What is IBM Sterling Call Center?
IBM Sterling Call Center gives customer service representatives a consolidated view of customer orders across sales channels. It supports order creation, changes, tracking, returns, and exchanges, helping agents resolve inquiries without switching between disconnected systems.
The next-generation application uses an Angular-based interface and IBM’s Carbon Design System. For retailers using the legacy Dojo-based application, migration involves reviewing existing workflows and customizations, identifying what the new application supports, and planning any extensions needed.
IBM ended product fixes for the Dojo-based application on October 30, 2025. Guidance and recommendations remain available, but product fixes are no longer delivered. After March 31, 2027, product releases will no longer include the legacy application code on SaaS and container platforms.
This guide explains the capabilities of the next-generation application, what changes for users and developers, and how to plan your migration.
How does IBM Sterling Call Center support customer service operations?
Efficiency Meets Revenue
In the fast-paced world of omnichannel retail, your call center software isn’t just another tool—it’s your frontline force. It plays a critical role in shaping customer experience, productivity, and ultimately, your bottom line. Think about it: every interaction, every query resolved, and every cross-sell counts. But without powerful call center software, you’re asking your CSRs to fight with one hand tied behind their backs, struggling with slow systems, scattered data, and limited customer insights.
Get it right, and you’ll watch those key metrics soar: from First Contact Resolution to Agent Productivity, each benefit adds tangible value to your operations. And let’s debunk the outdated idea that call centers are simply cost centers. With the right tools, call centers are revenue drivers and customer experience powerhouses—every customer interaction is an opportunity to boost top-line through personalized experiences, effective cross-sells, up-sells, and better customer retention.
Here’s how advanced call center software transforms success metrics for customers, CSRs, and the entire business:
What changes in the next-generation IBM Sterling Call Center?
The next-generation IBM Sterling Call Center replaces the legacy Dojo-based interface with an Angular-based application using IBM’s Carbon Design System. The change introduces a different user experience and development framework, making it important to assess both how agents work and how existing customizations will be implemented.
Migration planning should compare current requirements with available capabilities, identify gaps, and determine which customizations can be retired, replaced by standard functionality, or rebuilt.
What capabilities are available to customer service representatives?
Customer service representatives can use the next-generation application to search for orders, review order and shipment details, and manage service tasks such as returns and exchanges. These capabilities help agents understand what has happened to an order and take the appropriate next action. The functionality available to each team depends on its application version, configuration, integrations, and permissions.
Intuitive User Interface
- Navigate like a pro with a user-friendly design that empowers CSRs to deliver prompt and effective solutions.
- Personalize screens to fit your unique needs and preferences for a truly customized experience.
- Consistency is key. Familiar UIs across all Sterling applications reduce learning curves, getting your team up to speed in record time.
- Enjoy fast, responsive interfaces that adapt effortlessly to any device or screen size.
Enhanced Tracking and Search Capabilities
- Get details on the fulfillment location on the Order Summary and Shipment Tracking screens for unparalleled visibility.
- View complete order status transitions by date and time on one convenient screen—no more piecing together the past!
- Search orders effortlessly based on creation date and time.
Streamlined Returns Management
- New features on the Return module makes creating returns and exchanges a breeze.
- Customer lost their receipt? No problem! Blind Returns let you create return orders without any order information.
AI-Powered Integration
- Leverage the power of watsonx.ai with a pre-built generative AI assistant that supercharges agent efficiency and cuts resolution times.
How can developers customize the next-generation application?
Developers can extend the Angular-based application using its supported customization framework and Carbon design components. Existing Dojo customizations should be assessed individually to determine whether standard functionality can replace them or whether they need to be reimplemented.
The technical review should cover custom screens, workflows, integrations, and business rules, with testing focused on both the extensions and the service processes they support.
Low-Code/No-Code Freedom
- Forget about drowning in lines of code! With the low-code/no-code framework, you can customize interfaces in a snap. Set up environments in a flash and launch modular customizations—leaving you more time to innovate and less time troubleshooting!
