In 2019, Gartner published a survey detailing CEO key priorities and objectives for 2019/2020. At the time—in spite of rising, visible economic challenges—there was no real indicator of impending financial crisis.

In true CEO fashion, mentions related to revenue growth were present, increasing 53% YoY. Mentions of financial controls and cost management were also up. In that same report, however, mentions related to the prioritization and focus on customers decreased 15%. Briefly summarized, CEOs seemed to be focused on revenue growth, profitability, and—in accordance with prevailing wisdom—a little less worried about keeping customers happy.

Then, everything changed.

No one could have prepared for 2020. But for companies behind on digital transformation, IT leaders found themselves walking a precarious tightrope.

Employees were sent home. Call volumes spiked while reduced staff availability (whether due to layoffs or remote work challenges) resulted in increased wait times. Gaps in business communications, customer support and popular meeting platforms grew into large chasms. Overnight, IT leaders found themselves struggling to successfully and securely connect employees and customers. Hybrid models and siloed solutions were pushed to the limits. IT was walking a tightrope, and for many, there was simply no safety net.

To successfully resolve complex issues, agents often rely on the input and involvement of other individuals, teams and departments within an organization. First call resolution (FCR) is an important KPI for contact centers and is directly correlated to CSAT improvements.

Never before has the ability to communicate and collaborate across an organization been so important in resolving customer issues. When agents are not working physically side-by-side, rapid knowledge-sharing and collaboration become more challenging. According to Aberdeen, more than one in three research respondents cite the lack of collaboration between the contact center and other parts of the business as a roadblock to achieving their customer experience goals.

There is certainly no lack of tools, apps or targeted point solutions. But for IT leaders, success depends on connecting these technologies across the organization in a unified, seamless, and secure way.

This is where a single platform approach to communication and collaboration makes sense. By integrating native voice, video, chat, contact center, and enterprise-class API solutions into one global, secure, reliable cloud communications platform, people are more connected, collaborative and productive no matter where they are in the world.

“Our ticket sales and service team are working at full capacity and function just as if they were sitting next to each other in the offices…”

Brian H.
Senior Director of Tech, Kansas City Royals

To walk the high wire of cost, quality, and customer experience, IT leaders need to eliminate silos, facilitate collaboration, and provide intelligent self-service. And they need to do this in a secure, reliable, grounded way that supports the unique requirements of remote agents. Bring business communication, collaboration, contact center, and AI assisted self-service together, and you can effectively operate from anywhere and ensure long-term business survival.