Many industries are benefiting from changes in data analytics. The call center industry is one of them. Call center analytics is changing the industry immensely.
However, data analytics isn’t guaranteed to solve all call center challenges without the right strategy in place. Some people think that the call center software industry has the potential to grow exponentially but this is not the case. There are numerous factors holding the sector back negating its progression. Data analytics technology can help solve many of these challenges, but it needs to be properly utilized.
However, this is not to say that the industry has no legs. Brands such as Aircall.io have solutions that have revolutionized the realm with easy-to-use data analytics interfaces and cloud-based storage that makes it easier to store and access files.
Below we discuss some of the factors holding back the call center software industry that could be solved with data analytics tools.
1. Lack of training and development among employees
Software developers in this industry have to develop solutions that the target market can use with ease. This affects the end product since most call center owners do not take the time to train their employees and keep them up to speed with emerging trends in the market. The lack of training and development in the workforce presents developers with a challenge that they cannot ignore. Conforming to developing what the agents can use is among the reasons why there are very few disruptive innovations in this sector.
The good news is that data analytics technology can help with employee training. Companies use data analytics software to see how employees are progressing across various metrics.
2. High cost of development and acquisition
It is impossible for call centers to overhaul their systems after every few years as they cost an arm and a leg. For this reason, developers cannot advance and leave the consumers behind. This has derailed the call center software industry in many ways. On the other hand, very few companies in the world have the resources to develop new software from scratch. The cost of development contributes to the high pricing of the software as it is not cheap.
This is another area where data analytics can be useful. Big data technology helps many organizations facilitate mergers and acquisitions, as Deloitte has pointed out.
“very mergers and acquisitions (M&A) decision is driven at least in part by data. In the past, you might not know the real story behind the numbers until your business was in the trenches of post-deal transition. Today, you have M&A data analytics…”
Call centers are no exception. They can use data analytics to drive mergers and acquisitions.
3. Regulations
The communications realm is among those that governments in the world monitor closely. A lot of information goes through these systems causing a security threat. This has influenced the regulations that govern the industry. Some of the rules do not permit for certain provisions and this has impacted the software development side of things. Developers do not have the freedom to create solutions that may infringe on the rights of the users. Such regulations have held back this industry for a long time.
Data analytics can also help with compliance. Call centers can use data mining to learn more about various rules and make sure their operations comply with them.
4. Cybersecurity
Technological advancements come with a fair share of challenges. Hackers are the biggest threat to any system. The call center industry involves the transfer and storage of sensitive information. Security therefore is one of the considerations that developers must worry about. Getting the necessary approval for some of the innovations is impossible due to the risks that the system is exposed to. This in turn has limited the kind of software getting into the market.
Many other factors have contributed to the lagging behind of this industry. The developers have to face numerous challenges before they deliver their product to the target market. Call center owners work with brands that have been in operation for a long time, this is because they can trust the quality of the products and services they offer. This has denied new software soft landing in the market as it takes time before a business operator can decide to overhaul the system.
Data analytics is also surprisingly important with cybersecurity. Data analytics helps call centers assess risks of cyberattacks with predictive analytics and risk scoring algorithms.