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Coveo Report: Could Case Swarming Be The Answer to Swivel Chair Syndrome?

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MONTREAL and SAN FRANCISCO, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Coveo (TSX:CVO), a leader in AI platforms that transform digital experiences with intelligent search, recommendations, 1:1 personalization, and merchandising, today released its first Customer Service Agent Relevance Report, which surveyed 250 contact center agents in the US to find out how they are set up for success within their organization. Two different worlds emerged, one with service agents operating in isolation and one where they embraced collaboration. Yet, regardless of their operating model, many long-standing pain points remain.

“Customer service agents are a company’s frontline brand ambassadors,” said Patrick Martin, GM of Service at Coveo. “Beyond providing support, an enabled agent can build relationships that promote repeat business and brand loyalty resulting in upgrade and upsell opportunities. Our research shows that there is a lot of value in empowering agents with the right tools and the trust required to create industry leading agent and customer experiences. Forward thinking companies are beginning to recognize the benefits of a collaborative support model and the influence that contact center agents can have on the growth and profitability of their business.”

Customers are also adapting to digital self-service solutions and expect to be able to resolve simple issues on their own. This allows agents to spend their time on higher-level problems that require creativity and knowledge — allowing companies to design an agent experience (AX) that is more rewarding. In order to do this successfully at scale, contact center environments require the right cloud technology and AI to provide the frontline agents with relevant information at the point of need.

2023 Relevance Report: Service Agent key findings include:

If you see customer service as a cost center, you’re already falling behind. Customer service is in a state of metamorphosis:

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  • More organizations are seeing the value that agents can bring to the customer experience and help organizations differentiate themselves from their competitors and contribute to company growth. In fact, 49% of surveyed respondents reported their organization sees the contact center both as a source for answering questions and handling issues as well as a center for retention and growth.
  • Organizations that achieved success through a collaborative working model focused on four broad areas:
    • Understanding their current situation, including successes and pitfalls
    • Established a strong knowledge management process
    • Built or refined their self-service foundation
    • Encouraged a cultural mindset shift within their organization

Contact centers that take advantage of the overall value agents provide, beyond break-fix support, will better meet customers’ evolving expectations and help fuel business growth.

It’s time to stop throwing more tools at your team. Agent “swivel chair syndrome” persists:

  • Agents report accessing an average of five systems regularly (78%). These disparate content silos appear even for agents in organizations reporting that they’d switched to a collaborative model (35%) — indicating that adopting a new service process is only one step to resolving long-standing pain points.
  • 36% of respondents say struggling to find information to do their jobs left them feeling burned out/overwhelmed, further costing the company in time and money.
  • 80% of respondents agree that having quick access to information has an impact on essential contact center metrics like case handling time or mean time to resolution.

Connecting the tools you already have and investing in relevancy of information will make it easier for them to find answers faster, leading to greater satisfaction with their roles.

Tiered support models are becoming a thing of the past. Agents believe there is a correlation between collaborative swarms and agent positivity:

  • Agents within service departments that leverage a collaborative support model (61%) or where the contact center is seen as a growth center (62%) report that information and expertise was easier to find within their organization.
  • Agents within companies either beginning a transition (82%) to collaborative support or already practicing it (87%) report a higher likelihood of feeling encouraged to collaboratively solve customer problems.

Collaborative support models help agents gain proficiency and respond faster to customers, giving everyone a better experience in the end.

Support enablement should be a priority for all support models:

  • Eighty-seven percent of respondents who report working in a collaborative support model receive ongoing training.
  • Regardless of working environment or channel management, agents report that the training they received to support growth efforts could be better.

Enablement beyond onboarding is crucial to keep agents happy and at the top of their game.

AI as friend or foe: Agents have mixed opinions about AI:

  • When asked if they were attracted to job environments that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning, respondents’ answers were split: 34% agree 26% disagree.
  • Agents within companies considering (47%) or transitioning to (67%) a collaborative support model are more in favor of AI.
  • A similar pattern occurs for companies that view the contact center as a lever for growth (35%) and both for issue resolution and growth (37%).

Understanding your use cases for AI can help put agents’ minds at ease as you’re looking to augment their workflows, not replace them with automation.

Coveo surveyed 250 U.S. frontline agents on how they are set up for success within their organization. As part of Coveo’s 2023 Relevance Report: Service Agents, Arlington Research was commissioned to undertake a study across the USA to discover trends relating to customer service agents. The survey comprised a nationally representative sample of the working population with 250 adults aged 18+ taking part. All respondents were self-identified as customer service agents in companies with more than 100 employees.

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Download the full report here.

