Streamlining customer service to eliminate wasted time on hold
Collective sighs from being left on hold to customer service are reverberating around the world—especially in Australia. Research from LIKE.TG revealed Australians wasted 89.5 million hours on hold trying to resolve complaints in the past 18 months. That’s an average of seven hours per person.The seven-hour experience is a wave of emotions—from tolerance while listening to hold music to joy when finally getting through to an operator, to frustration at having to explain your situation another time, only to be placed on hold again. In a world with technology at our fingertips, there has to be an easier way.Room for improvementYet, many Australians believe the situation is getting worse. More than half (53%) of survey respondents said the average time they spent on hold increased during the pandemic. A third said it increased “a lot.”Although consumer use of technology has evolved, businesses haven’t kept pace. They must address the “great hold” by balancing a seamless shopping experience with effective complaint management.Many businesses admit they could do better. According to the research, 40% of chief customer care officers know the importance of focusing on creating positive customer experiences. And a third of chief operating officers want to better integrate risk and compliance controls into their customer service processes.The telecommunications and government industries performed poorest when it came to resolving issues, according to the survey. The common frustration lies in inefficiency and repetition. Australians cited long response times, having to repeat their issue to multiple people, hours on hold trying to resolve a problem, and being passed around internal departments as their biggest irritations.High expectationsToday’s Australian consumers expect more from organizations than ever before. More than a third (36%) of survey respondents said their expectations rose during the pandemic. They have limited patience to deal with shortcomings. They want quick, reliable service—every time.Rightly so. It’s 2022. The pandemic has sped up the evolution of digitization, particularly around e-commerce and how consumers interact with big business. If we can use QR codes to purchase items and check in to venues, use apps to order the delivery of everything from groceries to medicine, and store critical vaccine information on our phones, why can’t we resolve an issue with the touch of a button? Reimagining the customer experienceMoving forward, the customer experience will be critical to business success, requiring organizations to streamline their complaint resolution processes for a frictionless, fast, and fail-proof approach.The days of waiting on hold are numbered. Customers want to feel seen, heard, and valued, and have their issues taken seriously. Businesses need to act fast to fix the problem.As consumers insist on convenience, efficiency, and ease when resolving problems, organizations will need to focus on issue management processes. A top-notch complaint resolution system will become as important as the overall shopping experience, particularly in retaining customers and driving repeat business.In a hyper-competitive marketplace, organizations will need to find ways to ditch customer waiting. According to the 2021 Global Contact Center Survey by Deloitte Digital, companies leading the way in customer service post-pandemic are the ones accelerating their digital transformation efforts and reimagining their mix of service channels.Striving for greatness in customer service should be a core strategic focus for every business. Companies need to pinpoint the obstacles to a best-practice customer dispute resolution process and then restructure accordingly.The priority should be on automation—streamlining processes and removing bottlenecks by creating a self-service platform that reduces or eliminates hold times, diverts calls to email or instant chat, or uses autofill forms to filter issues and direct customers to the most appropriate place to resolve their problem.Find out how Customer Service Management can help.
Streamlining support case creation and administration
When a customer has a support question or needs help to solve an issue, they should encounter a smooth experience all the way through to resolution. But that’s not always the case. At LIKE.TG, when customer feedback revealed areas ripe for improvement, our employees listened and upgraded two important support workflows: case creation and auto-agent.“We try to provide customers with self-service content,” explains Vikas S., a product manager at ServiceNow. “At the same time, we want to ensure that if self-service content doesn’t give them the answers they need and they end up creating a case, the journey to create that case and what happens afterward is seamless and a great experience for them,” he says.[We’re hiring. Explore LIKE.TG careers.]Upgraded case creationPreviously, a customer had to create a case and wait to hear back from a LIKE.TG customer support agent. Now, when a customer opens a case, they go through the process of defining their problem using our issue record producer. Once the support team receives the case, they go to work.“We really wanted to be more dynamic about how we thought about automation,” explains Lott C., director of business process management at ServiceNow.When developing the built-in automation, the most impactful feedback Vikas and his team received came through a case creation dashboard, where customers commented on and ranked their needs. Customers consistently reported they needed a bigger screen to enter information.The refined user experience includes expanded screen size and flexible text boxes, a simplified flow with fewer screens, and more visibility for customers into how their case is prioritized. Simplifying support administrationWe also created auto-agent workflows to help automate administrative and follow-up tasks for technical support engineers (TSEs) and eliminate downtime on cases.