A study released by NeosWave, a group of technology-neutral consultants for the industry, has revealed some interesting insights into the state of the environment. According to the report, businesses in the UK are wasting £2.1 billion a year on failing to move from old legacy systems for managing customer contact to new-generation models.
The study, which was based on an analysis of more than 100 organisations with solutions for contact centre management in place, examined the cost wastage associated with outdated call centre structures. The report examined the costs of old technology and insufficient integrations of new automated feature sets in the contact management environment.
Are you Losing Money on Old Tech?
NeosWave’s new study suggests that businesses could save up to £2.1 billion per year on their customer contact management solutions by upgrading to a new business model. This decision to evolve would also give modern businesses significant competitive advantages when it comes to delighting customers. In the Telecoms sector, in particular, around £284 million is currently wasted by old and outdated systems each year.
The report acknowledged that contemporary requirements for the perfect blend of live and automated contact management are at odds with the legacy contact centre solutions that businesses have in place. These older systems rely heavily on lower-skilled live personnel working in a central operation environment. The study also highlights the need for a more strategic approach to contact management, which helps to engineer the excess costs out of traditional contact centre spaces.
Embracing the Future of CX
According to the director of NeosWave, Graham Ede, digital media offerings have caused a shift in the way that customers connect with today’s companies. However, so far, the contact centre industry both in-house and outsourced is struggling to evolve. Many companies are still using outdated business models that haven’t changed much over the last 2 decades. In the new world, customer experience management needs to be handled through a more intelligent combination of live agents and automation.
Contact capabilities and processes need to build on the basis of current strategies and commercial objectives. What’s more, these new ways of working, which build from an optimised combination of people and technology need to be able to deal with changes in demand. Going forward, NeosWave believes that there will be a bigger call for skilled contact centre agents and automated tools to replace the outdated systems of days gone by.
