Apple's iCloud announcement - what are call center managers waiting for?

With Apple's iCloud announcement, cloud computing is really going mainstream. Reading the iCloud announcement makes it so obvious that cloud computing is the future in the connected world. Cloud computing is easier to integrate (any device) and it's easier to scale (almost unlimited storage and performance), it's easier to set up (just turn it on) and it is lower cost (shared infrastructure) . In a recent post we compared workforce management software in the cloud versus on-premise. Here are some additional considerations regarding call center software in the cloud:

1. If your call center uses spreadsheets or other manual means for forecasting/scheduling:

• The increasing complexity of call centers makes it more difficult to efficiently manage forecasting, scheduling and adherence using traditional ways - see recent post about call center shrinkage.
  
• Typically, the monthly savings of using a cloud based WFM solution are higher than the cost of the solution, so you should save money from the get go.
  
• In addition, you can improve service levels and other key call center performance indicators by using a more robust and flexible scheduling solution, compared to spreadsheets.
  

2. If your call center uses on-premise WFM software:

• Traditional WFM software is often complicated to use and therefore does not get fully leveraged, meaning you are not getting all the benefits from the software to realize cost savings and performance improvements.
  
• Calculate what you pay for yearly maintenance of your WFM software, including the internal costs of operating/upgrading servers. Just these costs can be higher than the monthly fee for an all inclusive WFM in the cloud offering.

There are many reasons to switch to the cloud. We hope we inspired you to think about it.