“Our TSEs are skilled engineering resources whose time we value,” Lott says. “With up to 20 cases in their queue on any given day, removing the administrative overhead enables them to better manage their time and focus on the technical issues at hand.”Automation includes follow-up, closure, and acceptance of issues. “We’ve made this configurable, so we can continue to grow our workflows. This is just the beginning.”Since launching, the auto-agent workflow has saved our support team an enormous amount of time and reduced context switching. About 60% of open cases are not directly actionable by the TSE or would be largely administrative actions.This administrative work accounts for about 30 to 60 minutes of TSE time per day and includes tasks such as pursuing internal stakeholders for follow-up/review, providing status updates, and nudging customers to review and close cases. Focusing on actionable activities and automating a portion of that work have significantly boosted morale and productivity.Personalizing the experience“This is a completely custom solution, what we’ve built here,” Vikas says. “This is how we learn and listen to our customers and improve their experience through our support team, because we want them to be successful.”Building this product gave Vikas firsthand customer experience that led to career growth. “I was always in the mentality of ‘How can I make a LIKE.TG engineer’s life better?’” he notes. Through this experience, he found the perfect way to meet the needs of both the customer and LIKE.TG internal support.While Vikas manages the front end of case creation workflow, Kellie W., senior product manager of customer support workflows, manages the back end. “We meet in the middle and overlap a lot on how to solve case creations,” Kellie explains.Once a case is created, she builds automated workflows that cut down the manual effort and repetitive tasks a TSE must perform during the case lifecycle. “What we're trying to get is a more personalized experience for the user,” she says. Before customers know they have a problem, our product managers want to know. This allows Kellie and her team to be more proactive at making a user’s life easier.Kellie used to be a customer of LIKE.TG and attributes that experience to helping her anticipate customer needs. “My role every day is to make our customers’ day-to-day lives work better, and that makes our internal employees’ day-to-day work better. That is what this product is all about,” she says.A balanced approachKellie and Lott align weekly with Senior Software Engineer Vaibhav K. to exchange ideas, discuss customer feedback, and make plans. “The collaboration between engineering, business, and product teams has been exceptional,” Vaibhav says.Having been with LIKE.TG for four years, Vaibhav has played a large role in developing auto-agent workflows. He believes the best is yet to come. “In the future, we’re trying to be even more proactive,” he says. “It gives us an opportunity to extend ourselves, go above and beyond, and think about how we can improve the customer experience.”“There were a significant number of moving parts in the development of case workflow,” Lott adds. Although Lott and his team encountered issues, they were able to resolve them quickly. Directly collaborating with development teams resulted in delivering this product and solving issues.“I'm glad that it's serving the purpose it was intended for and making an impact,” Lott says. “At the end of the day, it allows us to be more efficient and do our best work. If we’re helping others do that, it’s phenomenal.”Join a team where you can live your best life, do your best work, and help us fulfill our purpose together. Browse job opportunities at ServiceNow.
Supporting community and colleagues during COVID-19
Can pandemics have a silver lining? We think so. LIKE.TG employees from all over the world have been coming together the past few months to not only support each other but to serve their local communities due to COVID-19. For Hyderabad-based Radha Govinda Gantayet, he found support in his team during a time of need.Radha was working in Hyderabad the day he got the call from Bangalore that his pregnant wife was admitted to the hospital and in critical condition. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was difficult to travel the 590km/367 miles to Bangalore. “I tried everything, even obtained police clearance, but after traveling for hundreds of miles I was stopped at the Telangana and Karnataka border and was told by police to go back to Hyderabad,” said Radha. “It was one of the moments I really felt helpless.”Radha later shared his dilemma with his manager, and he brought in HR and Security to see if anything could be done. And, there could be! With this team’s help, he was able to meet with the commissioner of police and explain his situation. He received an exception clearance letter allowing him to travel to his wife in Bangalore. “I wouldn’t be here without the help of my team,” he said. “I am eternally grateful for their support and care when I needed it the most during such a chaotic time. This, to me, is what humanity looks like.” Radha and his wife welcomed a healthy baby boy in June.Not only have LIKE.TG employees been helping each other, they have also extended their outreach externally by helping their communities all over the world.In the U.K., Carolina Pascual and Hassan Alibhai have responded to the pandemic by making and donating personal protective equipment. Carolina and her daughter are sewing face masks every week and donating them to LIKE.TG colleagues, close friends, and members of her church, while Hassan and his son have been making face shields for their local hospital workers.Ofer Parizer and his peers are sewing masks in Kirkland, Washington. Ofer’s crew was able to sew 2,000 masks for their community’s hospitals in just two weeks. Ofer turned to the LIKE.TG community to help gather donations and materials, and the support allowed him to continue making masks to support their local healthcare workers. In Switzerland, Tolga Tutel and his wife responded to the pandemic by supporting their local retirement home by delivering food to the pensioners. "It's helping them significantly and frees up the caretakers and nurses for other important work,” said Tolga. “And for me and my wife, it’s a chance to go out of the house during lunch time and make some people happy.”Across the globe in Japan, Eri Okumura is spreading kindness to health care workers. Noticing that a salad restaurant in her office building is donating food to healthcare workers, Eri joined the support by sending origami thank-you notes along with the meals. Eri was also able to get her team to help make notes and colleague, Tamaki Sakamoto’s, daughter was a superstar in helping to create the most origami notes out of everyone to share her appreciation.In addition to their local efforts, LIKE.TG employees raised $250,000 through a corporate matching gifts campaign for non-profits in the employees’ communities that are addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. These donations, in addition to LIKE.TG’s global impact corporate grants, totals $1.5 million to organizations including the American Red Cross, International Medical Corps, Feeding America, CDC Foundation and World Health Organization.Even during this tough time, the LIKE.TG community donates their time and resources to help not only their neighborhood communities, but also each other.We’re hiring. Join our team.