About Coveo Solutions 

We believe that relevance is critical for businesses to win in the new digital experience economy and to serve people the way they expect while ensuring optimal business performance, and that applied AI is an imperative to achieve these goals. 

Coveo Relevance Cloud™ is a market-leading AI Platform that optimizes relevance into digital experiences such as commerce, service, website, and workplace applications. Coveo injects search, recommendations, personalization, and merchandising AI models, including testing and analytics. Coveo’s AI platform is cloud-native SaaS, multi-tenant, API-first, and headless, and can easily integrate into almost any digital experience, with AI models designed to learn from every interaction to serve the next. Our solutions are designed to provide tangible financial value to our customers by helping to drive improvements in conversion, revenue, and margins, reduce customer support costs, increase customer satisfaction and website engagement, and improve employee proficiency and satisfaction.

Our AI platform powers digital experience relevance for many of the world’s most innovative brands, serving millions of people and billions of interactions, and is supported by a large network of global systems integrators and implementation partners. Coveo is a Salesforce ISV Partner, an SAP® Endorsed App, and an Adobe Accelerate Exchange Partner. 

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Coveo is a trademark of Coveo Solutions, Inc. 

Stay up to date on the latest Coveo news and content by subscribing to the Coveo blog, and following Coveo on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube

Highwire PR
Coveo
[email protected]
+1 418-263-1111

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking information”). This forward-looking information is identified by the use of terms and phrases such as “may”, “would”, “should”, ”could”, “might”, “will”, “achieve”, “occur”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “foresee”, “believe”, “continue”, “target”, “opportunity”, “strategy”, “scheduled”, “outlook”, “forecast”, “projection”, or “prospect”, the negative of these terms and similar terminology, including references to assumptions, although not all forward-looking information contains these terms and phrases. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events or circumstances.

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Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, estimates, and assumptions that we considered appropriate and reasonable as of the date such statements are made. Although the forward-looking information contained herein is based upon what we believe are reasonable assumptions, actual results may vary from the forward-looking information contained herein. Certain assumptions made in preparing the forward-looking information contained in herein include, without limitation: our ability to capitalize on growth opportunities and implement our growth strategy; our ability to attract new customers, both domestically and internationally; the success of our efforts to expand our product portfolio and market reach; our ability to maintain successful strategic relationships with partners and other third parties; our future capital requirements; the available liquidity under our revolving credit facility; the accuracy of our estimates of market opportunity and growth forecasts; our success in identifying and evaluating, as well as financing and integrating, any acquisitions, partnerships, or joint ventures; our ability to execute on our expansion plans; and the future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to macro-economic uncertainties and the risk factors described under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recently filed Annual Information Form available under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date made.

Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. Although we have attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other risk factors not presently known to us or that we presently believe are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking information.

You should not rely on this forward-looking information, as actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those contemplated by this forward-looking information as a result of such risks and uncertainties. Additional information will also be set forth in other public filings that we make available under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com from time to time. The forward-looking information provided in this press release relates only to events or information as of the date hereof, and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, we do not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

An image accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c4a2a062-1bb7-4c79-82ff-8af85924a23a

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Artificial Intelligence

Explore Madrid Like Never Before: New Partnership Between Wego and MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA Madrid

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DUBAI, UAE, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Wego, the number 1 travel app and the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), is delighted to announce a groundbreaking partnership with MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA Madrid as part of their “Only in Madrid” campaign. This initiative aims to boost awareness about the vibrant culture and unique attractions of Madrid, inviting travelers from the GCC to explore the Spanish capital like never before.

 
 
This collaboration sheds light on Madrid’s history, stunning architecture, and dynamic cultural scene. The campaign will emphasize Madrid’s blend of traditional charm and modern sophistication, presenting it as a premier travel destination for GCC residents and visitors. It aims to showcase the best of Madrid, fostering a deeper connection between the Spanish Capital and the Gulf region.
“Wego is excited to bring the diverse and vibrant experiences of Madrid to travellers from the Gulf region,” said Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Business Officer of Wego. Our partnership with MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA Madrid will enhance travel opportunities and highlight the best of Madrid to Gulf travelers. Madrid’s unique blend of historical richness, cultural vibrancy, and modern appeal makes it a perfect destination for our audience.”
Travellers can embark on an unforgettable adventure tailored to their individual interests. History buffs can delve into iconic landmarks and UNESCO sites, while art lovers will be captivated by the world-renowned Triangle of Art. Foodies will rejoice in Michelin-starred restaurants (28 establishments boasting an impressive 36 stars!) and vibrant neighbourhoods overflowing with culinary delights.
MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA Madrid said: “By highlighting the destination’s unique offerings, Wego and MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA Madrid aim to inspire more travellers to experience the magic of Madrid, fostering lasting memories and enriching cross-cultural connections.”
Travelers get to experience the birthplace of Flamenco Tablao and immerse themselves in the captivating spirit of Spain. For a touch of tranquillity, they can venture beyond the city to explore charming towns and villas. From historical immersion to cultural experiences, Madrid caters to every desire.
About Wego
Wego is the number 1 travel app and the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
It provides award-winning travel search websites and top-ranked mobile apps for travelers living in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agency websites.
Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether it is from an airline or hotel directly or with a third-party aggregator website.
The company was founded in 2005 and is dual headquartered in Dubai and Singapore with regional operations in Bangalore, Riyadh, Cairo, Lahore, and Kuala Lumpur.
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Aetion Launches Barcelona Technology Hub and Appoints Ken Watson as Chief Technology Officer

