While big data is conceptually appealing at the enterprise level, the allure of actionable analytics is even greater for call center operators.

On a daily basis call centers organize massive data streams into useable information, creating knowledge bases that inform decisions and enable action. The pragmatic appeal of actionable analytics is our ability to use data to transform operations and differentiate service.

Analytics enabling call center decisions and action include:

• Performance dashboards/scorecards, enabling us to maintain focus and identify trends starting with the individual through site levels as well as product trends.
• Speech analytics, the ability to analyze every call for customer, operational, product, and competitive insights.
• Text analytics, the analysis of electronic content regardless of source; most useful in a technology support center where chat is a common tool.
• Predictive analytics, the ability to analyze, model, and mine current and historical data to predict the future.
• Social analytics, the ability to collect and analyze data from evolving social platforms, a turbulent space made frothy by hype. Data indicates that customers who engage on social platforms are more intense in their loyalty and drive higher annual revenues per customers than non-social customers.
• Customer segmentation modeling, the ability to append historical or known preference data to a customer’s profile and thereby drive treatment options ensuring premium treatment for premium customers whether individuals or businesses.
• Multivariate testing, the ability make informed decisions by testing multiple variables and only deploying based on proven results.

Cloud computing, the ability to store and process data virtually across a network, has enabled productivity and flexibility in call center IT operations.

Call center migration from premise-based solutions to centralized, virtual operations began early as network providers delivered voice and data through hosted cloud environments.

This migration continued to expand with the emergence of network management tools for cloud management and the migration of specialized applications to hosted environments through application service providers (ASPs). Cloud computing within the call center continues to evolve with many premise based applications once believed to be limited to site based technologies no longer required as telephony continues to migrate to the cloud.

Whether managed by the IT organization or hosted by an ASP, cloud based applications enable nimble call center operations and support significant operational trends such as home agent deployments. M&A has the expertise and the experience to provide guidance when selecting or deploying these technologies and in developing the processes that will yield optimal operational results.