How would your contact center rate its Performance Management? Have you brought the right combination of people, processes, and technology together to identify and capitalize on opportunities for continuous improvement?
A recent SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) Foundation paper reports that less than 30% of those surveyed have an effective Performance Management system that establishes goals, provides feedback and improves performance. That’s hardly encouraging news given the breakthroughs in tools and techniques to advance this discipline!
When considering Performance Management tools, start with the requirements to meet your center’s strategic goals. The following questions provide a starting point to identify which tool(s) suits your needs and some of the other changes that will need to accompany the technology pursuit:
- What are the gaps with the current tools?
- Do our current vendors offer appropriate solutions?
- Do our processes need to be better defined or reinforced?
- Do we have our metrics well defined, or shall we work on KPIs?
- Does size and location(s) impact the priority and type of tools?
- Do we need real-time information in addition to historical views?
- What is the budget?
- Does front-line leadership need training to drive Performance Management (in addition to any process and tool changes)?
- What are other parts of the organization using for Performance Management?
- Do we have a defined project implementation process and resources available to support implementation?
Technology creates the potential for transformation to a new and better state. The IT team and/or vendor can get the technology developed, tested, and deployed on time. The more challenging tasks are the organizational and process changes that are required to achieve user acceptance. Creative communication, frequent updates, and staff involvement all play a role in the adoption and use of any technology.
The figure at the right demonstrates the relationship between technology and processes when implementing new tools in the contact center. While the technology is exciting and appears large, it’s the other side of the balance that holds the keys to success.
Is your organization ready for a new performance management tool? Read the full article for additional insights.