Call Recording Featured Article

Workforce management (WFM) has been an indispensable tool for contact centers almost as long as there have been contact centers. Working with such a diverse, changing workforce, managers have needed help in balancing people and schedules to assure maximum ROI without burning out their staffers.

While there has been little new innovation in the field for some time, it appears that’s about to end. According to a new report, the market is finally waking up, due to new opportunities in back-office operating areas and branches, and the ability to more easily deliver the solution to smaller companies via the cloud.

Leading industry firm Research and Markets has issued its latest findings in its “2015-2016 Contact Center Workforce Management Product and Market Report” and things are looking up.

According to the findings, WFM revenue is expected to grow by 13 percent in 2015 and 2016, and 12 percent in 2017 and 2018. “The primary drivers of this growth will be further development of the back-office and branch opportunity, increasing adoption of cloud-based solutions by small and mid-sized businesses, and the replacement cycle of outdated WFM solutions with newer, easier-to-use applications,” R&M (News - Alert) says.

Other parts of the report are equally encouraging:

Growth is strong, and 2015 may be a breakout year: The WFM market grew by 11.2 percent in 2014, an increase of 900,556 seats. While this is a slower increase than in 2013, it is still a strong showing for a sector that is highly penetrated.

Innovation is coming back to this mature market: Vendors are finally waking up to the importance of making investments in their outdated solutions, [and] end-users in front and back-office operating areas are demanding new and improved user interfaces and functionality.

Back-office/branch opportunities are invigorating the market: With more than 2.6 times the number of contact center employees, the back-office opportunity represents a significant growth opportunity for the WFM sector.

Buyers are advised to conduct thorough due diligence before choosing a WFM technology provider, specifically studying the detailed differences between solutions designed for the front and back office.