$8.4M Saved, 3,800 Calls Deflected Daily — A Public Sector Success Story


Customer

A major state workforce agency delivering unemployment claims, disability insurance, and labor market insights served several hundred thousand constituents online before the pandemic. When in-person access became limited, digital demand surged, growing to several million users almost overnight. The dramatic increase exposed critical gaps in the agency’s aging infrastructure and manual processes, prompting an urgent need for modernization.

Determined to meet immediate service needs while building for the future, agency leaders launched a multi-year digital transformation initiative—prioritizing contact center upgrades, automation, and expanded multilingual support to better serve the state’s diverse population.

Executive Summary

The pandemic accelerated digital interactions, revealing that incremental improvements were no longer sufficient. Long wait times, aging systems, and language limitations quickly became barriers to efficient, equitable service.

The agency partnered with NWN.ai and AWS to execute a strategic cloud migration, implement AI-powered call triage, and prepare for future Generative AI (GenAI) enhancements. Within months, self-service options expanded, call volumes dropped dramatically, and service efficiency improved, setting the foundation for continued innovation and growth.

The Problem:

As digital demand surged virtually overnight, the agency’s legacy systems, processes, and staffing models were quickly overwhelmed. Leaders recognized the urgent need to modernize their contact center, close accessibility gaps, and create a foundation for scalable growth to meet the evolving needs of millions of constituents:

  • Sudden Spike in Online Volume: Online users grew from 200,000 to several million almost overnight, overwhelming legacy systems
  • Aging Infrastructure and Onboarding Delays: Outdated platforms complicated modernization efforts, while training new agents stretched 16–20 weeks—slowing response capabilities when speed was critical
  • Language and Accessibility Gaps: With limited language support, the agency urgently needed English and Spanish capabilities and a roadmap for broader multilingual service expansion

“We faced a significant challenge in handling the surge in online customers, and knew we needed a modern solution,” said the agency’s project director.

Our Solution

NW.ai led a comprehensive modernization effort, combining rapid migration, intelligent automation, and expanded accessibility:

  • Lift-and-Shift Cloud Migration:
    • Collaborated with AWS to move the contact center environment to a scalable, flexible cloud platform with minimal disruption
  • AI-Driven Call Triage:
    • Introduced intelligent bots to manage routine inquiries, significantly reducing live call volumes and easing agent workloads
  • Multi-Language Expansion:
    • Launched immediate support in English and Spanish, with six additional languages scheduled by March 2024 to serve a broader population
  • Future-Ready Innovation:
    • Launched GenAI pilots to address peak volumes and automate document management for faster, more efficient service

The Results

A strategic modernization that improved constituent service, reduced costs, and enhanced operational resilience:

  • 3,800 daily calls deflected through self-service, empowering constituents and easing agent workloads
  • $8.4M in annual cost savings, based on 684 hours saved per day through automation and reduced handle times
  • 43% decrease in average wait time, dropping from 44 minutes to just over 25 minutes
  • 87% reduction in IVR failures, making it easier for users to reach the right department and get help quickly
  • 67.57% drop in call abandonment, signaling higher trust and satisfaction in the system
  • 66.45% increase in calls answered, even with fewer total calls offered—indicating improved efficiency and agent availability

“At the end of two years, our agents should be much better able to handle a call. They should be able to handle it faster. They should be able to resolve a claim quicker,” added the project director.