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In reviewing the new 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Workforce Engagement Management Report today, I saw something different for a change. The vendors positioned in the MQ Leaders Quadrant are still in the Leaders Quadrant, but what’s really interesting is what is happening in the lower left. Automation is moving up in the ranks for agent engagement. Are WFM and QM old news? I think so.
Here’s my take. It is time for companies to start using agent guidance and stop auditing and sampling your agents for error and inefficiencies. WFM has already proven itself, but what about automation of the agent’s desktop? Automation at the agent’s desktop makes a measurable impact. Consider,
- Reducing talk time by more than 20% with agent guidance and eliminating more than 50% of agent tasks such as password management
- Reducing onboarding time for new agents by as much as 75%
- Reducing error rates by 80%
- Increasing NPS by 10 points
Companies need to deliver a consistent and differentiated customer experience, now more than ever. Coupled with increasing workforce attrition and business complexity, enterprise call centers face seemingly insurmountable odds for success.
To help empower employees in any meaningful way, they seek higher levels of automation, intelligent assistance and guidance. Simply put, the modern call center workforce needs tools to cope with the demands of their customers and the burden of growing complexity.
According to Gartner,
“Technologies that help drive engagement through interaction assistance (such as next best action, unified desktop, and process guidance and automation) have become an essential dimension of WEM beyond traditional agent management functions.” *
I believe going beyond traditional agent management is essential. The above statement underscores what progressive companies demand — world-class AI and RPA which both power employee engagement solutions and complement their existing Workforce Optimization (WFO) platforms.
*Gartner, Gartner Magic Quadrant for Workforce Engagement Management, Jim Davies and Jim Robinson, February 20, 2020
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