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BARCELONA, Spain, June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Aetion®, the global leader in real-world evidence (RWE) technology and analytics, announced today the creation of an RWE technology hub in Barcelona, Spain, to convene the most capable group of dedicated RWE technologists in the industry. Aetion also announced the appointment of Ken Watson as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Ken draws upon his decades of experience at companies such as Microsoft, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and WeWork — as well as several startups he co-founded — and is responsible for leading Aetion’s overall engineering and product strategy.

Aetion established a presence in Barcelona in 2021 and has steadily grown its team there since. As part of the launch of its technology hub, Aetion will more than double the size of its engineering team in Spain, drawing top technical talent locally and from around Europe. The Barcelona team will work across Aetion’s product suite, enhancing existing offerings and continuing to innovate at the forefront of RWE technology. The recent release of Aetion® Discover — the first Aetion product to be built in Barcelona — was a turning point in establishing the city as Aetion’s new technology hub. Aetion Discover is a visual-first application designed for exploratory analyses on wide-ranging research questions from disease burden to unmet need, real-world value, and more, and it is already transforming the way clients generate insights quickly and at scale.
Ken joined Aetion in August 2023 as SVP of Engineering and, early on, led the successful launch of Discover and product enhancements such as an R development environment integrated with Aetion applications, workflow updates to Aetion® Substantiate, and new data management capabilities in the Aetion Evidence Platform®.
“As a technology leader of companies at all stages and sizes, and as a multi-time founder himself, Ken is the ideal person to lead Aetion’s overall technology and product organization and our Barcelona technology hub,” said Jeremy Rassen, Aetion President and Co-Founder. “His expertise in building global teams, combined with the mission-driven engineering talent in Barcelona, will be put toward solving complex problems and further accelerating our ambitious software roadmap.”
Ken shared, “I am honored to be stepping into the CTO role at this inflection point for Aetion. Building high-quality software in a rapidly evolving field takes entrepreneurial spirit and technical know-how, and I’m thrilled to bring my skills to help answer today’s most pressing questions in healthcare. With our expanded and co-located Barcelona team working closely with our world-class epidemiologists and data scientists, I am confident in our ability to deliver the next wave of software innovation that’s so critically needed in this era of novel treatment proliferation.”
Aetion is the only company to offer a full range of software products to turn real-world data into real-world evidence. All Aetion applications are built upon its flagship Aetion Evidence Platform, providing interoperability across applications while consistently drawing upon virtually any source data and hosting environment.
Contact [email protected] for more information on Aetion software and services, or [email protected] to inquire about roles in Aetion’s Barcelona Technology Hub.
About Aetion®
Aetion is a healthcare analytics company that delivers real-world evidence for the manufacturers, purchasers, and regulators of medical treatments and technologies. Aetion’s suite of real-world data analytics applications analyzes data from the real world to produce transparent, rapid, and scientifically validated answers on safety, effectiveness, and value. Founded by Harvard Medical School faculty members with decades of experience in epidemiology and health outcomes research, Aetion informs healthcare’s most critical decisions—what works best, for whom, and when—to guide product development, commercialization, and payment innovation. Learn more at aetion.com.
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Workers embrace AI and prioritise skills growth amid rising workloads and an accelerating pace of change: PwC 2024 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey

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Almost half (45%) of workers say their workload has increased significantly in the past year, as almost two-thirds (62%) say the pace of change at work has increased over the same timeMore than one-quarter (28%) say they are very or extremely likely to switch employer in the next 12 months – a higher proportion than during the ‘Great Resignation’ (19%) in 2022Employees prioritise skills-growth: fewer than half (46%) strongly or moderately agree that their employer provides adequate opportunities to learn new skills. This is particularly important for workers considering leaving: two-thirds (67%) say opportunities to learn new skills are a key factor in any decision to job-switchMore than 80% of workers who use generative AI daily expect it to make their time at work more efficient in the next 12 months. Half (49%) of all users expect it to lead to higher salariesCost-of-living pressures ease slightly: the proportion of workers with money left over each month rises to 45% (compared to 38% in 2023). However, 52% say they are still financially stressedLONDON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Among more than 56,000 workers across 50 countries and territories, many say they are prioritising long-term skills growth to accelerate their careers amid rising workloads and heightened workplace uncertainty, according to PwC’s 2024 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, published today.

