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Five Reasons Case Management is Making a Comeback

Jorge Sanchez, Sr. Director, Product Strategy, Appian
August 31, 2016

In the past, businesses focused on fulfilling cases as quickly and efficiently as possible. Case management used to mean adding, replacing, modifying, re-ordering data in a "case." As consumer's expectations evolved over time, so too did case management.

Today, dynamic case management goes further. It is no longer about well-structured, highly-regulated known steps to get from A' to B.' Instead, it'sabout collaboration between people, data, processes, and systems to optimize outcomes.

More and more, organizations are using dynamic case management software to solve their business problems - even those in industries not considered "Case-Centric."

Below are five reasons dynamic case management is helping this comeback:

1. Respond uniquely to individual cases

In the past, case management focused on speed. The fastest outcome as a result of the fastest process ensured your business was giving the consumer quickest service you had to offer.

But consumers don't come to you with all the same cases. Some need software help, some need data support - rarely do they need a cookie cutter solution.

What dynamic case management has allowed businesses to do is treat each case uniquely, tailoring the process to meet specific needs. Customers in the digital era expect a first-class personalized experience, and this is precisely what dynamic case management aims to provide.

2. Focus on the customer experience

By allowing each case to be unique, case management has shifted emphasis to customer experience. Instead of sendingcustomers off in different directions, it offers a streamlined journey.

Customer experience has become a key ingredient for any application ñsome may say even more important than case resolution. The agile nature of dynamic case management helps maintain high levels of customer satisfaction and an overall positive consumer experience.

3. Leverage case worker expertise

Over time, case managers develop experience and expertise which can be used to manage cases. Having an ability to rapidly adapt to consumer needs leads to better case outcomes.

With a focus on the consumer experience, case managers can tailor their BPM solutions using expert knowledge to appropriately match a specific need to improve satisfaction.

4. Increase customer loyalty

Customers that get a positive customer experience and case resolutionare morelikely to develop a sense of loyalty to the business. On the other hand, a negative customer experience will deter the consumer from wanting to interact with the business, and will often find ways to avoid communicating with them.

Compliance, expansion, and advocacy are three areas consumer loyalty increases with a positive customer experience. With compliance loyalty, a better experience means consumers are more likely to follow directives or advice. Expansion loyalty fosters greater interaction between business and consumers, even when it is not required. Advocacy loyalty grows the brand image as consumers spread positive sentiments to others.

Improving the customer experience not only improves business processes in the here and now, it lays the framework for future success.

5. Connect all aspects of a case

Digital transformation has brought together all the pieces of case management. With dynamic case management, these pieces collaborate with one another. People communicate across silos, data flows freely through channels and systems work together to achieve the best possible outcome.

Having access to any information related to a case provides case managers the ability to develop a more holistic solution. This, in turn, will create a more positive experience for the consumer and facilitate case resolution.

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The way in which businesses achieve operational excellence has evolved. Before, operation excellence was all about standardization and efficiency. Today, with the fast-paced, ever-changing needs of the modern, super-connected, information-hungry world, the focus is on customization and tailoring. Dynamic case management has given us all the tools to ensure we can deliver.

Jorge Sanchez, Director of Product Strategy