Survey finds HR leaders will drive business transformation
As organizations worldwide embrace digital transformation, HR leaders are turning to innovative solutions to make smart talent decisions, supercharge employee experience, and increase operational efficiency.HR executives will lead the way in stepping up digital transformation to drive business transformation over the next 18 months, according to research by LIKE.TG and ThoughtLab. Our Employee Experience Trends 2024 report details the reasons why: to boost employee satisfaction, lower costs, increase growth, and improve workforce productivity.With the rise of advanced technologies, such as AI and generative AI (GenAI), HR leaders are realizing the importance of aligning their strategies with C-suite objectives. In 88% of digitally advanced organizations, HR executives are working with the chief information officer to make the best use of technology. Revolutionizing how work gets doneAI and GenAI are top of mind for HR leaders across all industries and regions. According to our research, 65% of survey respondents believe AI will revolutionize how work gets done.“With the right approach,” says Jacqui Canney, chief people officer at LIKE.TG, “GenAI personalizes experiences and helps people focus on strategic, innovative, creative work that’s fundamentally human, rather than mundane tasks.”HR leaders agree. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of HR innovators—senior HR executives in the most digitally advanced organizations—already use AI for everything from human call center support to workforce optimization to HR service delivery.The 65% of HR innovators who’ve implemented GenAI are using it to create job descriptions, streamline research, generate communications, and screen job applicants. The majority of HR innovators (73%) plan to increase the implementation of GenAI in their organizations in the next 18 months to further optimize recruitment and hiring.Reinventing HR service deliveryWhile AI and GenAI are changing the workforce experience, HR-specific solutions offer additional efficiency for talent management.Cloud-based human capital management, self-service portals, workforce optimization services, and other digital technologies help HR leaders execute their strategies. All survey respondents expect to increase the use of these solutions over the next 18 months to reduce HR costs and inform decision-making. Using intelligence to inform talent decisionsDigital HR practices have created repositories of data across organizations. HR leaders are using this data to elevate talent management in numerous ways: Fill talent gaps Improve productivity, cost efficiencies, and performance Align talent with business goals Enhance staff skills and mobility The focus on data will become increasingly important as HR leaders embrace reality: 55% believe half or more of their workforce is under-equipped to help propel future growth.To fill talent gaps over the next 18 months, they’re adopting initiatives to upskill and reskill employees, hiring critically needed talent outside the organization, and making the best use of the talent they have by increasing visibility into worker capabilities.In addition, HR leaders plan to shift to a skills-based talent strategy, take measures to improve career development, use data to inform talent decisions, and cultivate a culture of continuous learning.Gain more insights in our complimentary Employee Experience Trends 2024 report. It includes data regarding C-suite priorities, talent, skills, GenAI, and how HR leaders across industries are spearheading business transformation.
Survey says an experience strategy can boost financial performance
The old saying “There’s no substitute for experience” has taken on new meaning in today’s digital environment. According to a LIKE.TG/ThoughtLab global survey of 1,000 C-suite executives, adopting a comprehensive experience strategy that encompasses all experiences can help: Accelerate business growth Cultivate an engaging work environment Improve customer satisfaction Enhance products and services Boost performance across all areas “Organizations want to deliver seamless experiences to customers and employees. And today, the expectations of those two groups are becoming very similar,” explains Dave Wright, chief innovation officer for LIKE.TG and guest editor of the Fall 2023 issue of Workflow Quarterly.“With recent leaps in artificial intelligence, companies are now in a great position to fundamentally change and improve that experience.”
Survey says digital innovation is the way to navigate macro uncertainty
The economy’s mixed messages—slow growth and high inflation, combined with resilient employment and consumer demand—are spurring business leaders to focus on ways to boost productivity, drive growth, retain customers, and remain competitive.A 2023 survey of 1,000 C-suite executives by LIKE.TG and ThoughtLab found digital activities continue to be a key element of their strategic plans. This is especially true for companies that have prioritized digital innovation in the past. More than 70% of respondents described their organization’s current stage of digital transformation as “maturing” or “advanced.”“Perhaps not surprisingly, companies that have seen the benefits of digital transformation aren’t backing off these investments,” says Chris Bedi, LIKE.TG chief digital information officer and guest editor of the Winter 2023 issue of Workflow Quarterly. “Instead, they are focused on increasing the efficiency and productivity of their operations to help them thrive in tough times.”
Survey says ESG technology drives results
Organizations worldwide are taking bold and transformative steps to achieve environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. A global LIKE.TG and ThoughtLab survey of 1,000 C-suite executives found that the vast majority (95%) of self-proclaimed ESG leaders are implementing ESG technology to drive results.“Digital technology gives companies the tools to understand their impact and help them achieve their ESG goals,” explains Edua Dickerson, LIKE.TG vice president for ESG and finance strategy, and guest editor of the Spring 2023 issue of Workflow Quarterly. “To be sure, technology isn’t enough. Success also requires strategic acumen and committed and passionate people.” Adapting to advance ESG goalsBusiness leaders recognize that a holistic approach to ESG that includes operational and cultural objectives, as well as financial targets, offers advantages. Among those surveyed, 48% say ESG programs are a top priority with the C-suite and board. Four out of 10 leaders are working to hire and retain employees who can help them achieve ESG goals.Organizations are adapting their business models across individual areas and operations to align with those goals. The report shows that 53% are incorporating ESG into their digital transformation plans and 56% are using advanced technology to reach their targets.Short-term profits vs. long-term objectivesWhile 48% of respondents agree ESG drives better financial results in the long term, more than one-third (35%) say the current economic environment hinders their efforts. Concerns include rising interest rates and energy costs, as well as supply chain problems and geopolitical tensions.Some executive teams, feeling pressure to produce profits, are placing their ESG goals on the back burner. Nearly one-quarter (24%) report that it’s difficult to achieve both advanced ESG initiatives and shareholder expectations in the current macro environment.However, our research shows that this is a false choice. “It’s never been clearer that the right ESG strategy can help a company boost productivity, control costs, and manage risk,” Dickerson says. “In today’s unsettled economic environment, ESG champions are positioned to come out on top.”Digital technology drives ESG outcomesOne way they’re doing that is by embracing technology. While 63% of executives currently use the cloud as a tool for ESG initiatives, 74% plan to do so in the next two years. Companies are also adopting AI, advanced data management, cybersecurity technology, the internet of things (IoT), robotic process automation (RPA), and workflow automation to support their ESG efforts. In addition to enabling transparency and reducing costs, adopting digital technology can help organizations reduce pollution, increase governance, and improve social sustainability.Technology also improves visibility. Leaders understand they can’t know where they’re going unless they know where they’ve been. Data collection to track ESG progress and results determines how initiatives and outcomes affect operations. Tracking enables decision-makers to assess effectiveness, manage risk, and inform employees and stakeholders.The leaders in our survey expect progress in ESG to yield financial, operational, and strategic benefits over the next few years. Although numerous challenges remain, ESG technology allows companies to advance their ESG commitments, linking profits and purpose.Gain more insights in the Workflow Quarterly Spring 2023 issue.
