ISG Software Research Analyst Perspectives

Workforce Optimization Undergoes Radical Change – Ready?

Posted by ISG Research on 28 July 2016

In today’s intensely competitive markets, companies must strive to meet customer expectations during every interaction, and interactions occur through many channels. Our benchmark research into next-generation customer engagement finds that customers use up to 17 channels of engagement. Some channels involve assisted service from employees of the company, and some use self-service technologies... Read More

Topics: Mobile Technology, Customer Performance, Cloud Computing, Uncategorized, Call Center

RapidMiner Brings Self-Service to Predictive Analytics

Posted by ISG Research on 28 July 2016

Predictive analytics is a rewarding yet challenging subject. In our benchmark research on next-generation predictive analytics at least half the participants reported that predictive analytics allows them to achieve competitive advantage (57%) and create new revenue opportunities (50%). Yet even more participants said that users of predictive analytics don’t have enough skills training to produce... Read More

Topics: Big Data, Data Science, Predictive Analytics, Business Analytics, Business Intelligence, Business Performance, Cloud Computing

Evolution of Digital Commerce Challenged by Technology Barriers

Posted by ISG Research on 28 July 2016

Businesses and customers are ready for a new generation of digital commerce technology, but implementing it is challenged by significant barriers in two basic categories: technology commoditization and the lack of an IT and business framework for delivering great customer experiences. Regarding the first, for some companies making large IT purchases, the way an enterprise employs CAPEX and OPEX... Read More

Topics: Sales Performance, Social Media, Mobile Technology, Wearable Computing, Customer Performance, Business Analytics, Business Collaboration, Business Intelligence, Business Performance, Cloud Computing, Operational Intelligence, Uncategorized, Mobile Marketing Digital Commerce

Distributed Ledgers Have Business Value beyond Bitcoin

Posted by ISG Research on 28 July 2016

The blockchain distributed database was invented to create the peer-to-peer digital cash called bitcoin in 2008. Although the future potential of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has been debated, the distributed ledger structure using a blockchain database that supports bitcoin is likely to be adopted for a range of commercial and governmental purposes. Distributed ledgers are a secure and... Read More

Topics: Sales Performance, Supply Chain Performance, Customer Performance, Operational Performance, Business Performance, Financial Performance, Uncategorized, blockchain, distributed ledger, DLT, ERP, SCM, sup

SAS Make Customer Intelligence Engaging and Valuable

Posted by ISG Research on 22 July 2016

My colleague David Menninger recently wrote about the SAS Analyst Summit, concluding that “the SAS analytics juggernaut keeps on truckin’.” He observed, as I have done in the past, that SAS has a vast array of products that it regularly updates to keep up with market demand, ensuring it remains one of the premier vendors of data management and analytics systems. Dave’s perspectives provide... Read More

Topics: Customer Performance, Uncategorized, Call Center

Modeling Revenue Recognition for Contracts to Meet New Regulations

Posted by ISG Research on 22 July 2016

I recently wrote about the challenge some companies will face in planning and budgeting when new revenue recognition rules go into effect in most countries in 2018. It’s important for companies that will be affected to be sure they have the appropriate systems, processes and training to handle the more difficult demands imposed by the new rules. With the change in accounting, the time lag between... Read More

Topics: Big Data, Sales Performance, Business Performance, Financial Performance, Uncategorized

Rescuing Retail’s Mobile Customer Experience Requires New Technology

Posted by ISG Research on 13 July 2016

One aspect of living in downtown Chicago is that there’s always something going on. But as distasteful as the subject matter of certain local events can be, some proceedings can inspire perspectives on a number of topics. One that occurs to me is how the retail industry can apply the new generation of mobile and location-based technologies not only to shape the customer experience but even rescue... Read More

Topics: Social Media, Mobile Technology, Wearable Computing, Customer Performance, Business Analytics, Business Collaboration, Business Intelligence, Business Performance, Cloud Computing, Operational Intelligence, Uncategorized, Mobile, Marketing Location Communication

Accounting for Sales Compensation Faces Challenges under ASC 606 and IFRS 15

Posted by ISG Research on 13 July 2016

New standards governing accounting for contracts will go into effect for most companies in 2018. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), which administers Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the U.S. (US-GAAP), has issued ASC 606, and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), which administers International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) used in most other... Read More

Topics: Sales, Sales Performance, Business Performance, Financial Performance, Uncategorized

Market Research Finds Omnichannel Issues in Customer Service

Posted by ISG Research on 13 July 2016

In our benchmark research into the next-generation contact center in the cloud more than two-thirds (69%) of organizations said they need to improve customer service, and market dynamics require them to do this is in new ways. Whereas today most (83%) compete on the services they offer, over the next two years 70 percent said they expect customer experience to be the top way they will compete,... Read More

Topics: Customer Performance, Cloud Computing, Uncategorized, Call Center

Qlik Makes a Qonnection with Qlik Sense 3.0

Posted by ISG Research on 02 July 2016

Qlik helped pioneer the visual discovery market with its QlikView product. In some respects, Qlik and its competitors also spawned the self-service trend rippling through the analytics market today. Their aim was to enable business users to perform analytics for themselves rather than building a product with the perfect set of features for IT. After establishing success with end users the company... Read More

Topics: Big Data, Mobile Technology, Business Analytics, Business Collaboration, Business Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Information Management, Uncategorized, Qlik, Analytics, Qlik Sense, Qlik, Business intell

NICE Systems Doubles Down on Customer Experience

Posted by ISG Research on 01 July 2016

NICE Systems was one of the first vendors I started to cover when I joined Ventana Research more than 11 years ago. Back then it was a pure-play vendor of workforce optimization (WFO) systems and was creating a portfolio of products by developing its own systems and acquiring niche vendors of call recording, quality management, workforce management, performance management and analytics. Over the... Read More

Topics: Big Data, Customer Performance, Business Analytics, Cloud Computing, Uncategorized, Call Center

Allocadia Enables Excellence in Managing and Operating Marketing

Posted by ISG Research on 01 July 2016

The relevance of marketing to an organization depends on planning and performance measured against it. In writing about marketing management I have observed the marketing mayhem that can occur but also have noted that organizations that take marketing performance management seriously are in better position to assess their efforts in relation to goals and outcomes. I have a little experience in... Read More

Topics: Business Analytics, Financial Performance, Uncategorized, CMO

Workiva Automates Composite Documents with Wdesk

Posted by ISG Research on 01 July 2016

Workiva offers Wdesk, a cloud-based productivity application for handling composite documents. I use the term “composite document” to refer to those in which text is created and edited collaboratively by multiple contributors and which incorporates tabular and numerical data from multiple sources in a controlled process. Composite documents often have formats defined by law, regulation or... Read More

Topics: Mobile Technology, Business Collaboration, Business Performance, Cloud Computing, Financial Performance, Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), Uncategorized, Composite Software