Linking Back Office and Front Office to Create CXM Heaven

The blending of front and back office isn’t a new phenomenon, but it is one that businesses appear to have ignored to their own detriment.

Back in 2017, the International Customer Management Institute found that, despite HMRC’s counsel, applying workforce optimisation techniques to the back office should be viewed as a business necessity, many companies were deficient when it came to using optimisation (WFO) technology.

‘Blending’ using WFO now a primary concern

If you look you will see that the  majority of customer queries and requests are not dealt with at first point of contact, but are routinely referred to the back office to be processed. Alongside this, the multiplication of contact and service channels across touchpoints – email, chatbot, web, social media and SMS, and so forth – have made old ideals of who is responsible for service redundant.

Having the right Information is key to workforce optimisation. If you have the right tools to analyse historic call volumes, you can predict staffing levels and schedule tasks with greater accuracy, for example. If you can automate large sections of operational processes, you can reduce human error and accelerate efficiencies.

Optimise resources, regardless of workflow status

WFO is based on the concept that if you can access key performance data in real time and make it generally available, you can begin to make improvements, such as raising service levels, enhancing customer satisfaction, shrinking operational costs and paring down duplication and waste.

Many businesses, however, have not realised the benefits of a blended approach because of its innate challenges. These are both cultural and structural and are not complicated to overcome. Aligning specific sets of performance objectives, process approaches and skills, for example, is a test of change management capabilities. HR needs to ensure people have the right skills to blend job roles. On the tech side, omnichannel has brought greater tech complexity to contend with.
The right solution

Seek out technology that is modular, scalable, platform agnostic and easy to deploy. Technology that offers functionality above your WFO suite, such as advanced analytics and robotic process automation. As well as a solution that will enable you to keep up with the multiplication of touchpoints and help you enhance customer experience to gain a competitive edge in the digital economy.   

The author is Managing Director of Business Systems (UK) Ltd, a specialist for 30 years in providing call recording and workforce optimisation solution.

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