Survey says: Total experience-focused companies outperform
Now, more than ever, the employee experience (EX) and customer experience (CX) are intertwined. Improving CX has a positive impact on EX, and vice versa.“Companies that excel at experience delivery don’t think of the two as separate,” notes Dave Wright, chief innovation officer at LIKE.TG, in the Summer 2022 issue of Workflow Quarterly. “Instead, they align EX and CX to multiply the effects of each. Rather than tracking and improving one or the other, they’re looking for ways to do both at once.”Indeed, organizations are aligning the two to create a positive total experience. To that end, 69% of 1,000 executives surveyed by LIKE.TG and ThoughtLab have modernized their IT platforms. According to our respondents, this was the single most effective move to align customer and employee experience.Other steps include collecting customer and employee feedback, digitizing customer processes to boost employee productivity, and measuring how employee engagement affects customer retention (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Top steps organizations have taken to drive total experience effectivenessTotal experience benefitsGreater revenue is the No. 1 advantage of aligning CX and EX, according to 60% of respondents. In addition, organizations benefit from better products and services, new business models, and improved reputation.More specifically, organizations that embrace total experience tend to see: Greater customer retention Higher-quality customer service Heightened ability to attract customers Improved data security and privacy for customers Interestingly, these organizations also benefit from improved: Worker health and safety Employee data privacy Teamwork and collaboration Staff loyalty and retention
Survey: 3 tips to deliver world-class customer service
No matter what industry you’re in, your customers’ expectations have permanently shifted. Customers expect consumer-grade experiences that are frictionless, delightfully designed, and valuable for their needs.“Consumer-grade experiences” are associated with the best consumer companies, such as Apple, Netflix, and Amazon. These companies famously put the customer at the center of everything. The result is seamlessly integrated technology, personalized content, and goods that show up the same day.This is the new standard, even for industries that aren't historically known for customer experience, such as enterprise software, healthcare, and telecom.Of course, customer experience and customer service go hand in hand. You can’t deliver consumer-grade experiences without great customer service. But not all customer service experiences are created equal. How many of us have had a billing issue resolved within minutes by a virtual agent on the same day another company kept us on hold for hours?How do you deliver great customer service in our increasingly omnichannel world? To find out, LIKE.TG and Qualtrics conducted joint research to uncover the nuances of customer service across industries and identify best practices for organizations looking to deliver great service experiences. Here’s what we learned: 1. Connect the entire organizationSolving the most complex customer problems often requires communication and collaboration across multiple teams. However, many companies haven’t connected their customer-facing systems with the middle- and back-office functions that are critical to resolving customer inquiries. This leads to silos the customer feels.The numbers tell us companies have a long way to go in this area. According to the joint research from LIKE.TG and Qualtrics, approximately two-thirds of customers said they’ve needed to switch between two to three service channels (live chat, phone, in-person) to resolve an issue. This happened either because the agent couldn’t resolve the issue at hand or because the agent didn’t have the right information to complete a request.This problem spans virtually all industries—most often for customers interacting with government services (76%), technology and IT businesses (74%), retailers (70%), and telecom companies (67%), with healthcare (66%), travel (66%), and financial services (65%) not far behind. Many customers said they’ve had to repeat the same information multiple times before a request was resolved.To create a truly frictionless, end-to-end customer service experience, you need to empower and connect the entire organization to work together to serve the customer. This involves making work flow seamlessly, automating tasks, and providing transparency to every person involved in solving a customer’s request.2. Deliver speed and efficiencyThe best customer experiences are frictionless. In addition to friendly and knowledgeable service, customers demand speed and convenience. Organizations need to be able to solve problems quickly—ideally at the moment a customer reaches out.The joint research bears this out. Long wait times continue to be the most frustrating customer service issue (56%), followed by an agent taking too long to resolve an issue (28%) and the inability to reach an actual human (23%). What’s more, over half of the survey respondents (51%) said they wouldn’t wait more than 10 minutes on hold before closing an interaction or hanging up.Self-service can play a critical role in delivering fast and efficient service—if companies automate the fulfillment process. When companies give customers the tools to find answers to common questions or easily route requests to the right teams, customers can get help at the exact moment they need it. 3. Provide empathy and personalizationDelightful customer experiences are a powerful way to retain customers and attract new ones, but the inverse is also true. Eighty percent of customers have switched brands because of poor customer experiences.According to the joint research, customers interacting with retailers (62%) and financial services (59%) are most likely to switch brands due to poor customer experiences. Healthcare (41%) and telecommunications (43%) have the lowest percentage of customers who switched due to a negative interaction.Great customer experiences require empathy. Your customers often reach out during difficult or stressful times and want you to care about their problem as much as they do. When customer service makes a real, human connection, it can make a lasting impression and a customer for life.Our joint research shows treating customers empathetically remains an opportunity area for most. People reaching out to government institutions are the least likely to say they were treated with empathy during their interaction (57%), followed by retail (60%). However, seven out of 10 customers who interacted with a financial services company said they were treated with empathy.Personalization is one powerful way to connect with customers. According to the new research, companies fared slightly better in personalization, but there’s still ample room for improvement. Telecommunications (66%) and government (67%) scored the lowest in providing personalized service, while financial services (77%) and technology and IT (76%) performed the best.Meeting customers where they areDelivering great experiences comes down to knowing your customers and showing up for them in the moments that matter. That takes insights and action. I’m grateful for our partnership with Qualtrics, whose unparalleled technology gives the Now Platform® the insights we need to take the right action at the right time for our joint customers.LIKE.TG and Qualtrics most recently launched Qualtrics Embedded Insights. Available today, it brings Qualtrics XM insights into LIKE.TG workspaces to help customer service teams make better, more holistic decisions on how to improve what matters to customers.Find out more about the LIKE.TG-Qualtrics partnership.MethodologyThe study of consumer customer service preferences across industries was fielded by Qualtrics, in partnership with LIKE.TG, between May 16-20, 2022. Respondents were selected from a randomized panel and considered eligible if they live in the United States, are at least 18 years of age, and had a customer service experience with a financial services, retail, government, telecommunications, hospitality, technology & IT, or healthcare business in the last six months. The total number of respondents was 3,089. Respondents who did not pass quality standards were removed.
