EXPEDIA
CASE STUDY
Taking Expedia To New Heights
The Challenge
Expedia Inc. has been very successful through the years largely because of the user friendly interface and ability to resolve customer issues and inquiries quickly. After migrating to PegaSystems for their case management system, customer service manager Mikko Ollila realized that the move had caused a debilitating IT process issue. The team was suffering from inaccurate reporting, missed deadlines and lengthy delays in case resolutions. As a manager new to the customer service team, he was forced to act quickly and identify the specific skill set and personal attributes that would allow a person to be a successful and contributing member of the team.
Expedia spent four months screening and interviewing candidates, all of who lacked experience specific to Pegasystems. Mr. Ollila reached out to his contacts with local recruiting firms to outsource help. He was told by the firms that he would have to be very patient, as finding a qualified candidate would be difficult. According to area recruiters, PegaSystems (although very popular on the east coast) is rarely used by companies in the Seattle area.
Leadership began to explore all other options to resolving the IT issues facing the team, including relocating the right candidate from an area with a more robust candidate pool or using an alternative case management system. Both options were risky and very expensive.
The SOLUTION
Faced with costly options, Mr. Ollila made one final effort to find a local candidate and began calling vendors that Expedia did not have a previous relationship with. He reached out to his acquaintance at WideNet Consulting Group asking for help hiring someone who could effectively own the mission critical case management system. WideNet accepted the challenge and immediately dedicated a team to source and screen all candidates who could potentially fill the role.
Within two weeks the new PegaSystems Administrator started with the customer service team. “She is indispensable to our team,” says Mr. Ollila who recently converted her to an FTE and expanded her role.
The RESULT
Our recruiting team worked closely with the hiring manager, asking smart, targeted questions that allowed us to find a candidate who was able to step into the role and make an immediate impact on the business. “WideNet was scrappy, resourceful and optimistic when challenged with finding us the right person with a very unique skill set,” said Mr. Ollila when asked about his experience working with our team.
Expedia’s elite customer service team immediately benefitted from having an accurate Pega Report and was able to overtake the workload that had been backing up for over four months. After the improvements were made to their reporting, the team began noticing other small inefficiencies in their processes and were able to adjust where necessary, which improved their case response time significantly.
Expedia’s choice to work with WideNet Consulting Group ultimately resulted in a significant cost savings and hiring of a valuable team member.
TESTIMONIAL FROM THE CLIENT
“I have worked with a few people at WideNet over the past several years and have developed a high degree of confidence in their ability to deliver quality consultants. They have been very involved in understanding what we need from a culture fit and have always been quick to adjust after receiving feedback.”
“Our CSM at WideNet is 100% dedicated to the success of our business and actively engages with the team- she truly understands who we are and what we need in a consultant. When we had an immediate need for a highly specialized role, we know WideNet will be able to quickly adjust to find us the perfect candidate!”
“Working with WideNet has been a great experience- I deeply appreciate all the time and flexibility that has been dedicated to accommodate my team. Life is crazy, WideNet has been instrumental in so many ways. Over the last several years, I’ve come to trust that WideNet will find a qualified candidate that fits with my team.”
“Their breadth of knowledge and ability to react quickly to changing needs is among the best I’ve worked with.”
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We’ve been busy helping organizations across the Pacific Northwest and abroad with their IT and Technology talent needs lately. Read more about some of our other success stories below.
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