By Kumaran Shanmuhan – Solution Architect, Jacada Inc.
Isn’t it compelling to keep up with the latest and greatest information on things that matter to you? Well, no wonder so many of us are hooked on to the web; refreshing news feeds, checking email and following conversations. Regardless of how organized you are it is easy to get overwhelmed when there’s more information generated in a second, than could be consumed in a lifetime. So, what exactly happens when we get overwhelmed with information?
This article points out [http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/ff_nicholas_carr] how this information overload could cause cursory reading and distracted thinking ultimately turns you into a “shallow thinker.” So, what can we do about it? How can we get organized so that we balance the quantity & variety of information we consume with the quality of attention we provide to the content in return?
For starters, instead of drinking from the fire hose, we need to take advantage of packaged bottles of water. We need to move away from complex and versatile experiences toward simple and relevant experiences. As this blog post aptly suggests [http://blogs.forrester.com/sarah_rotman_epps/10-05-14-curated_computing_designing_post_ipad_era], we need an immersive experience made possible through curated computing. It turns out that this is exactly what Apple accomplishes with its vetting process behind the App Store. Be it an iPhone or an iPad, you get to install only those apps that have been chosen through a vetting process. It is this vetting/curating process that ensures that your experience is simple and relevant. Apple is able to provide richer experiences in exchange for your freedom to install whatever you want. It hands you a bottle, where you may have inadvertently chosen the fire hose. This immersive experience shifts the focus from; “how many things can you do at once?” to “how well can you do the one thing that you’ve chosen to do?”
Admittedly, an immersive experience may not be the silver bullet for every single information overload scenario. Nevertheless, curated computing presents enormous opportunities to solve some of the key problems that otherwise would require rewiring the brain! If you happen to be running or supporting a call center, for instance, you hear constantly about the challenges agents face in using multiple applications and dealing with complex processes. They either swim or drown in an ocean of data on the desktop and try their best to connect with the customer on the other end of the phone. I’m sure you see the parallels – desktop chaos is the fire hose we need to avoid. Instead of expecting your call center agents to go on a treasure hunt to answer simple billing questions like “Why did my bill go up to $400 last month?”, you could present billing related events on a timeline and provide a simple and relevant experience. Not only will your agent share the right information with the customer [improve FCR and AHT], but she’ll also be able to serve and provide care with empathy. Now, that’s what an immersive experience can do for your call center agents and customers!