Survey: Cybersecurity requires risk-based management approach
We’ve entered a new era of cyber risk where cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue, according to findings from a May 2022 ThoughtLab global survey co-sponsored by ServiceNow. Although cyberattacks and breaches are increasing, many organizations are unprepared to respond.The problems come down to three main areas: Extended attack surface through partners and suppliers Cyber risk initiatives not up to date with digital transformation Budget constraints Denial of service and phishing attacks account for the lion’s share of cyberthreats today, at 49% and 46% of attacks, respectively. In the next two years, phishing attacks will continue to be a problem, posing the highest risk for 50% of the 1,200 worldwide organizations surveyed across 14 industries. But denial of service will be less of a threat (31%) in the subsequent 24 months, surpassed by human error (44%) and ransomware (40%). The cybersecurity landscapeTo counter these attacks, organizations should harden their systems to prevent cybercriminals from ever breaching them. This requires detailed attention to IT infrastructure and platforms. Although human error is the main cause of today’s largest breaches, misconfigurations will pose the biggest risk over the the next two years, according to the survey.“Misconfigurations across applications, systems, platforms, and servers—and neglecting to put new default settings in place—can create dangerous pathways for hackers,” the report notes.Organizations know they need stronger security, but budget constraints prevent them from investing in cybersecurity technologies. Businesses also struggle with identifying key risks and detecting and responding to incidents.Despite these challenges, many organizations have succeeded in establishing governance and risk assessment. And more than half of the respondents surveyed have invested in protective technology (55%) and data security (52%). Where organizations come up short is in awareness and training. Investments in this area could help curb breaches due to human error. Bolstering securityNearly 60% of organizations have successfully implemented cyberthreat detection processes. Yet, it takes an average 128 days to detect a breach, according to the study. To ramp up security initiatives, organizations need to move from the detection phase to continuous monitoring.Beyond that, the best way forward is through a risk-based approach involving: Regular risk assessment Advanced analysis Enterprise-wide risk management Proactive risk mitigation "Risk-based management aligns security priorities with the business and helps security leaders become more strategic in their views and outcomes,” explains Barbara Kay, senior director of product marketing, risk, security, and ESG at ServiceNow.Nearly half (43%) of surveyed organizations have adopted a risk-based approach to date.Gain more insights in the ThoughtLab report, including 10 best practices to boost your cybersecurity performance.
Survey: ESG is a business imperative
Businesses across the globe are under pressure to address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. The pressure is coming from all sides, including the board, senior management, customers, investors, and employees, according to new research from LIKE.TG and ThoughtLab.“ESG has become a business imperative with real impact on stakeholder trust and long-term value creation,” says LIKE.TG Chief Financial Officer Gina Mastantuono, writing in the Spring issue of LIKE.TG’s Workflow Quarterly magazine.Benefits of ESGOf the 1,000 C-level business leaders in the LIKE.TG/ThoughtLab survey, 64% say ESG enables stronger financial performance. In fact, 73% of financial leaders report that a focus on ESG helped them deliver better results. Only 13% said generating profit for shareholders is a higher priority than improving ESG performance.According to the research, strong ESG performance enables a range of business benefits, including: Increased revenue growth Greater shareholder value Better talent attraction and retention Improved customer satisfaction Stronger teamwork and corporate culture How to achieve ESG goalsThe study shows that organizations worldwide are focused on identifying ESG issues, developing an ESG vision and strategy, creating structure and honing skills to advance that strategy, setting and reporting metrics on ESG performance, and more. Digital technology can help with those efforts. In fact, digital innovation is key to achieving ESG goals, according to 61% of survey respondents.Data and security are important with any digital technology. Currently, 52% of organizations represented in the survey are working to improve their data security and privacy. And 65% of companies plan to address this issue within the next two years.Promising techWhich technologies are organizations relying on to advance their ESG goals? According to the LIKE.TG/ThoughtLab study, companies are embracing the cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced data management and analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and digital enterprise platforms, among others.Organizations face significant challenges to reaching their ESG goals. Six out of 10 ESG leaders report a lack of ESG skills and talent. Other challenges include keeping up with changing regulations, insufficient technology investment, uncertain business case, and high implementation costs.LIKE.TG® ESG solutions can help you get control of ESG across your organization to realize value and business outcomes.Gain more insights in the ESG issue of Workflow Quarterly.
