Ventana Research Publishes Latest Research on Workforce Optimization

    BEND, OR, May 04, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Ventana Research today released its latest benchmark research, The State of Workforce Optimization. The research assessed the degree to which organizations are satisfied with their current WFO systems and identified areas where improvements or enhancements would be valuable. It investigated issues WFO users must address, such as empowering agents to perform optimally, training them to interact efficiently and how to ensure best possible customer satisfaction. Ventana Research undertook this benchmark research to determine the attitudes, requirements and future intentions of those who use workforce management systems and to identify the best practices of organizations that are most mature in it. We considered how organizations perform workforce management, issues they encounter in the process and how their use of workforce management and related technology is evolving.

In this new benchmark research, more than three-quarters (77%) of organizations said it is very important to improve the way they handle interactions. In addition, improving the customer experience is by far the most important driver for improving interaction handling, selected by 85 percent of organizations. Also among the top six drivers are increasing customer satisfaction (ranked fourth) and customer retention (tied for sixth). However, all the other drivers cited refer to internal operations - for example, those ranked second and third, are improving business processes and increasing first-contact resolution rates.

"Improving the customer experience and handling has become more critical to organizations than ever before," said Richard Snow, Vice President and Research Director of Customer & Contact Center Research. "however, although 77% of organizations said it is very important to improve the way they handle interactions, only 13% actually achieve our highest Innovative level of performance. This is a decrease of 3% from 2013."

"The research shows that while many organizations said customer experience is important, a tendency persists to keep focusing on operational metrics and familiar processes and systems rather than take more innovative steps. Length of call, number of calls handled, and average time to complete after-call work still remain the most used measurements in agent performance, while customer satisfaction and net promoter score, metrics that impact the customer experience, are the only two in the top 6 most used performance metrics."

Those interested in learning more about this benchmark research can download the executive summary at https://www.ventanaresearch.com/benchmark/workforce-optimization/executive-summary. This research was sponsored by Calabrio and Verint. Ventana Research, a leading business technology research and advisory services firm, provides qualified research participants with an incentive and complementary report, which includes both key insights and best practices from the benchmark research. Those interested in learning how to apply this benchmark in their business can see a full listing of services available at www.ventanaresearch.com/services. Ventana Research advisory clients have premium access to insights and education on benchmark research.

About Ventana Research
Ventana Research is the most authoritative and respected benchmark business technology research and advisory services firm. We provide insight and expert guidance on mainstream and disruptive technologies through a unique set of research-based offerings including benchmark research and technology evaluation assessments, education workshops and our research and advisory services, Ventana On-Demand. Our unparalleled understanding of the role of technology in optimizing business processes and performance and our best practices guidance are rooted in our rigorous research-based benchmarking of people, processes, information and technology across business and IT functions in every industry. This benchmark research plus our market coverage and in-depth knowledge of hundreds of technology providers means we can deliver education and expertise to our clients to increase the value they derive from technology investments while reducing time, cost and risk.

Ventana Research provides the most comprehensive analyst and research coverage in the industry; business and IT professionals worldwide are members of our community and benefit from Ventana Research's insights, as do highly regarded media and association partners around the globe. Our views and analyses are distributed daily through blogs and social media channels including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. To learn how Ventana Research advances the maturity of organizations' use of information and technology through benchmark research, education and advisory services, visit www.ventanaresearch.com.

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