Outsourcing comes with a lot of jargon. This glossary explains the terms you will see across our website, in proposals and in performance reports, in plain, simple language. Use it to get up to speed quickly, compare providers with confidence and ask the right questions.
Plain-English definitions of the BPO, customer experience and operations terms you will come across when working with Activ8 Asia.
Showing 78 of 78 terms
A business phone system that runs over the internet instead of traditional phone lines. It lets teams make and take calls, route them to the right person and connect calls with other tools such as a CRM.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → 3CX Communication Solutions
The money a business owes to its suppliers. Managing it means checking invoices, getting approvals and paying on time.
Related: BPO → Accounting & Finance Support
The money customers owe a business. Managing it means sending invoices, tracking payments and following up on overdue amounts.
Related: BPO → Accounting & Finance Support
Routine office work such as updating records, handling forms and managing documents, done accurately so internal teams can focus on core work.
Related: BPO → Administrative Processing
Using artificial intelligence (AI) to help people work faster, for example by sorting enquiries, suggesting replies or spotting trends. People stay in control; the AI does the repetitive parts.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → AI-Enabled Operational Support
The average time an agent spends on one customer interaction, including talk time, hold time and follow-up work. It helps measure efficiency without losing sight of quality.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions
The behind-the-scenes work that keeps a business running, such as data entry, finance tasks and records management. Customers do not see it, but they feel it when it goes wrong.
Related: BPO → Back Office Operations
Replacing a team member who leaves or is on leave so work continues without a gap. In a managed model, the provider handles this for the client.
Related: Managed Operational Solutions → Dedicated Resource Models
Checking that the information a candidate, customer or partner has provided is true. This can include identity, employment history, education and references.
Related: BPO → Verification & Background Verification Services
Recording a business's daily financial transactions, such as sales, purchases and payments, so the accounts are accurate and up to date.
Related: BPO → Accounting & Finance Support
Hiring an outside partner to run specific business tasks, such as customer support, finance or data processing, so a company can save costs, scale faster and focus on its core work.
Related: Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
In healthcare, preparing and submitting insurance claims for patient care, then tracking them until they are paid.
Related: BPO → Revenue Cycle Management
A team that handles customer conversations across phone, email, chat and social media. A traditional call centre handles phone calls only.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → Contact Centre Operations
Reviewing user-posted content such as comments, reviews or images to remove anything harmful, false or against a platform's rules.
Related: BPO → Data Processing & Operational Support
Software that stores every customer's details and history in one place, such as Salesforce or HubSpot. It helps teams give consistent, informed service.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → CRM Enablement
Setting up, customising and connecting a CRM so it fits how a team actually works, and helping people use it well.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → CRM Enablement
How customers feel about every interaction with a business, from the first enquiry to after-sales support.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions
Drawing out each step a customer takes with a business to find where things work well and where they get stuck.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → CX Management
A quick rating customers give after an interaction, usually on a scale of 1 to 5. It shows how happy they were with the service they received.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions
Helping customers with questions, problems and requests before, during and after a purchase.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → Customer Support Services
A single screen that shows key numbers and trends in real time, so managers can see how operations are performing at a glance.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → Reporting & Operational Analytics
Finding and fixing errors in data, such as duplicates, typos or missing details, so it can be trusted.
Related: BPO → Data Processing & Operational Support
Accurately typing or transferring information into a system, such as customer records, orders or forms.
Related: BPO → Data Processing & Operational Support
Moving data safely from one system to another, for example from spreadsheets into a new CRM, without losing or damaging it.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → CRM Enablement
One named person at Activ8 Asia who is responsible for your account, day-to-day delivery and communication.
Related: Managed Operational Solutions
A setup where a team works only for one client, following that client's processes and tools, while the provider handles hiring, payroll and infrastructure.
Related: Managed Operational Solutions → Dedicated Resource Models
In healthcare billing, finding out why an insurance claim was rejected, fixing the issue and resubmitting it so the provider gets paid.
Related: BPO → Revenue Cycle Management
A first conversation where we learn about your goals, processes and challenges before recommending a solution.
Related: Book a Discovery Call
A digital version of a patient's medical record, used by healthcare providers to store and share patient information.
Related: BPO → Revenue Cycle Management
Confirming a candidate's past jobs, job titles and dates of employment with former employers.
Related: BPO → Verification & Background Verification Services
When the outsourcing partner takes full responsibility for a process from start to finish, including staffing, quality and reporting.
Related: Managed Operational Solutions → Process Outsourcing Partnerships
Passing an issue to a more senior or specialised person when the first contact cannot solve it, following a clear, agreed process.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions
Comparing two sets of records, such as bank statements and accounting books, to make sure they match and to explain any differences.
Related: BPO → Accounting & Finance Support
The share of customer issues solved in the very first interaction, with no need to call back or follow up.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions
The General Data Protection Regulation, the European Union's law on how personal data must be collected, stored and protected.