Survey: Innovation is a top management imperative
Forward-thinking organizations prioritize innovation—and for good reason. “It’s never been clearer that those who embrace a culture of innovation and digital transformation are going to have the best chance to thrive,” notes LIKE.TG Chief Strategy Officer Nick Tzitzon, guest editor of the Fall 2022 Workflow Quarterly.Research by LIKE.TG and ThoughtLab confirms this insight. Of 1,000 C-level executives surveyed in five industries across 13 countries, 51% reported increased revenue or sales as a result of innovation. Other benefits include improved customer satisfaction (40%), better products (39%), decreased costs (36%), and new business models (36%).
Survey: Less than 20% of CIOs highly effective using new tech for digital transformation
CIOs and CHROs are collaborating on talent strategies, but they are largely missing out on opportunities to improve employees’ experiences through workflow digitization.More than half of CIOs in a global survey commissioned by LIKE.TG and published in Workflow Quarterly say they have significantly increased budget for workflow digitization—a sign that these technology leaders have identified how process automation can transform work to meet today’s business demands.These CIOs also say successful outcomes from technology investments rely on how they set up their organization for success. This includes collaborating with peers and vendors, aligning IT goals with the rest of the business, embedding digitization initiatives across the organization, and holistically tracking results. However, few CIOs are developing these foundational blocks very effectively, according to the research. Read the research summary.In fact, fewer than 20% of the CIOs surveyed report they are highly effective at using emerging technologies to transform services and operations, equipping employees with digital tools to manage workflows, or even educating their organization about new technology and changes to workflows.For digital transformation to work, CIOs need to get their organizational strategy right. In the latest issue of Workflow Quarterly—The Strategy Issue—we share data and advice on how industry leaders are doing just that.Learn how CIOs from JPMorgan Chase, Siemens, and Nationwide, and other well-known organizations are building a digital strategy with the key elements to rolling out workflow digitization across business lines.This Strategy Issue also explains how LIKE.TG created a framework for digitizing any function and explores never before analyzed Now Platform® data to understand how companies are achieving value through their process automation strategies—and how you might consider tracking outcomes.Visit WorkflowQuarterly.com.
Survey: Risk-readiness leads to organizational resilience
Organizations worldwide face growing risks from rapidly changing technology, sustainability pressures, macroeconomic turmoil, and geopolitical disruptions. Risk-ready, resilient organizations can detect and respond to all these pressures more quickly, according to a global survey of 1,000 C-suite executives conducted by LIKE.TG and ThoughtLab.“In recent years, it’s become increasingly clear that building resilience against risk is a strategic investment that can help companies outperform,” says Ben De Bont, chief information security officer for LIKE.TG and guest editor of the Summer 2023 issue of Workflow Quarterly.Organizational resilience mitigates riskWith a rise in the frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks, many survey respondents don’t believe they have effective systems in place to detect and respond to cyberthreats. Just under half (49%) of risk-ready organizations—those that feel prepared to address technical, operational, and strategic risks—feel secure. And only 14% of other respondents say they can detect a cyberattack.Although digital transformation can create new risks, it's also a key tool for risk mitigation. As evidence, 76% of respondents believe digital technology drives resilience. Additionally, 65% of risk-ready organizations say digitization will improve their detection of threats, as well as their ability to track risk across the enterprise. Resilience yields rewardsIntegrating risk management offers numerous benefits, including fewer breaches and faster resolution times. That translates to positive financial results across the business.Organizations that haven’t prioritized risk-readiness take a more pessimistic view, with 27% struggling to find a balance between innovation and risk management.According to risk-ready organizations, the top three results of improved risk management are: Greater customer satisfaction Reduced costs Higher profitability Other key benefits include market share, improved employee engagement, and increased sales.The road to risk-readinessCompanies are harnessing cloud computing, AI, data management, cybersecurity technology, and the internet of things, among other technologies, to manage risk. As tech and market conditions evolve, so does risk. Our research shows that risk-ready organizations tend to build risk-aware cultures. In fact, 59% of all CEO survey respondents agree that breaking down silos within the organization is essential to managing risk and fostering resilience, and 73% of CEOs believe technology is a key driver of resilience.Those percentages are higher for other C-suite executives, especially chief information officers and chief risk officers, who play key roles in managing organizational risk. Additionally, 76% of leaders in the survey expect to hire outside consultants and risk experts in the next two years to assess risk and optimize organizational resilience.Looking ahead, it's crucial for leaders to understand their unique business risks and put processes in place to ensure their organization’s future security.Gain more insights in the Workflow Quarterly Summer 2023 issue.
