The scope of contact center managers' work is gradually expanding. Alongside established themes like the labor market and wage costs, issues like sourcing, AI, and automation are increasingly high on the agenda. CCMA, founded in 1998 and thus the oldest professional association of customer contact professionals in the Netherlands, will therefore be adding strategic themes to its agenda next year.

 

“We believe that customer contact will look completely different in five years' time, influenced by sourcing and technology issues,” says Melanie Stemerdink, a CCMA board member since 2018. “The work of customer service representatives is also changing; it's becoming more interesting. The contact center manager's role is changing accordingly. Where you might previously have had to mind the shop a bit more and ensure you met your KPIs, the strategic aspect is now increasing. It's not just about what you'll do next year, but also the years after that. Managers will have to become more outgoing, so they know exactly what's going on in the market. That's also what the CCMA wants to provide a platform for.”

Four pillars: leadership, digital, CX and sourcing

Contact center managers can no longer simply do the same thing next year. They will have to focus more on planning and discuss it with their management, according to Stemerdink. Therefore, the CCMA board has decided to organize activities next year around four pillars: leadership, digital, customer experience, and sourcing. Stemerdink explains:

Leadership is linked to challenges surrounding strategy formulation. We have organized various events, such as the NKW (Dutch Business Innovation Award), an event at Rituals, and the Manager of the Year award. "Digital" is the central theme of the site visit XL, which is being held in February. In the area of ​​CX, the CCMA experimented last year with an event in collaboration with PvKO And we really enjoyed that, especially because marketing and customer service are increasingly converging. Next year, we'll be organizing another event with PvKO."

Stemerdink says there's also a close relationship with the KSF. "Both boards meet regularly to discuss what we could do together. We also keep each other informed about each other's activities."

Sourcing on the agenda

Sourcing is a newcomer to the CCMA's focus areas. "We also see a lot of offshore work. I even saw Teleperformance opening a location on Bali has opened. At the same time, there are also parties that have no experience with near- or offshoring. That's why we want to engage in discussions about this topic. We want to organize an event that sheds light on the pros and cons and the things to consider." The sourcing event is scheduled for September 2026.

More diversity in the board

The board also looked at its own composition. “Two new board members have been appointed, Marije Westra from the Ministry of the Interior and Patricia Schat Kindergarden. With any upcoming board openings, we also want to ensure representation from various sectors—think government, financial services, the self-employed, and the BPO sector. In short, we want a more diverse board, including in terms of age, as we're still missing some target groups. We also need to address the bylaws and ensure everything is still up-to-date.

Membership database

Anyone who wants to register as a new member of the professional association will find the CCMA LinkedIn groupOnce you're a member, you can view the full membership list. Anyone who browses this list will also encounter members whose membership is questionable. There are also quite a few suppliers among them. What are the plans in this regard?

Anyone who wants to become a member can submit a request. Two board members check whether new applicants fit the CCMA profile,” Stemerdink explains. “For example, Friends of the CCMA are welcome to join the group, but other vendors are not, because it must remain a group of contact center managers, directors, and people who facilitate customer service technology. And of course, someone might slip through the cracks. We periodically clean up the list. We notify those who are removed. We now have a total of 1.420 members.”

There's no shortage of interest from businesses at the CCMA, says Stemerdink. "Quite a few companies want to become friends of the CCMA. Just like the board, we also want our friends to be a good representation of the market. That's why we've developed a kind of friends policy. We also consider the role a new friend wants to play, such as a specific event they'd like to support. Friends actively help organize certain events. Besides friends, we also have sponsors. While they don't organize events, they support the CCMA financially and, in return, receive visibility, among other things."

CCMA would like to see more member involvement

Only the board attended the last CCMA AGM. CCMA members are well represented at the events. Would the CCMA like to see more active member involvement in the association?

"We'd really like that," Stemerdink says emphatically. "All CCMA board members work in the industry themselves, but of course, we don't know everything and can't do everything on our own. It would be great if members would sign up to say they want to help or contribute to something. It's also important that the board is well-supported. Anyone with good ideas or who wants to contribute can contact one of the board members."

Stemerdink has been involved with the CCMA since 2018. She looks back on the past few years with pride. "All in all, we've made considerable progress in recent years in terms of themes, activities, governance, and friends. The board is a close-knit team. There's more cohesion now, and we're charting a clear course."

(Ziptone/Erik Bouwer)

This month, Ziptone is making a tour of the communities, industry and professional associations relevant to customer contact: CCMA, Customer Contact & CXForum, CXPA, DDMA, KSF and PvKO.

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