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Tony Evers, Governor
Amy Pechacek, Secretary-designee

Department of Workforce Development
Secretary's Office
201 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707-7946
Telephone: (608) 266-3131
Fax: (608) 266-1784
Email: sec@dwd.wisconsin.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday June 23, 2021
CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
CommunicationsOffice@dwd.wisconsin.gov

Wisconsin DWD Adopts NICE CXone Cloud Based Contact Center Platform

MADISON –Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary-designee Amy Pechacek today announced that as part of its effort to modernize the Unemployment Insurance (UI) system, DWD has entered into a partnership with NICE CXone, a cloud-based Customer Call Center Solution. The agreement provides for updates to the UI program, as well as various employment and training programs and other DWD customer-facing services.

The main advantage of this solution is the scalability and flexibility to address the ever-changing needs of a government program.

"DWD is excited to increase our ability to serve our customers by adding a high-tech, scalable, contact center solution for multiple DWD programs," Pechacek said. "The NICE CXone platform will allow us to better share information across programs and better connect individuals to various programs. Regardless of what program an individual is seeking information on, those contacts will now be seamlessly linked across unemployment insurance, training programs, worker's compensation, and others."

“We’re excited to partner with Wisconsin DWD to deliver an innovative cloud platform that improves customer experience and makes it easier for agents and management to make data-driven decisions,” said Paul Jarman, CEO of NICE CXone. “As the most proven platform for government agencies, CXone makes it easy to deliver new service innovations that meet ever changing program needs.”

The NICE CXone platform enhances the current DWD system with additional benefits:

Modern web-based call delivery system that allows agents to work wherever they have an internet connection, providing greater flexibility for agents in taking and responding to calls
Scalability of solution in real time to address changing demands (both up and down)
Ability to customize in-house call processing in real-time
Omnichannel approach that allows DWD to introduce other communication channels (e.g., chat, text messaging)
Better ability to monitor interactions with customers
Enhanced real-time reporting, including number of unique callers

DWD has long been calling attention to its antiquated UI system, which limited its customer service options and slowed the processing of unemployment claims both during the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department showcased the challenges in an informational briefing earlier this year.

Gov. Evers' Special Session Senate Bill 1 (SS SB 1), now 2021 Act 4, required DWD to issue a request for proposals (RFP) by March 29, 2021 and undertake the modernization project by June 30. Act 4 also provided the Governor additional authority to waive procurement requirements when necessary to help expedite the process.

Through procurement flexibility allowed under the law and federal grant funds, DWD procured this Customer Call Center Solution through a NASPO Value Point contract with Unisys. Related contract and other documents are available here.

DWD will be issuing an RFP for the next phase of the UI modernization project by June 30.