CRM - November 2007 - (Page 24)

Checking The Pulse OF THE Contact Center By Coreen Bailor W e’re all aware that the contact center typically collects and houses more information than any other department within an enterprise. But no contact center has ever optimized its performance—and subsequently the performance of the overall business—by just reporting on captured data. The real shift in performance from mediocrity to excellence comes when that data is leveraged to drive behavioral changes that will ultimately elevate an organization’s ability to meet and surpass defined objectives. Contact center performance management (CCPM)—the concept of measuring, evaluating, and advancing agent and center activity—can be a strong catalyst for transformation and improvement. Often dismissed as nothing more than visually impressive graphics and flashy reports, CCPM applications can actually help centers increase revenue, agent productivity, customer loyalty, and employee satisfaction, while effectively managing operational outlays. But despite its ability to provide quantifiable benefits, CCPM appears to be one of the best-kept secrets in the contact center industry. “There is a real danger right now that if in fact contact center performance management doesn’t do a better job of defining itself, getting out there in the marketplace, and really solving business problems, then it’s just going to end up adding to the problem it’s trying to solve,” says Wendy Lauther, vice president of performance management at Verint Systems. On the other hand, if the purpose, benefits, and value proposition of CCPM applications are made clear, then CCPM’s days of being a lesser-known process may be numbered. WHO’S WHO The primary difference between CCPM and the better-known corporate per- formance management is that the latter is driven more by financial data. DMG Consulting, which specializes in customer-focused business strategy, operations, and technology, defines CCPM on three levels: Strategic level: Contact center performance management “provides a framework for aligning the goals of the contact center with those of the corporation.” Tactical level: CCPM “uses goals, KPIs [key performance indicators], metrics, data sources, and balanced scorecards for capturing and reporting how well the contact center delivers to its objectives in order to identify the actions necessary to address areas of weakness or strength. “ Practical level: CCPM “streamlines and simplifies contact center reporting, enabling managers to use a carefully selected set of KPIs, metrics, and reports to manage their operation[s], instead of the numerous reports and hundreds of measures previously required.” www.destinationCRM.com 24 CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | NOVEMBER 2007 http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - November 2007

CRM - November 2007 Contents Front Office Reality Check Customer Centricity Have You Caught It? The Mother of Enterprise Information Market Focus: Technology: The Simple Truth about Complex Manufacturing Q&A: Gianforte Talks CRM Required Reading Predicting Profitability Checking the Pulse of the Contact Center Cast a Narrow Net Modern Times, Modern Methods Primos Hunting Calls Snares Efficiency Nailing It Down Moving in on Mortgage Delinquencies RDS Delivery Delivers on Service Secret of My Success Re:Tooling The Tipping Point Pint of View

CRM - November 2007

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