ISG Software Research Analyst Perspectives (36)

Preparing Agents for Success in Automated, Distributed Contact Centers

Posted by Keith Dawson on 04 August 2022

The contact center industry is reexamining how organizations engage with contact center agents. One thing that we learned from the forced movement to work-from-home was that organizations have to provide agents with appropriate tools to collaborate and communicate with peers and supervisors as well as workers in the back office who participate in all sorts of customer-facing or customer-adjacent... Read More

Topics: Customer Experience, Voice of the Customer, Contact Center, agent management

Neo4j Expands Data Science Focus with New Managed Service

Posted by Matt Aslett on 03 August 2022

I recently explained how emerging application requirements were expanding the range of use cases for NoSQL databases, increasing adoption based on the availability of enhanced functionality. These intelligent applications require a close relationship between operational data platforms and the output of data science and machine learning projects. This ensures that machine learning and predictive... Read More

Topics: Business Intelligence, Data, analytic data platforms, AI and Machine Learning

FP&A Needs a Data Strategy for Meeting Internal ESG Goals

Posted by Robert Kugel on 03 August 2022

Environmental, social and governance issues have grown increasingly pressing over the past few years as investors and government entities urge organizations to measure and disclose ESG metrics. I’ve already covered the broader topic as it relates to external reporting and how financial planning and analysis groups are likely to own this mandate going forward. (It’s mainly been a marketing and... Read More

Topics: FP&A, Office of Finance, ESG

Expanding the Analytics Continuum: From Analysis to Action

Posted by David Menninger on 02 August 2022

I often use the term “analytics” to refer to a broad set of capabilities, deliberately broader than business intelligence. In this Perspective, I’d like to share what decision-makers should consider as they evaluate the range of analytics requirements for their organization. The analytics continuum comprises the many types of analyses organizations perform, including reporting, visualization,... Read More

Topics: Business Intelligence, natural language processing, Streaming Analytics, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

The Impact of Payroll Technology on the Employee Experience

Posted by ISG Research on 27 July 2022

I spent years in the talent acquisition space, and I think that at least several months of that time – cumulatively – was spent just trying to get people to calm down. Talent acquisition is a critically important business process, but if I had a dollar for every time I had to remind someone that there really are no recruiting emergencies, I’d be a wealthy woman. The same sentiment does not hold... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, HR technology, HR/Payroll, Payroll Management, employee experience

DataStax Provides a Platform for Data in Motion and at Rest

Posted by Matt Aslett on 27 July 2022

Streaming data has been part of the industry landscape for decades but has largely been focused on niche applications in segments with the highest real-time data processing and analytics performance requirements, such as financial services and telecommunications. As demand for real-time interactive applications becomes more pervasive, streaming data is becoming a more mainstream pursuit, aided by... Read More

Topics: Data, Streaming Analytics, Streaming Data Events

Field Service Heads for Greater Automation and Integration

Posted by Keith Dawson on 26 July 2022

Field service is a segment of customer experience that is dominated by two elements: the complexity of the issues handled, and the high cost of providing on-site services. It is recognized as a critical component of the service experience, especially when managing the condition of high-precision equipment in the medical, manufacturing and utility industries. It is also a high-risk moment in the... Read More

Topics: Customer Experience, Voice of the Customer, Contact Center, agent management

Tableau Brings Business Intelligence to Business Users

Posted by David Menninger on 26 July 2022

Organizations are collecting vast amounts of data every day, utilizing business intelligence software and data visualization to gain insights and identify patterns and errors in the data. Making sense of these patterns can enable an organization to gain an edge in the marketplace and plan more strategically. Tableau is a data visualization software company, acquired by Salesforce in 2019, that... Read More

Topics: embedded analytics, Analytics, Business Intelligence, AI and Machine Learning

Adopt the Fast Follower Paradigm for Finance

Posted by Robert Kugel on 26 July 2022

Although the digital transformation of the finance department was a topic of discussion before 2020, it became a front-and-center issue as organizations locked down and in-office interactions became impossible. Finance and accounting departments were immediately confronted with a challenge because of their limited adoption of technology that would support a virtual working environment. As our... Read More

Topics: Office of Finance, Financial Performance Management, ERP and Continuous Accounting

Data-Driven Agenda for Organizations

Posted by Matt Aslett on 21 July 2022

When joining Ventana Research, I noted that the need to be more data-driven has become a mantra among large and small organizations alike. Data-driven organizations stand to gain competitive advantage, responding faster to worker and customer demands for more innovative, data-rich applications and personalized experiences. Being data-driven is clearly something to aspire to. However, it is also a... Read More

Topics: embedded analytics, Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Governance, Data Integration, Data, Digital Technology, natural language processing, data lakes, data operations, Streaming Analytics, Streaming Data Events, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

