased level of customer satisfaction with freight customers at that time."

The program will gradually expand from that starting point until all the MTMC's core business processes are included -- probably by late summer 2001.

The effort will provide a single point of entry for customers. (FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).