Joint development of cutting-edge customer services
Vodafone Italia and Comdata have today signed a long-term cooperation agreement that will see the mobile operator outsource its administrative and credit management processes. The agreement consists of two parts: a 7-year, renewable service contract and the transfer of a Vodafone unit that includes 900 specialist staff that work at Vodafone Italia's Ivrea, Milan, Padua, Rome and Naples offices and who are to be integrated into Comdata's operating structure.
The project aims to exploit growth potential at both Vodafone Italia and Comdata, safeguarding jobs and developing the professional skills of the staff involved.
The initiative will enable Vodafone, which has always considered customer service quality to be an essential element of competitive differentiation, to take advantage of the services provided by a specialist company, with both parties committed to improving the quality of processes and the service offered.
For Comdata, the new contract marks a further significant stage in the development of its core business and in increasing the size of its operations in Italy. The content of the agreement and the know-how to be gained will enable Comdata to further expand on its presence in the market for administrative services and document management.
The contract targets continuous improvements in the quality of service supplied to Vodafone's end customers. To achieve this, Comdata has undertaken to employ the best process engineering solutions at its disposal, and is committed to using its data processing capabilities to develop tailor-made solutions, capable of optimising business processes and supporting the activities of its specialist staff.
The transfer of the Vodafone unit will guarantee stable working conditions and contract terms for the Vodafone staff involved. The people concerned will undergo a process of integration and training, whilst continuing to work at the same place or at nearby locations throughout the duration of the contract.
"We have entered into an important agreement that will enable both Vodafone and Comdata to develop their core businesses," commented Vodafone Italia's CEO, Pietro Guindani, "whilst guaranteeing stable working conditions and career opportunities for the 900 specialist staff concerned. A specific unit, focusing on key activities involved in the provision of services to our customers, will be created within Comdata. The agreement provides for investment in new processes that will boost quality and support the professional development of the people who work in the unit. The agreement is fully in line with Vodafone's business growth strategy, which aims to develop our offering of integrated fixed-mobile services and broadband connectivity, using external partners to carry out highly specialised support activities."
"I am extremely pleased to announce the agreement with Vodafone," declared Fiorenzo Codognotto, CEO of Comdata, "which rewards Comdata's decision to take the lead in putting the emphasis on ongoing quality and innovation and not just on cutting costs. This agreement marks a new era in the world of services, which will see Comdata become a Business Delivery Partner, an Industrial Partner that, via the integration of process engineering, proprietary technology and services of excellence, is capable of creating value for its customers and its people. Our partnership with Vodafone will enable us to fully implement Comdata's philosophy, based on staff and skills development as a means of creating new business opportunities".