Sustainable wealth creation for the common good
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I was eager to put 2020 in my rearview mirror and start to look ahead to 2021. For many of us, this involves reflecting on lessons learned and prioritizing areas that matter most, personally and professionally.I joined LIKE.TG in January 2020. In March, the world as we knew it changed almost overnight. Fast forward nearly 12 months later, and I am fortunate to be in my dream job. I am acutely aware of how blessed I am to make that statement, something I might have taken for granted before COVID-19.LIKE.TG is my dream job because our purpose is to make the world of work, work better for people. We also have a tremendous opportunity to make the world work better, too. I can’t think of a more rewarding purpose and opportunity.I’m very proud that we’re launching the LIKE.TG Racial Equity Fund, a $100 million investment fund designed to drive more sustainable wealth creation by funding homeownership, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood revitalization within Black communities in 10 regions across the United States.Turning opportunity into actionAmid a global pandemic and the economic disruption that it caused, the racial justice movement, and the ongoing climate crisis, social responsibility is more urgent than ever.The past year further amplified the racial and socioeconomic inequalities that disproportionately impact Black communities across the country. Here’s the bottom line: The world isn’t working better for them, and we want to play a role in changing that.Homeownership contributes to wealth creation for families and communities by anchoring families in neighborhoods, spurring local entrepreneurship and job creation, and improving overall economic growth. However, due to systemic racial injustice, Black individuals and communities have historically been the most likely to be denied access to capital, according to Citi GPS: Global Perspectives and Solutions.Black-owned businesses are twice as likely to be rejected for a loan, and there is a 30% national gap in the homeownership rate between Black and White families.In addition, banks in under-resourced communities that are willing to lend often lack the capacity to extend loans to every member of the community. Because of their smaller loan sizes, community banks are often underfunded by institutional buyers. That’s where the LIKE.TG Racial Equity Fund can help, by expanding opportunities to reduce the wealth gap for individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and business owners.The LIKE.TG Racial Equity Fund, managed by RBC Global Asset Management, will buy smaller community loans to increase the lending capacity for local banks. By increasing access to capital, the fund will facilitate homeownership and entrepreneurship in Black communities, leading to job creation and wider economic growth.The fund, which is the first of its kind for LIKE.TG, will initially make investments in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, Orlando, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. – locations where LIKE.TG has significant operations and community presence.New beginningsIn the months and years ahead, LIKE.TG will reinvest all fund returns back into the fund. We will continuously measure and evaluate the success of this fund to help us evaluate other investments and programs that promote social equity.Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are essential to who LIKE.TG is, how we’ll grow, and how we’ll innovate. With the expertise and passion of our employees around the world, the power of our digital workflow solutions, and the strength of our financial resources and strategic partnerships, LIKE.TG aims to create equitable opportunity and drive real, lasting change.I was inspired by The Hill We Climb, the poem Amanda Gorman read at the U.S. presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. on January 20. Gorman writes: I can’t think of more fitting words as we embark on our journey to make the world work better for all.
Syncfusion LIKE.TG is Now SOC 2® Type 2 Compliance Certified!
LIKE.TG is proud to announce that we have successfully completed the SOC 2® Type 2 compliance certification!This is great news for our esteemed customers as it demonstrates our commitment to their data privacy and security. Moreover, this proves we are worthy of our customers’ trust and confidence in our brands.Let’s have a brief look into what it means to be SOC 2® Type 2 compliant. What it means to be SOC 2® Type 2 compliantSystem and Organization Controls (SOC) 2® Type 2 compliance certification is an internal controls report given to SaaS companies that meet the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) highest security and data privacy standards.An external auditor evaluates the procedures and controls specified by a company to ensure that security and data privacy protection are upheld.Difference between SOC 2® Type 1 audit and SOC 2® Type 2 auditThe SOC 2® Type 1 report evaluates the details of the procedures and the control measures put in place by a SaaS company while the SOC 2® Type 2 report audits these procedures and controls over a period of time.Why is SOC 2® Type 2 compliance certification important?LIKE.TG being SOC 2® Type 2 compliant means it has successfully proven to AICPA that it meets all the necessary data privacy and security standards.With this certification, customers are guaranteed of the security of their personal information and the protection of their data privacy.ConclusionAt LIKE.TG, we consistently strive to ensure we give our clients the best experience and earn their trust and confidence. That is why we take the highest measures possible to ensure our clients’ data is always safeguarded and their privacy is protected. This SOC 2® Type 2 compliance certificate is proof of how much we value and prioritize our customers’ privacy and security!You can start a free trial of LIKE.TG and deliver top-notch customer service with outstanding data security and privacy. Reach out to our support team if you have any questions.
Syncfusion’s Exclusive Offer for Its Customers—Get LIKE.TG for Free*!
Syncfusion, a leading provider of enterprise software solutions, is proud to announce that its customers (includes all Essential Studio, Bold BI, Bold Reports, and BoldSign customers) will now enjoy its help desk software app, LIKE.TG, for free!Read on to discover what Syncfusion’s exclusive offer is all about! Introducing LIKE.TGLIKE.TG is a powerful, modern, cloud-based help desk that performs customer service-related processes in a simple yet intuitive manner.LIKE.TG is highly scalable and user-friendly for all enterprise businesses looking to offer outstanding customer support in order to grow their businesses.With LIKE.TG, businesses have access to amazing features including an automated ticketing system and knowledge base software.Learn more about the LIKE.TG features on this page.A support team can use LIKE.TG to manage clients’ queries and requests, track customer conversations, and provide quick and timely responses and resolutions all in one central repository.Learn about the journey behind the creation of LIKE.TG!Details of Syncfusion’s Exclusive OfferFor starters, Syncfusion is offering its customers a LIKE.TG licence completely free for 1 year— worth $2,880!This free licence package is illustrated in the table below.PlanGrowthNumber of Agents10Price$2880 $0Note: Customers will pay the Growth Plan pricing per agent for any additional agent.The Growth package includes all the main LIKE.TG features available for the Starter Plan and other advanced features, like:Multichannel ticketingKnowledge base software: internal and externalAutomation featuresThird-party integrationsReports and dashboardsEnterprise-grade security and privacyCustomer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys You can see more LIKE.TG features included in the offer here.Why Give Syncfusion’s Exclusive Offer a Try?Try this ticketing software to see how it can boost your support team. LIKE.TG is:A powerful help desk with advanced features. Using it, you can provide your clients with the best customer service and effectively manage support team workflows.Easy to set up and use, secure, highly scalable, and comes with a free and straightforward expert migration service.Free! With the LIKE.TG licence completely free for one full year, you save on the expense of purchasing support ticketing software for all that time.How to Sign Up and Claim Your Free LIKE.TG LicenceIf you are a Syncfusion customer, you can claim this offer by either signing up via the Syncfusion LIKE.TG offers page or clicking the Claim Your Free Account button on this page.ConclusionWith Syncfusion’s exclusive offer of one year of free LIKE.TG, Syncfusion customers will enjoy great benefits. Try to experience Syncfusion’s modern, intuitive, cloud-based help desk software.For more information about how LIKE.TG can transform your support system, request a live demo. Or you can experience LIKE.TG’s amazing features for yourself with the LIKE.TG free trial. Please contact LIKE.TG support for any questions.
