Consumer Products and Services

Bare Escentuals

Bare Escentuals is one of the fastest growing premium cosmetic companies in the U.S. and a leader in the mineral-based cosmetic market. The company began an initiative to migrate from its outsourced Customer Service Call Center provider to one that would better align with the evolving business objectives of the organization. PowerHouse supported this initiative by providing industry expertise and guidance throughout the process of identifying the right provider. We conducted an Operational Assessment that focused on Bare Escentuals’ Customer Service requirements, including the critical business processes of customer retention, general inquiries, and order management. We also analyzed technology platforms, reporting requirements, workload forecasting, and management integration. PowerHouse facilitated an RFP process that would determine the most appropriate partner for Bare Escentuals. We provided the guidance and oversight to insure that the relationship began on the right foot - based on shared philosophies, effective contract language, and sound measurement tools.

RealNetworks, Inc.

RealNetworks, Inc. is a leading creator of digital media services and software. In a joint venture with COMgroup, PowerHouse guided the process that ultimately resulted in the acquisition and implementation of a new Call Center VoIP platform. To support the evolving business needs of the company, PowerHouse identified and documented the requirements for the new technology. These were mapped against existing functionality to identify gaps and define system specifications. PowerHouse then supported the RFP process by reviewing bid responses and guiding the decision process.

United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service (UPS) is the world's largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of specialized transportation and logistics services. The company sought to revolutionize its networked systems that customers use to track and ship packages. This meant that existing Call Center technology would need an upgrade to support more than a million new software users. PowerHouse collaborated with UPS to assess the current state, develop design requirements, and create bid specifications to source the new technology. The final solution included the implementation of a Siemens Model 80 PBX with Resume Routing ACD capability and a GeoTel ICR Platform that connected a multi-site, multi-vendor virtual Call Center telecom network. In a second UPS engagement, PowerHouse supported the PBX replacement process for 125 telephone systems. We created a phone system design, wrote the RFP, and managed the proposal evaluation and vendor selection processes. Approximately 40,000 extensions across 128 sites had to be VoIP-enabled to take UPS into the future.