Matchmaking often evokes images of romantic connections, but it’s just as essential in the realm of business, where it’s crucial to find the right match between a company and a vendor. In Emily Panek’s experience, the failure of these business partnerships, which she compares to a divorce, ultimately stems from compatibility issues. She sees executives with grand visions frequently encountering the same stumbling block—navigating an overwhelming number of options to determine which vendor best meets their ambitious plans.
Launching Optivity Now
Recognizing this gap between businesses and vendors, Panek founded Optivity Now, a firm that focuses on fostering clear, effective and transparent communication between these parties with the aim of building successful and enduring partnerships. When reflecting on her path to launching her company, she says her father, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia, influenced her to value hard work and resilience. The founder says this encouraged her to cultivate unwavering determination and a sharp business sense—qualities that led her to manage a team of over 200 call-center employees by the time she was 22 and rise the ranks to become a vice president without a college degree.
Panek also credits her extensive travels as a consultant in developing her insights into a diverse range of business operations and technologies. It also taught her the critical role relationships play in business—a lesson she now considers to be a fundamental aspect of Optivity Now’s philosophy.
Taking a client-centric approach
Taking into account everything she has learned and seen over her career, Panek says her personal approach to client relationships is what sets her firm apart. Rather than viewing them as mere business transactions, she strives to form emotional connections and friendships with each client. Panek finds this encourages trust and understanding, leading to client relationships that have lasted for many years.
The founder believes this approach, combined with her considerable experience in operations and technology, gives Optivity Now an edge in the market. Under her leadership, the company has embraced advancements in contact-center technology across today’s digital landscape.
Optivity Now specializes in consulting for contact centers, which includes introducing them to contact-center technology vendors and advising the best solutions for their specific needs. After thoroughly understanding its clients’ business processes and goals, the firm evaluates potential vendors and technologies while considering factors such as scalability, compatibility and cost-effectiveness to pair businesses with the right match, according to Panek.
For companies wishing to outsource their contact center support, Optivity Now provides Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) matchmaking services worldwide. The founder says her firm connects clients with the most suitable BPO providers, helping them achieve a boost in operational efficiency and a decrease in costs.
Contract negotiation and business optimization
Panek says Optivity Now also takes the lead in contract negotiation—a service that includes analyzing terms and conditions, establishing favorable pricing and setting clear expectations for performance and service delivery. Once contracts are signed, the firm continues to manage and monitor these agreements and offers optimization services that regularly assess the effectiveness of current solutions and suggest improvements, the founder adds.
When working with Optivity Now, clients do not pay for its services because it earns a commission from the chosen vendor instead, according to Panek. She feels this business model benefits clients since they are able to receive unbiased recommendations tailored to their best interests without incurring additional costs. Panek encourages businesses to partner with Optivity Now and take advantage of its personalized service and comprehensive solutions to reach new heights.
