News

If reports come in too late, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to solve today’s problems. It’s a predicament many contact centers struggle with. But what if actionable, real-time data can help you improve today so you’ll perform better tomorrow? It’s exactly what performance boards and a well thought-out information sharing strategy have done for APG, the largest pension provider in the Netherlands. Here, the customer contact center has…

As we live in unprecedented times, we need to make decisions we’ve never had to make before. This means we’re forced to make 100% of decisions using 50% of information, as the Dutch prime minister put it. We’re navigating unexplored territory, so it’s the only possible approach. Here’s what we have observed, though: many organizations have adopted this motto when it comes to business, too. And there’s really no…

In our last blog post, we discussed why it’s important to ban fake news if you want to foster organizational growth. The thing is, a hard-working manager may choose to disregard hard-and-fast data so they won’t have to admit to not meeting their targets — pride tends to get in the way of success, and that’s understandable. But from an organizational perspective, it’s paramount that you turn a situation…

Waste: we’ve been mentioning the term quite often in our blogs. But what does it look like in practice? Basically, there are eight types of waste. Today, we’d like to highlight two of these – ‘Talent’ and ‘Motion’ – through a real-life example: a top-tier logistics operator that has been working with Texas Digital Europe to become more Lean. ‘Wasting’ Motion and Talent: trouble in the depot When providing…

The 2020 presidential election in the United States has been nerve-racking. The neck-and-neck race has given rise to much debate and dissension, and the discussion about fake news versus real news has once again flared up. One big question is who is sharing the facts. Another is, who’s open to learning them? The sad fact of the matter is, some people prefer having dust thrown in their eyes. They…

You know those horseback riders who use their spurs to urge the horse forward? They want to be in full control of the animal, and they do not shrink from using force to achieve their goal. Traditional project managers are the horseback riders of the office: they want to be in charge of everything. All the time. But you know what? In today’s world of remote working, they’ll fall…

The world has changed. In recent months, most people have worked from home. But what started out of necessity has come with unexpected benefits, which are definitely worth exploring from a business point of view. What are the outcomes of remote working, and what do people need to work optimally from the comfort of their own home? Remote working is here to stay A German study conducted by CCV…

The times are changing. An increasing number of people work from home. And with the imminent second wave of coronavirus, it doesn’t look like they’ll flock back into the office any time soon. In fact, many companies have incorporated remote working into their post-COVID-19 plans as well. But what about call center agents? How to provide them with the right information, so they can work from home in a…

During the pandemic, big events like pop concerts are out of the question. But let’s use this as a time to reflect on such gatherings. Those who organize them need to consider a range of unpredictable factors, most of which are related to the crowd. What to do when people get drunk, or extra security checks are required? How to keep customers happy while coordinating the event and making…

In the age of digitalization, let’s talk dinosaurs. We get it if you just raised an eyebrow. But look at it this way: the brain is of all ages. And with all due respect to dinosaurs, their size made them rather sluggish. When a carnivorous creature began to nibble at their legs, our enormous friends didn’t notice fast enough. Pain signals were not sent to the brain in real…