A Faster Close Fixes Other Accounting Issues

Posted by Robert Kugel on 21 July 2022

Since its inception 20 years ago, Ventana Research has advocated for a shorter accounting close because it can improve the performance of the entire organization, not just finance and accounting. An important benefit of a shorter close is increased staff time for analysis and the preparation of reports and narratives that improve communications with the board and outside investors. Similarly, the... Read More

Topics: Office of Finance, Financial Performance Management, ERP and Continuous Accounting

Salesforce Commerce Cloud Targets the Segment of One

Posted by Stephen Hurrell on 20 July 2022

There are more digital channels in the commerce space than ever before: the web, mobile apps, text, voice-activated “agents,” video and social channels. Conversational computing and hyper-personalization are transforming customer engagement, and organizations may need to undergo a digital platform renovation to optimize customer and product experiences or risk lagging behind competitors. B2B... Read More

Topics: Digital Commerce, Office of Revenue

Data Governance, Then and Now

Posted by David Menninger on 20 July 2022

We’ve recently published our latest Benchmark Research on Data Governance and it’s fair to say, “you’ve come a long way, baby.” Many of you reading this weren’t around when that phrase was introduced in 1968 to promote Virginia Slims cigarettes, but you may have heard the phrase because it went on to become a part of popular culture. We’ve learned a lot about cigarettes since then, and we’ve... Read More

Topics: Big Data, Data Governance, Data Management, Analytics and Data

Oracle ME Aims to Drive Employee Engagement, Productivity, Retention

Posted by ISG Research on 19 July 2022

In my more than two decades in the world of human resources and human capital management technology, I have never seen a topic become so completely ubiquitous so quickly as has employee experience. This is great news from my perspective. As I addressed in this recent analyst perspective, market factors have forced organizations to acknowledge the tremendous bottom-line value of an engaged... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, employee experience, Digital Innovation Awards

Finance Research Reveals No Progress to a Shorter Close

Posted by Robert Kugel on 19 July 2022

We conducted our recent Smart Close Dynamic Insights Research in part to assess to what extent the substantial disruptions of the pandemic have impacted the accounting close. When office lockdowns began in the first quarter of 2020, many finance departments were challenged by having to do their quarterly close remotely without their normal face-to-face interactions. In the United States, the... Read More

Topics: Office of Finance, Financial Performance Management, ERP and Continuous Accounting

OneStream’s Sensible ML Tasks AI for Business Planning

Posted by Robert Kugel on 15 July 2022

OneStream offers a platform designed to serve the needs of accounting and financial planning and analysis organizations. The software handles financial close and consolidation, planning and budgeting, analysis and reporting. For me, the most significant announcement at the company’s recent user conference was the unveiling of its Sensible ML (Machine Learning) offering, which is in limited... Read More

Topics: Business Planning, Financial Performance Management, ERP and Continuous Accounting, AI and Machine Learning

TigerGraph Promotes Graph Database for Data Science with ML Workbench

Posted by Matt Aslett on 14 July 2022

I recently wrote about the growing range of use cases for which NoSQL databases can be considered, given increased breadth and depth of functionality available from providers of the various non-relational data platforms. As I noted, one category of NoSQL databases — graph databases — are inherently suitable for use cases that rely on relationships, such as social media, fraud detection and... Read More

Topics: business intelligence, Analytics, Cloud Computing, Data, Digital Technology, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

Lead to Cash – What does it really mean to you?

Posted by Stephen Hurrell on 13 July 2022

“Lead to cash” is an often-used term and is a companion to “quote to cash” and “order to cash”. What they all represent is an approach which recognizes that there is a process designed to convert a lead from a qualified interest to an active sale, through quote and contract negotiation, to order or contract, invoice and payment. “Quote to cash” and “order to cash” are subsets of this process,... Read More

Topics: Office of Revenue

A Data Pantry Speeds Development of Machine Learning Models

Posted by Robert Kugel on 12 July 2022

A few years ago – somewhat tongue in cheek – I began using the term “data pantry” to describe a type of data store that’s part of a business application platform, created for a specific set of users and use cases. It’s a data pantry because, unlike a general-purpose data store such as a data warehouse, everything the user needs is readily available and easily accessible, with labels that are... Read More

Topics: Data Management, Business Planning, Financial Performance Management, ERP and Continuous Accounting, AI and Machine Learning

Zoho Unifies Data and Analytics

Posted by David Menninger on 07 July 2022

Organizations are continuously increasing the use of analytics and business intelligence to turn data into meaningful and actionable insights. Our Analytics and Data Benchmark Research shows some of the benefits of using analytics: Improved efficiency in business processes, improved communication and gaining a competitive edge in the market top the list. With a unified BI system, organizations... Read More

Topics: business intelligence, embedded analytics, Data Governance, Data Management, natural language processing, data operations, Streaming Analytics, AI and Machine Learning