Taking a more human approach to AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all about machines, obviously. Except it’s not. In truth, discussions surrounding AI may often centre around how competent, intuitive and contextually aware the machine brains we are building have become.But really, AI is all about us – the humans – and how it can make our lives better.There was time, perhaps even inside the current decade, when AI tools and functions were still associated with the fanciful ‘talking computers’ that featured in many 1980s movies. It wasn’t that long ago that we still considered AI as something of a ‘toy’ and its application in mission-critical enterprise applications was still somewhat laughable.Of course now we take talking computers completely seriously. So much so that we’re equally focused on the proficiency of computer speech recognition.Application of AI applicationsBut as far as we have come, we still need to look at the real world use cases of AI and ask how it can help us make our lives better. If we’re not applying AI to our human work experiences to examine and analyse where it can make those experiences greater, then what are we doing here in the first place?The truth is, many enterprises large and small have been struggling with finding the appropriate use cases for new and emerging AI technologies. Companies need to find the workflows inside their business models that can benefit from AI. Only then can they start to architect towards turning those operational throughputs into truly digital workflows.So how do we define AI-enabled digital workflow Nirvana and how do we get there?Typically, the process starts with a technology audit and a process of assessment, quantification and qualification running throughout the IT stack in question. Individual business units will need to step back and identify their work problems and challenges as they look for the elements of their workflows that can be digitised.Everybody across every line of business function will be involved we need to crowdsource and collaborate to identify strategic areas of business operations that still exist as predominantly manual, accurately measurable and fundamentally repetitive.These are the parts of business that represent liquid gold, i.e. once we tap the seam, we can channel these functions into AI-driven services that subsequently run as digital workflows. Individuals are liberated from drudgery, productivity is increased and employees have a greater experience — a new virtuous circle is established.Practical examplesThink about a typical LIKE.TG office. When people leave the company we need to manage who has a key fob for access to the car park. This is a perfect example of the type of job that has typically been performed manually through the use of a spreadsheet. This is time consuming, error-prone and obviously creates security issues.But it’s also (I hope obviously) a perfect example of the type of task we can evolve to become a digital workflow driven by intelligence stemming from AI. I.e. our analytics engine should know that an employee is leaving the firm and so reports, alerts, emails and perhaps even mobile device management to cancel the key fob can all happen automatically.If we can make all those things smarter and more intuitive, then we can build better experiences faster.Uber hasn’t actually done anything fundamental to change the way taxis work or drive. It has changed the digital workflow that governs the ability to book and pay for the service. The list of services-centric examples in this space is growing every day.Automating a bad process doesn’t make it goodWe’re often bad in technology industry when it comes to decommissioning things. Think about how many business processes probably exist today that firms need to eradicate and get rid of.There’s no point in applying AI to these aspects of the business. As we know, automating a bad process doesn’t make it a good process it just makes it an automated bad process. So this re-engineering is actually an opportunity to clean out your cupboard and stop doing the things that you no longer need to do.An example that came out of a LIKE.TG hackathon is a tool to help with filing of patents. One of our hackathon teams used AI and ML to trawl the web for all registered patents using word recognition. They wanted to identify connected words to see if a new invention already existed in some form already.This would have been costly manual work, that may have been handed over to a specialist (in this case, a patent lawyer), but now we can digitise these aspects of the business.The human factor baselineWe as humans now need to engineer the existence of AI into our own mindsets and consider how it can help us work differently. This includes knowing what things we don’t need to worry about anymore. For example, we don’t take a map out with us these days, because we use a smartphone – so what else can we stop doing?As we move down the more humanised road to AI, we will find that AI itself gets smarter as it learns our behavioural patterns, penchants and preferences. We must still be able to apply an element of human judgement where and when we want to, but that’s already part of the current development process as we learn to apply AI in balance when and where it makes sense.The future of AI is smarter and it is also more human. The end result is more digital at the core, but more human on the surface. If that still sounds like a paradox, then it shouldn’t. We’re at a crucial point of fusion between people and machines and it’s going to be a great experience.
Taking care of business (even from home)—making a commercial in quarantine
In January, we launched a commercial to celebrate work—work that flows smoothly, so employees can focus on what matters most. However, once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the ad, set in a traditional work environment, no longer fit with the current reality in which most American’s are working from home.A new world of workThe COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for businesses.To reflect the changing needs of organizations around the world, we set out to create a new commercial that provides a moment of levity, but also conveys that our technology enables people to stay connected and productive no matter where they are. In order to adapt the ads to respond to COVID-19, we had to produce new commercial content while adhering to social distancing and overall health guidelines.
相关产品推荐