Design Harmony
- Thanks to Carbon’s design guidelines, designers and developers are now in sync. Say goodbye to miscommunications and rework—everyone’s on the same page, and your projects are smoother than ever.
Agility Unleashed
- The flexible backend and micro-frontend architecture mean you can build and deploy UI extensions quickly and seamlessly without breaking a sweat. It’s agility redefined!
Accelerated Development
- The ability to easily toggle between the out-of-the-box screen and the customized screen speeds up the development and triaging process. With pre-built, Angular-compatible Carbon components, you can roll out features and prototypes faster than you can say “low-code!”
In a nutshell, IBM Sterling Call Center 10.0 isn’t just an upgrade; it’s a total game-changer. It empowers CSRs with the tools they need to deliver exceptional customer experiences while providing developers with the flexibility and agility to customize and innovate. Get ready to unlock a universe of possibilities that will transform your call center into a high-octane powerhouse of productivity and customer delight!
Your Roadmap to Success with Nextuple
With over 25 years at the forefront of the Order Management System (OMS) space, Nextuple is your trusted partner for seamless IBM Sterling Order Management and Call Center implementation and upgrades. From strategic consulting services to complex custom engineering projects, implementations and managed services, we’ve mastered the IT lifecycle, adding a powerful boost with AI and ML.
As an IBM Gold Partner, we bring a wealth of experience from numerous projects across various industries, so you know your success is backed by proven expertise. From traditional retailers to direct-to-consumer brands, we’ve mastered Call Center implementations and upgrades. Whether it’s a quick, out-of-the-box setup or a complex, custom solution, Nextuple can handle it all.
Here’s how we fast-track your success and cut down on time-to-value:
Our well-honed training, knowledge transfer tools, and functional comparisons take the hassle out of change management.
Our pre-built testing solutions keep your project on track and ensure top-tier quality every step of the way
We’ve already conducted thorough functional comparisons of features for both cloud and on-premises solutions and analyzed the Dojo-based framework versus the Angular-based framework, so you can skip the legwork and focus on what matters—an efficient discovery process.
When does support end for Dojo-based IBM Sterling Call Center?
October 30, 2023
Deprecation Start Date
Customers will continue to receive standard support and product fixes until the end of support. However, no enhancements will be made for the product.
October 30, 2025
End of Support
Guidance and recommendations for issues will be available, but product fixes for the Dojo-based Sterling Call Center legacy application will not be delivered.
March 31, 2027
Code Removal
Product releases will no longer contain the code for the Dojo-based Sterling Call Center legacy application. This removal of code is applicable only on the SaaS and containers platform.
What does an IBM Sterling Call Center migration involve?
An IBM Sterling Call Center migration involves assessing the legacy application, mapping business requirements to the next-generation capabilities, reimplementing necessary customizations, and validating end-to-end workflows. Agent training, cutover planning, and post-launch support are also part of the transition.
Nextuple’s indicative project timeline is approximately three to six months, subject to discovery. The scope depends on customization complexity, integration requirements, testing needs, and the organization’s rollout approach.
Total Project Time: ~3 to 6 months
2 to 3 weeks
Technical Discovery
We'll start by analyzing your current customizations, including your unique workflows and any custom files. Since Sterling Call Center 10.0 uses Angular (a different framework than Dojo), we'll help you re-implement your customizations to leverage the new features and UI.
8 to 12 weeks
Design, Build & Test
2 to 3 weeks
E2E, EAT & Performance Testing
Change Management & Training
2 to 3 weeks
Go-Live Hypercare
Plan your IBM Sterling Call Center migration
Start by understanding which workflows and customizations your customer service team relies on today. Nextuple can help assess your current environment, identify migration requirements, and develop a practical plan for implementation, testing, and rollout. Contact us today to discover how we can help you elevate your IBM Sterling OMS Call Center and deliver superior results.