Let’s focus on software and multiple applications for a minute. Albeit, it’s a bit hard to concentrate on any one application considering the 2019 Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic has over 7,000 software solutions. Seriously, we couldn’t even fit the infographic on this page.
In the world of CX, there are multiple solutions to handle tasks like IVR, SMS/text, dialers, chatbots, workflows, dashboards, and analytics and most companies have a disparate collection of systems when they interact with customers. And it gets worse–combine this with other systems such as ERPs, CRMs, HRIS’, and so forth, and you have a technology log jam. In a recent study by Canam and Pantheon, Inc, 72% of respondents found their technology environment very or highly complex.
Outside of the obvious issues with multiple windows, tabs, notifications, and data in separate systems, the main problem with utilizing multiple applications is siloed data and the inability for agents to access that data effectively to help customers. Data that is siloed or spread among multiple applications is tough to access due to one or multiple security layers. In a CX setting, a customer looking for purchase history, shipping rates, and credit card information shouldn’t have to wait for a rep to pull data from three different applications.
The future of CX software is all about integration where customer information from all channels and interactions is readily available to agents at their fingertips in a single omnichannel desktop.
