Analyst Perspectives

In an earlier Analyst Perspective, I discussed data democratization’s role in creating a data-driven enterprise agenda. Building a foundation of self-service data discovery, data-driven organizations provide more workers with the ability to analyze and use data. I’ve also examined how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) could revolutionize business intelligence software by using natural language interfaces to lower the barriers to working with analytics software. Today, however, data...

There are contact centers, and there is customer experience. They are not the same thing, even though we have a tendency to conflate them or at least discuss them in tandem for operational and planning purposes. This is mostly fine, but it does obscure one basic difference that will matter more as enterprises succeed at integrating contact centers into enterprise CX strategies. That difference is in metrics and, by extension, how we define success.

In an era defined by the relentless advance of cyber threats, enterprise security leaders grapple with an overwhelming landscape. Enterprises face complex challenges as sophisticated attacks and increasing responsibilities stretch security teams thin. Many describe daily experiences as perpetual "firefighting," trapped in cycles of reacting to incidents rather than developing proactive strategies to fortify defenses.

As enterprises embrace the potential opportunities presented by artificial intelligence (AI), they are quickly finding that good data management is a prerequisite. As was explained in ISG’s State of Generative AI Market Report, AI requires data that is clean, well-organized and compliant with regulatory standards. There are multiple challenges to delivering AI-ready data, including combining structured and unstructured data, ensuring that the combined data can be trusted, and validating that...

I recently attended Kinaxis’ annual user group meeting, Kinexions. The most important theme of the event was the trifecta of artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI (GenAI) and agents. Supply chain planning and execution software are the business software domains that are going to be major beneficiaries of AI and agentic AI automation. However, they also are going to be two of the more difficult to translate from potential to reality. Some of the basics, especially predictive analytics...

For years, HR technology has been seen primarily as an administrative tool—handling records, payroll and compliance. But what if its real power lies in shaping workforce strategy, building community and driving transformation?

In a defining moment for the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, the recent breach involving Chinese company Liang Wenfeng (makers of DeepSeek AI) has shed light on the emerging cyber threats that challenge the industry. The reported incident revealed that DeepSeek AI had left its ClickHouse database accessible to the public, exposing over one million lines of log entry data. This data included chat histories, secret keys and other sensitive information. Further complicating matters, Microsoft...

One way to think about the change in service and support in the current dynamic technological environment is to see it as a transition from managing interactions as they happen to managing the overall customer journey. It’s a lot harder to optimize a journey than an interaction. More people are involved, with different systems, key performance indicators and data sources, to cite just a few differences.

Managing corporate income taxes is a challenge for chief financial officers and their tax department professionals. Tax codes are often complex, so tax accounting as well as the data required for tax provisions and tax compliance are different enough from statutory accounting to create significant workloads for the tax department. The provision for income tax expense and, for public companies, the assembly of information related to tax-related disclosures, can be a factor holding up the...

Workforce planning has long been a cornerstone of business strategy, yet many enterprises still approach it with outdated methods. Traditionally, it has been rigid, reactive, subjective and often siloed. But as industries evolve—especially those with high turnover and a large frontline workforce, like retail, healthcare and hospitality—companies must rethink how they forecast talent needs. Technology is reshaping workforce planning, making it more dynamic, precise and forward-thinking.

Attending isolved’s first Analyst Summit was more than just an opportunity to hear about their latest innovations—it was a front-row seat to their vision for the future of HR technology and services. A central theme emerged quickly—they are deeply committed to supporting small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), not just with technology but also with robust services and an ecosystem of partners that elevate HR teams into the strategic powerhouses they were always meant to be.

ISG Research recently announced the results of its Business Planning Buyers Guide for 2025. We rated Board Exemplary and a leader in customer experience and in reliability. Board recently launched two external data offerings that significantly strengthen the capabilities of its planning software. Its Board Foresight is designed to support more effective and potentially more accurate forecasting using predictive models harnessing artificial intelligence (AI). Board Signals makes third-party...

In the rush to embrace AI and automation, organizations are making a critical misstep: they are treating technology as a replacement for HR rather than as an enabler of its evolution. While AI, machine learning and automation offer powerful efficiencies, HR's core mission has always been about people. The challenge today is ensuring that technology amplifies—not replaces—the human touch in HR. Unfortunately, many organizations are being short-sighted in their approach, failing to fully leverage...