How can cloud contact centres enhance business agility?

Cloud adoption is steadily increasing as more enterprises and contact centres are realising its benefits. In fact, research from Aberdeen Group found that cloud adoption by contact centres increased by 63% between 2003 and 2017.

Cloud adoption is on the rise

Between March and May of 2017, Aberdeen surveyed 322 contact centres regarding the best practices influencing their activities. In total, the group surveyed 748 businesses for similar studies between 2013 and 2015. Overall, contact centres increased their adoption of cloud technology by 63% during the research period. 

However, Aberdeen also found that many companies are struggling to derive value from cloud investments due to a lack of "well designed strategies." According to the research, companies are adopting cloud technology for financial agility and operational efficiency. In fact, the report notes that the "percentage of companies citing improved uptime and reduced IT reliance as goals driving their cloud technology investments supports this assertion."

Enhancing business agility

79% of contact centres move from on-premise to the cloud in anticipation of converting fixed costs. When asked whether they had achieved this goal, 48% of companies said that they were successful. In addition to this, 74% of contact centres expected to empower their agents with access to applications that they might not otherwise be able to afford.

In reality, 44% of respondents achieved this goal. 70% of contact centres said that they hoped to increase uptime through a more redundant carrier integration - 46% did so. 68% also wanted to use previously allocated IT resources within innovative projects, which 48% managed to achieve. 65% aimed to enhance security and compliance, which 50% managed to do.

Finally, 61% of contact centres hoped to reduce operational expenses - an impressive 57% realised this goal. “Success in the experience economy hinges on a brand’s ability to build powerful, exceptional customer experiences and then replicate those experiences consistently across any and every channel – digital and voice,” Paul Jarman, CEO of NICE inContact said. It is therefore no surprise that contact centres are opting for the cloud in order to improve customer experience and business agility.

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