Target analysis or the secrets of effective analytics in a Call Center
Theme: BI (Business Intelligence)
Industry: Universal Solutions
Author: When discussing analytics capabilities in a Call Center, we are often asked the question of how many developed reports can be effectively used, for example, in a bank, an insurance company or online store…
The fact is that, following market trends and the increasing role of analytics in business, suppliers of call centers or CRM systems expand the delivery package with a set of standard reports that customers can use to analyze the operation of the system. But more and more often there are complaints from specialized experts that the effectiveness of using such reports is very low and it is practically impossible to conduct a detailed analysis using standard tools.
What are the disadvantages of such reports and why they do not suit customers?
The thing is that such reporting systems are focused on a simple presentation of the data that is already in the system, and completely do not take into account the needs of customers.
As a rule, such reports require additional processing in third-party programs (Excel to help) and, if skills allow, only then can the final desired results be obtained from a variety of numbers. But it takes a lot of time and no one is immune from the influence of the «human factor», and it is very inconvenient to double-check the reliability each time.
Target analysis, which we have been using in our CRM projects for a long time, helps minimize risks and significantly reduce data processing time. This approach is based on key goals that should be achieved based on the analysis of certain reports. Thus, only after the formation of these goals, reports are filled with indicators that can help users generate the right conclusions based on a detailed analysis of the data without additional processing in third-party applications.
Let’s illustrate with the example of a call center what goals are most often used for data analysis:
Strategic analysis of the call center
Goals Achieved:
- improving call center performance
- more complete loading of statements
- call Center Resource Planning and Optimization
- defining growth and expansion strategies
Operator performance analysis
Goals Achieved:
- improving the efficiency of each operator
- analysis of the distribution of time of the call-center operator between the «states» and -identification of opportunities for optimization
- formation of planned indicators and monitoring of actual values for comparative analysis both for individual operators and the call center as a whole
Analysis of the operating activities of the call center
Goals Achieved:
- timely identification of patterns for proactive management decisions
- assessment of the current state for making quick decisions in the management of the call center when the situation changes
Customer Service Analysis
Goals Achieved:
- assessment of the quality of service by call-center operators
- improving customer service
- development of customer service-oriented service lines
Based on the goals set, it is necessary to develop applied reports that will operate with appropriate analytical data that will most effectively solve related problems.
Based on the goals set, it is necessary to develop applied reports that will operate with appropriate analytical data that will most effectively solve related problems.
Representatives from different industries usually prioritize goals differently. For example, telecommunications companies are more focused on strategic analysis of the call center load, since the volume of calls, is quite large and it’s effective management is much more complicated than that of companies in other industries. Based on our experience in telecoms, it can also be noted that in such companies there is more demand for real-time operational reports, since even minimal deviations in the organization of telecom processes entail instant bursts of increased load on the call center. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to use a proactive CRM approach, therefore it is high-quality analytics that can help in the effective management of call center resources in difficult situations.
At the same time, in the banking sector, special attention is paid to analyzing the quality of customer service, therefore, when setting goals, the most popular metrics are those related to increasing customer loyalty.
In the following materials, we will dwell in more detail on each of the areas of «goal setting» and illustrate examples of their achievement with the help of analytical reports built based on popular BI tools.
Of course, the targeted analysis does not completely eliminate the need for tracking other indicators. Leading call centers are already evaluating about 150 metrics, so the correct prioritization and ease of presentation can significantly affect the results.
