Cloud Technology Helps to Improve Productivity

Stephen Ball of Aspect Software argues that contact centres can improve productivity by implementing cloud technology.

As organisations face a need to make their workforces more productive, technology is often touted as an enabler of efficiency and improved morale.

While this may be true, it can only be effectively achieved if workers have access to tools that are optimised to the specific needs of the business and the people within it, and if these tools embrace the flexibility that modern business demands. This is according to Aspect Software.

The UK business landscape is made up of a myriad of diverse organisations, each with its own specific challenges to meet. For Stephen Ball, Senior VP of Europe & Africa at Aspect, this means that there will never be a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to optimising the impact of the workforce through technology.

Instead, this technology needs to reflect the agile nature of modern business, and be adaptable to the unique pressures that each sector faces.

Stephen said: “It’s safe to say that we no longer live in the simpler, more rigid working world of old. Technology has come along to automate and streamline cumbersome processes and tasks, customers are more demanding than ever before, and the increasingly mobile nature of our world means that organisations frequently need to cater to the needs of remote workers.”

“With all of this in mind, workforce optimisation technology that is inflexible to this range of needs and requirements is likely to do more harm than good, and will have a detrimental impact on staff morale as a result.”

“Workforce management solutions, therefore, need to incorporate a number of features that leverage the latest technologies, such as applications that can keep tabs on employee schedules wherever they are, or analytics capabilities that enable workers to quickly see how they can better serve the needs of their customers.”

For Stephen, making the most of cloud technology is instrumental to the creation of a high-performing workforce optimisation system. By moving away from on-premise solutions, businesses can rapidly achieve that much-needed flexibility.

Stephen added: “Keeping infrastructure and applications in-house undoubtedly still holds appeal for some organisations, and it often makes sense to keep certain elements of a company’s IT estate – such as sensitive customer data – a little closer to home.”

“However, adopting cloud-based workforce optimisation technology can be hugely beneficial in increasing the agility and efficiency of this crucial area of the business. Operating it from the cloud brings flexibility by enabling the software to be accessed anywhere and on both desktop and mobile devices.”

“Updates to the software can also be applied as and when they are made available, meaning staff can quickly access new features that will further boost their productivity.”

He concluded: “Key to the success of any business is its people, especially when it comes to building and maintaining strong relationships with customers.”

“For employees to be able to do this, they need to have the technology at their disposal to do their jobs in a way that is unhindered by time-consuming admin work or outdated processes. Cloud has the power to play a defining role in this area.”