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How HDI Virtual Support Center Certification is Helping Reshape Vertex, Inc.

Ever wonder how the businesses you frequent calculate their sales and use tax when you make a transaction? We didn’t think so, and rest assured we’re not here to provide a detailed dissertation on the algorithms and intricacies that go into it—but it’s quite complex. Every business in every industry depends on reliable systems, softwares, and customer support to make it happen. 

For companies from online to brick and mortar in retail, wholesale, hospitality, telecomm, and more, Vertex provides the world's most trusted tax solutions for businesses to transact, comply, and grow with confidence. 

With a total workforce over 1,000 in offices throughout North America and Europe, Vertex’s support center consists of 75 employees serving more than 5,000 customers across the globe—nearly 80% of which are on the Fortune 1000 list.

    The Role of the Vertex Support Center

    The Vertex support center works primarily with two main groups:

  • Tax offices to ensure the calculation of the tax rate is accurate
  • Company IT departments to integrate billing systems and keep transactions flowing smoothly


    • As the conduit to many internal departments and the gateway to the customer, the Vertex support team bears a lot of responsibility. And because they serve as the main listening post for customers, they knew they were sitting on a goldmine of valuable data that could help improve processes and further the Vertex mission.

    But in order to become a bigger part of the strategic conversations within the organization and position themselves as an undeniable driving force to the business’ bottom line, they needed guidance.


    Enter HDI...

    The Vertex support center had been certified by another vendor for the past 20 years. Carrying official third-party certification has always been important to Vertex, however, they realized the way they were operating was getting a little stale. They needed to refresh and reset. They needed to grow. They needed a more vigorous challenge. And that’s exactly what the HDI Support Center Certification process could offer them: a challenge. 

    The HDI certification process is different from other companies. Sure, most service and support certifications have key metrics to hit, but only with the help of HDI would Vertex receive advice throughout the process on how all the data they had could sync up with other vital organizational departments and drive business decisions. Much more than just meeting KPIs, HDI was able to provide detailed and forward-thinking feedback around not only achieving the result—but doing it the right way. A way that would forever position the Vertex support center as an invaluable asset to the business.

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    Going Virtual

    Like many accredited certification programs, HDI Support Center Certification is an exhaustive process. After months of rigorous preparation by the Vertex support team, the official week-long certification review would culminate in March 2020. Then came the COVID-19 shutdown.

    With an onsite visit no longer viable, both parties remained steadfast and went virtual to complete the certification. 

    Vertex was a bit apprehensive about the remote audit. All other certifications had been done in-person at their office—and their support team had just finished scrambling to get themselves set up to work from home (along with most of the company’s staff).

    The virtual consulting and certification process began in earnest, and immediately the apprehension faded. In the end, not only did Vertex earn their official HDI certification, but the undiminished virtual experience actually enhanced the process. 

    According to Vertex’s Director of Customer Support, Ray Proska, conducting the HDI Support Center Certification virtually removed the usual distractions of the office, allowed vital members of their leadership team to become more focused and engaged, and offered more flexibility than other certification audits they’ve had in the past. 

    “Virtually is the wave of the future as we continue with HDI certifications and consulting services,” Ray said. “As we expand our global footprint from a support perspective, being able to do it virtually is going to be key.”


    Vertex's HDI Certification Will Serve as a Springboard to Continued Success

    “HDI was great to work with,” said Ray. “It was a challenging process to go through, made us look in the mirror and understand our business...coming out with a new perspective on what it takes to be successful.”

    And with lofty goals, success for the Vertex support team is more important than ever. Setting their sights on combining and streamlining their operations as they look to develop and implement a cloud-first “support 2.0” that oversees the entire global organization will be their next herculean task. To accomplish this, they plan to anchor their rebuild and expansion in the tenets of HDI and the essential direction they received as part of the Support Center Certification process. 

    “What HDI has done is helping us shape what we’re building,” says Ray.

    Now, as the only indirect tax technology company that’s HDI certified, Vertex is already reaping the rewards. The support team is more integral than ever to the organization’s overall mission, and their sales team sees the influential certification as a big differentiator when going after new business. 

    “It’s awesome, a big feather in our cap. We’re very prideful of that,” concludes Ray.


    Is your support center ready for the HDI Support Center Certification process? Take the HDI Support Center Self-Assessment to understand your current state!