In recent posts, I have discussed the Workforce Optimization process in the contact center—specifically, how companies can create a cycle of continuous improvement in business processes—and the value it can generate for the entire organization. An essential component of this process is performance management software because it delivers the “action” for continuous improvement. This process is both guided (by suggesting best practices and corrective action) and automated (with applications triggering a process).
Before we discuss how companies should pursue performance management in the contact center, I’d like to clear up a common misperception. Too often, the term “performance management” is associated with either reports or dashboards generated by individual applications. In reality, these tools are just forms of performance reporting, not performance management. Reporting may provide a snapshot of progress against a goal, but users must take action based on this information to make any real progress. Unfortunately, once individual action is introduced, the overall process suffers because such efforts can vary widely from person to person and group to group.
Foundational elements of performance management
A comprehensive performance management solution helps remove this variability from the process in several ways.
1) Information from multiple sources is unified to create “one version of the truth,” removing the potential for different interpretations of the data.
2) Companies can measure performance, aggregate it across siloed groups, and then correlate with other metrics.
3) Contact centers can understand the impact that transactional measurements (such as handle time) has on customer-specific metrics (such as sales and satisfaction).
Communication and transparency are key
To support performance management efforts, companies must be able to share data with various stakeholders. This can be done in an automated fashion with alerts, forms, and e-mails rather than relying on the individual to look at the information and recognize the problem.
However, key performance indicators will vary based upon the stakeholder: an executive will want to see data on the contact center’s progress against corporate goals―such as profitability, cost structure, or forecast accuracy. Meanwhile, a lower-level supervisor will be more interested in team performance, handle times and individual adherence. Therefore, any solution must align to the needs of the individual role.
Translating data into action
The next step is to derive future improvement from the information. To achieve this goal, performance management must embrace business processes that are connected to results. This can be automated or guided.
For example, if a contact center agent has low customer satisfaction scores, an automated process can be launched that provides training to the employee on customer empathy. A guided approach may initiate a coaching session with a supervisor in which the supervisor is provided suggestions for remediation. The goal is to establish a standardized process to coach employees toward improvement, thus generating improved organizational effectiveness.
While successful performance management requires a coordinated effort at all levels of the organization, the results can be tremendous. Performance management helps companies identify best practices, which can result in a wide range of organizational benefits: increased productivity, higher revenues, and reduced costs.