Workforce Management Featured Article
Workforce Management in Huge Demand in Healthcare
The healthcare industry is one that continues to grow past market projections. Not only are consumers demanding access to quality care, they are also seeking providers who are responsive to their needs. Such responsiveness often happens in the scope of the contact center, which relies on workforce management to ensure optimal performance.
So important is the role of efficiency in the contact center in the healthcare space that workforce management in the industry alone is projected to grow at a double digit CAGR from 2014 to 2019. This means the market is estimated to be worth $1,453.8 million by the end of the period. As the population continues to age and stringent regulations persist in taking priority, the market will continue to enjoy strong demand.
According to a recent RnRMarketResearch.com report, the workforce management market growth will primarily be in areas such as time and attendance software. The bigger focus is expected to be in North America, although Asia-Pacific regional growth is expected to be driven by the development of healthcare infrastructure throughout the region. Leaders in the global marketplace include IBM, Infor, Oracle (News - Alert), Kronos, SAP AG and more. The top two (IBM and Infor) accounted for nearly 75 percent of all workforce management systems in 2013.
For the healthcare industry, the use of proven workforce management solutions is critical as funding from the federal government is widely based on performance. Patients who have to be readmitted for illness or procedures negatively affect performance. If patients are receiving phone support through proven agent activity, the number of patients needing to be admitted a second or third time is reduced.
Agents may be used to call and remind clients to take medication, follow-up on appointments, check in to answer questions and more. When patients or caregivers fully understand care that should be delivered after the fact, patients are more likely to recover as planned. Ensuring the delivery of this information and making agents available when calls are at their peak are dependent upon quality workforce management solutions.
At the same time, consumers have a choice when they are searching for healthcare. As this industry grows in its competitive nature, organizations will continue to seek proven methods to support better quality care. Skilled agents, hosted technologies and more will contribute to the creation of that competitive advantage. Workforce management is one technology that will continue to grow in demand and those organizations ready to put it to good use will quickly see a return on investment.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi