Tax agency has published an outline of its requirements and stipulations for a huge new customer support facility, with bids to be invited from large systems integrators and software houses
HM Revenue and Customs has provided details of proposals for a major new customer contact centre – including the stipulation that the department will only consider working with large suppliers.
The tax agency has published an updated engagement notice to bring potential providers up to speed on its plans “for the development of a single omnichannel contact centre as a service (CCaaS) solution to replace its current legacy services”.
In a new project overview document released online, HMRC sets out five core objectives it hopes to be achieved via the deployment of the new system: personalised and intuitive services for users; improved and more integrated tools for agents, including the provision of information in real time; greater insights from performance data; integration with other software systems, including core ERP and CRM back-office platforms; better overall service for customers, evidenced by reduced wait times and more issues being dealt with during a user’s initial call.
All this can be achieved via a “unified, cloud-based platform offering a range of synchronous and asynchronous channels… that enables the evolution of self-service capabilities over time, using advanced analytics and AI tools to support customers while delivering proactive, empathetic experiences”, the document adds.
The underpinning infrastructure must also be equipped with “the ability to handle surges in contact volume, system failures, or other disruptions; with high uptime and consistently maintained service, the solution should offer flexibility to adapt to demand without disruption to existing systems”, HMRC requests.
The department states that it needs a technology platform that can support 200,000 agents across the world and can handle 20,000 inbound calls, 400 outbound calls, and 3,000 webchats at any given time – while maintaining a 99.99% uptime record.
Suppliers are instructed that HMRC needs “confirmation that your organisation’s solution is hosted in the UK and that all data will be hosted in the UK aligned with HMRC’s data and security policy requirements”.
The tax agency will go to market in the new year seeking joint bids from CCaaS platform vendors working in partnership with a systems integrator delivery partner – which may also be supported by “specialist implementors where appropriate”, the overview says.
HMRC believes that, to meet its needs, it must work with providers of a certain size.
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The department stipulates that, in order to be considered for the contract, vendors must be able to demonstrate annual revenues from providing CCaaS services of at least £150m. Moreover, the HMRC contract – which will last for eight years and will likely be worth hundreds of millions of pounds – must not constitute more than 10% of the platform supplier’s yearly CCaaS sales.
Systems integrators interested in bidding must also provide financial documents, including a breakdown of revenue derived from CCaaS provision. Bids will only be considered from firms with an annual top line of at least £80m and the HMRC engagement should account for no more than 15% of the company’s sales each year.
Until 10January, prospective providers are invited to register their interest for a “supplier briefing day” event to take place later that month.
Around April, firms that have proved their eligibility will be invited to submit an initial tender.
In the early summer of 2025, shortlisted bidders will be asked to participate in a “product demonstration stage based on a set of defined use case scenarios, [which] provides further opportunity for HMRC to assess how the proposed solution will practically meet requirements”.
Around July, the department expects to “undertake negotiation with shortlisted bidders, where HMRC can set priority areas for negotiation to incentivise suppliers to bring the best and final offer to the table”.
A preferred bidder will be appointed some time thereafter.
In late 2022 HMRC launched a review of a contact centre system from Odigo that, in the weeks and months following its implementation, encountered “multiple service incidents”.
In the two years since then, there has been much scrutiny of HMRC’s own customer service performance, which has consistently fallen below targets. The commercial documents setting out the CCaaS plans reiterate the department’s intention to get back on track by answering 85% of all calls and achieving an 80% customer satisfaction rate across webchat, phone, and online self-service channels.