In the last 12 months, workers say they have experienced rising workloads (45%) and an accelerating pace of workplace change. Nearly two-thirds (62%) say they have experienced more change at work in the past year than the 12 months prior, with two-fifths (40%) noting their daily responsibilities have changed to a large or very large extent. Almost half (44%) don’t understand the purpose of changes taking place.
In the midst of this growing mix of employee pressures, the findings suggest workers are alert to opportunities elsewhere, and are highly focused on skills growth and embracing AI.
More than one-quarter (28%) say they are likely to switch employer in the next 12 months, a percentage far higher than during the ‘Great Resignation’ (19%) of 2022. Two-thirds (67%) of those considering moving say skills is an important factor in their decision to stay with their current employer or switch to a new one.
Carol Stubbings, Global Markets and Tax & Legal Services (TLS) Leader, PwC UK, said:
“As workers face heightened uncertainty, rising workloads and continue to face financial stress, they are prioritising skills growth and embracing new and emerging technologies such as GenAI to turbocharge their growth and accelerate their careers. The findings suggest that job satisfaction is no longer enough. Employees are placing an increased premium on skills growth in a climate characterised by constant technological change. Employers must ensure they are investing in their employees and technological platforms to mitigate employee pressures and retain the brightest talent.”
Workers embrace AI to ease workplace pressures and unlock personal growth
As employees face heightened workplace pressures, they are also turning to new and emerging technologies such as generative AI (GenAI) to help. Among those employees who use GenAI daily, 82% expect it to make their time at work more efficient in the next 12 months.
Employees are also optimistic about opportunities for GenAI to support their growth. Half (49%) of all users expect GenAI to lead to higher salaries – an expectation that’s even higher (76%) among employees who use the technology daily. More than 70% of users agree that GenAI tools will create opportunities to be more creative at work (73%) and improve the quality of their work (72%).
The skills imperative
Workers are placing an increased premium on skills growth to mitigate their concerns and accelerate their careers. Employees who say they are likely to switch employers in the next 12 months are nearly twice as likely to strongly consider upskilling in that decision than workers planning to stay (67% vs. 36%). This comes as fewer than half (46%) of all employees moderately or strongly agree that their employer provides adequate opportunities to learn new skills that will be helpful to their careers.
Employees who are likely to leave in the next year may be more attuned to skills changes that are needed than the general workforce, with 51% moderately or strongly agreeing that the skills their job requires will change in the next five years (vs. 29% of those unlikely to change employer).
There is particular interest in the impact of AI on skills development, with 76% of all users expecting it to create opportunities to learn new skills at work. However, employers will need to invest heavily in new and emerging technology training and access. Among employees who have not used GenAI at work in the last 12 months, one-third (33%) don’t think there are opportunities to use the technology in their line of work, while 24% don’t have access to the tools at work, and 23% don’t know how to use the tools.
Despite the pace of change, there are also signs of optimism and engagement at work. 60% of workers expressed at least moderate job satisfaction (up from 56% in 2023) while more than half (57%) of employees who view fair pay as important agree that their job is fairly paid. Cost-of-living pressures have slightly eased since 2023 (the proportion of workers with money left over each month has risen to 45%, up from 38%). However,  more than half (52%) say they are still financially stressed to some degree.
Pete Brown, Global Workforce Leader, PwC UK, said:
“Technology is fundamentally transforming the way work gets done and the types of skills employers are looking for. Employees are therefore placing an increased premium on organisations that invest in their skills growth so that they can stay relevant and thrive in a digital world. Businesses in turn must be proactive in their upskilling programs – prioritising the employee experience and being transparent. Because when you meaningfully engage your workforce, they become an accelerant for successful transformation.”
Notes to Editors: 
About the Survey
In March 2024, PwC surveyed 56,600 individuals across 50 countries and territories who are in work or active in the labour market. The sample was designed to reflect a range of industries, demographic characteristics and working patterns. You can read the full report on pwc.com.
About PwC
© 2024 PwC. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.
Contact:  Imran Javaid, Global Corporate Affairs and Communications, PwC UK: [email protected] Dan Barabas, Global Corporate Affairs and Communications, PwC UK: [email protected]
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