How a simulation-powered digital twin helped Air Canada to manage a complex contact center migration

Air Canada , a leading airline in North America, faced significant challenges in managing its contact center operations. Previous efforts to improve call management resulted in negative customer experiences, prompting the need for a more efficient solution. The goal was to consolidate four separate contact lines into a centralized telephony platform to enhance service delivery.

To facilitate this transition, Air Canada collaborated with Simul8 to develop a simulation-powered digital twin. This innovative approach allowed the airline to model its call routing system, providing insights into operational performance before the full migration.

Challenges faced by Air Canada

The contact center team at Air Canada managed around 25,000 calls daily, using several independent systems from different providers. This complexity hindered service quality and internal efficiency. The airline recognized the need for a streamlined system and selected Amazon Web Services (AWS) Connect as the new provider.

“Simul8 quickly understood the challenge. From our initial consultation, they were able to build a digital twin that accurately captured the call routing system and, through simulation, provided us with the means to test its durability, consequence-free,” Kieran Hurley, Program Manager – Contact Center IT, Air Canada.

As the migration began, the team faced complications with the new system's call prioritization. Calls were not being routed effectively, leading to customer complaints and reputational risks. The urgency to correct these issues prompted Air Canada to collaborate with Simul8 for further support.

How Air Canada managed these challenges

Simul8 began by consulting with Air Canada to understand the new contact center structure, staffing needs, and operational variables. The simulation-powered digital twin was used to analyze various call routing scenarios and stress test the system against potential spikes in demand.

“On paper, we had it all planned out, but when we put it into practice, that was when we realized that we needed the assistance of a simulation-powered digital twin. There was a ‘miss’ on paper. We found out the hard way that the new technology behaved differently than we had expected,” - Kieran Hurley, Program Manager – Contact Center IT, Air Canada.

The simulation enabled the team to identify optimal call routing strategies, ensuring that customer inquiries were prioritized effectively.

Results of using simulation technology

The implementation of the simulation-powered digital twin facilitated a seamless migration to AWS Connect, ensuring the system could handle spikes in call volume. The project, initiated at the end of February 2022, was completed by May of the same year—prior to the peak summer season.

Once the loyalty line was optimized, the subsequent migration phases went smoothly, with zero customer complaints. Air Canada now operates from a centralized telephony platform, allowing customers to contact a single number, significantly enhancing service efficiency.

“This challenge required a rapid response to ensure that there would be no further impact on customers while the rest of the migration took place. Thankfully, our consulting team is very familiar with the inner workings of contact centers. We were able to take some fundamental building blocks for a digital twin in this setting and fine-tune them to Air Canada’s requirements without any delay,” - Thomas Stephenson , Director of Services and Strategic Partnerships, Simul8.

Looking ahead

Air Canada continues to explore opportunities to enhance its digital services using Simul8’s technology. The successful collaboration not only resolved immediate challenges but also laid the groundwork for ongoing improvements in operational efficiency and customer experience.

With the implementation of the simulation-powered digital twin, Air Canada can now perform continuous optimizations, allowing for real-time adjustments to resource allocation and call routing strategies. This capability not only mitigates the risks associated with future migrations or operational changes but also enhances the airline's agility in responding to fluctuating customer demands. As Air Canada looks to the future, leveraging simulation technology will be crucial in ensuring sustained improvements in service quality, fostering greater customer satisfaction, and maintaining a competitive edge in the aviation industry.

Discover how Simul8’s simulation-powered digital twins can transform your operational processes. Download the complete case study to explore how Air Canada successfully navigated its contact center migration, addressing challenges and implementing solutions that enhanced service quality and efficiency.