Related: About Us / Security & Compliance
A support point where customers or employees can get help with questions or technical issues, usually through a ticketing system.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → Helpdesk & Customer Engagement Support
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a US law that protects patients' health information.
Related: Industries → Healthcare
Confirming a person is who they say they are by checking documents and details against trusted sources.
Related: BPO → Verification & Background Verification Services
Handling calls and messages that customers start, such as questions, orders and complaints.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → Inbound & Outbound Operations
The automated phone menu that greets callers ("Press 1 for billing") and routes them to the right team.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → 3CX Communication Solutions
An international standard for managing information security. It sets out how an organisation should protect the data it handles.
Related: About Us / Security & Compliance
A measurable number that shows whether a goal is being met, such as response time or customer satisfaction.
Related: All services
Checks that banks and financial businesses carry out to confirm a customer's identity and reduce the risk of fraud.
Related: BPO → Verification & Background Verification Services
A searchable library of answers, guides and procedures that agents and customers use to solve problems quickly and consistently.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions
Levels of support. L1 handles common questions, L2 handles more technical issues and L3 handles the most complex problems, often with specialists.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → Helpdesk & Customer Engagement Support
Finding and reaching potential customers who may be interested in a product or service, often through outbound calls or emails.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → Inbound & Outbound Operations
A model where an outside partner runs part of your operations for you and is accountable for the results, not just the staff.
Related: Managed Operational Solutions → Managed Operations Support
Creating and sending bills for healthcare services to insurers and patients, then following up until they are paid.
Related: BPO → Revenue Cycle Management
Turning diagnoses and treatments into standard codes that insurers use to process claims.
Related: BPO → Revenue Cycle Management
A measure of customer loyalty based on one question: "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?"
Related: Customer Experience Solutions
Supporting customers across phone, email, chat and social media in a connected way, so they never have to repeat themselves when switching channels.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → Omni-Channel Customer Operations
On-premise systems run on hardware in your own office. Cloud systems run on the internet and can be used from anywhere.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → 3CX Communication Solutions
The setup stage at the start of a partnership, including learning your processes, training the team and connecting systems.
Related: All services
Giving teams the right tools, systems and automation, such as CRM, phone systems and reporting, so they can work more efficiently.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions
Contacting customers or prospects first, for example for follow-ups, surveys, reminders or sales.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → Inbound & Outbound Operations
Handing specific tasks or functions to an outside partner instead of doing them in-house.
Related: Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
Calculating and processing employee pay, deductions and related records accurately and on time.
Related: BPO → Business Support Services
A business's internal phone network that connects extensions and routes calls. Modern PBX systems, like 3CX, run over the internet.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → 3CX Communication Solutions
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, a set of rules for keeping card payment details safe.
Related: About Us / Security & Compliance
Checks carried out on job candidates before hiring, such as identity, work history and references.
Related: BPO → Verification & Background Verification Services
Reviewing how work gets done and removing delays, duplication and errors so it runs faster and costs less.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → Process Optimization Support
Regularly checking work, such as calls, tickets or data, against agreed standards to keep quality high and consistent.
Related: All services
The period when a new team or service grows from launch to full capacity.
Related: Managed Operational Solutions → Scalable Workforce Solutions
Organising, storing and maintaining business documents so they are easy to find, secure and compliant.
Related: BPO → Administrative Processing
Contacting a candidate's previous managers or colleagues to confirm their skills, conduct and work history.
Related: BPO → Verification & Background Verification Services
The full financial process of a healthcare provider, from patient registration and coding to billing, claims and payment collection.
Related: BPO → Revenue Cycle Management
A security practice where people can only see and use the systems and data they need for their job.
Related: About Us / Security & Compliance
Finding the real reason a problem happens, not just its symptoms, so it can be fixed for good.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → CX Management
A team that can grow or shrink quickly to match demand, such as seasonal peaks or new product launches.
Related: Managed Operational Solutions → Scalable Workforce Solutions
A written agreement that sets the service standards a provider must meet, such as response times, accuracy and availability.
Related: All services
Step-by-step written instructions for how a task should be done, so everyone does it the same way every time.
Related: All services
Software that logs every customer request as a "ticket" so it can be tracked, assigned and resolved without being lost.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → Helpdesk & Customer Engagement Support
Moving a process or team from a client, or a previous provider, to a new partner in a planned, low-risk way.
Related: Managed Operational Solutions → Process Outsourcing Partnerships
How long it takes to complete a task or request from start to finish.
Related: All services
Remote help with everyday admin tasks such as scheduling, email management and document handling.
Related: BPO → Business Support Services
Collecting and studying what customers say through surveys, reviews and conversations to improve products and service.
Related: Customer Experience Solutions → CX Management
Making phone calls over the internet instead of traditional phone lines. It is usually cheaper and more flexible.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → 3CX Communication Solutions
Using software to carry out repetitive steps automatically, such as sending updates or assigning tasks, so people can focus on higher-value work.
Related: Operational Enablement Solutions → Workflow Automation
