Dossier: voice, data and analytics

This is Ziptone's dossier on speech, data, and analytics in customer contact. On this page, you will find an overview of all relevant articles on speech technology, data, and analytics. This dossier is closed and is no longer updated.

Check the Chatbots Dossier for updates.

Last updated: January 1, 2026

Jump directly to:

Everything you need to know about voice, data, analytics
Data as the basis for customer experience
Data as the basis for speech applications
Analytics for support staff

Everything you need to know about voice, data, analytics

Everything you need to know about data and analytics – the basic article. Customer contact departments must be able to make adjustments faster and more specifically on the basis of circumstances and developments. Information from employees is just as important as data. But how do you set up a data strategy and what can the contact center do with data? Where do you get the right data from and what are the possibilities for data analytics in customer contact? We also discuss the pitfalls for companies that start working with data and analytics.

Data is the new gold. That statement is now a bit of a cliché, but that doesn't make it any less true. In this clear column, Walter Heck explains which five major steps must be taken if you want to become 'data-driven' as an organisation.

The Netherlands and Europe are losing ground in artificial intelligence research Universities and research institutions in the Netherlands pay relatively less attention to artificial intelligence (AI) than in many other countries. This has emerged from new research by the Rathenau Institute. The European Union also seems to be falling behind in research into AI compared to economic superpowers such as China and the United States.

There is still a lot to be gained in data-driven customer contact – Despite higher volumes and a tight labor market, decision makers only adjust their customer contact strategy to a certain extent. Verint conducted research into, among other things, the use of data.

Data as the basis for customer experience

Customer contact at DHL: “Our data volume has exploded” – DHL invests heavily in innovation of customer service. Data plays a key role.

Dutch companies say they are leading the way in the use of data and AI – Dutch companies are leading the way in the use of data and AI compared to other EMEA countries. The vast majority of Dutch organizations (89 percent) indicate that they are fully utilizing the possibilities of data and AI.

Data-driven customer contact in practice: technology is only the beginning – Nationale-Nederlanden (NN) and VodafoneZiggo share their experiences with using data to improve customer service processes. NN used data to get a grip on back office processes; VodafoneZiggo gained insight through data analytics into customer behavior and preferences at Viaplay and customer questions and problems surrounding large-scale working from home during the start of the corona pandemic.

Data-driven customer experience at Schiphol Airport – Enough data, but how do you turn the right data into usable information so that you can optimize the customer journey? Berend Jan Rietveld, Head of Passenger Experience at Schiphol, responsible for the customer experience of travelers for the airport, and Theo van der Steen, director of Underlined, explain how Schiphol airport gives substance to 'data-driven passenger experience'

Developing smart emergency scenarios for the ANWB Emergency Centre – The ANWB's ACE Team is working on machine learning models, aimed at estimating the best emergency scenario for the Emergency Center, among other things. This could be sending roadside assistance, choosing to resolve the problem over the telephone or having the vehicle salvaged immediately. The ANWB is further developing the model, so that the best strategy to solve a problem can be determined more and more accurately.

Speech analytics provides insight in times of crisis Ten years ago, the improvement actions resulting from speech analytics were mostly implemented by consultancy firms. Now companies mainly see the benefit of continuous improvement themselves. Teams look more across channels and can do much more themselves.

Data as the basis for speech applications

VDAB: IVR out, voice routing in VDAB (most comparable to the Dutch UWV) has exchanged the IVR for voice routing. As far as we know, VDAB is the first Flemish organization to structurally apply voice routing. This eliminates frequent internal transfers, among other things.

Voice biometrics at Van Lanschot – In April this year, Van Lanschot was the first financial institution in the European Union to launch a new method of customer verification using voice biometrics. Martijn Boevink, Client Services manager at the bank, explains why the bank chose this technology.

Speech recognition: the state of affairs Speech recognition is one of the most important technologies in the application of analytics in the contact center. What is the state of the art of speech recognition? And what are the application possibilities in customer contact when it comes to analysis? Two specialists from Telecats – Sander Spiegelenberg and Erna Gerritsen – provide an update.

Book Review: “Voice: The Speech Revolution” – The book is a handy standard work for anyone who wants to get started with speech assistants. Lens-Fitzgerald deals with the most important topics in a logical order, so it starts at the beginning: voice control is a logical step in the development of how we operate devices. The working principle of voice control is also discussed in detail. That ranges from activating a voice assistant to recognizing speech, translating it into the intent (or intention) of the speaker, to finding an answer in a text-based source and speaking this answer.

Analytics for support staff

Application of data in next best action – use cases – In the fall of 2018 VodafoneZiggo launched two pilots at partners Teleperformance and Conduent, aimed at presenting up to three next best action (NBA) suggestions. The results were good: in 40 percent of cases an NBA is picked up by the agent, which then leads to a deal in 35 percent of the cases. Next best action has also been deployed with contact center agents Central management, which come into action when the customer cancels plans. 41 percent of customers respond to the request to call. Based on a complete customer view, Pega's NBA solution comes up with a relevant retention offer. 85 percent of customers who call are kept on board with a suitable offer.

The application of analytics at Valk Solutions – case Speech Analytics is the way to get added value from data. Companies see the benefits, but are hesitant to start or invest in it. Recognizable arguments for Valk Solutions, developer and supplier of ERP and CRM software for retail. Valk Solutions therefore purchases speech analytics as a 'service': a number of times a year the company has a certain volume of conversations analysed. In this way they reap the benefits of speech analytics, such as direct and concrete improvement opportunities, without investments or start-up costs.

Data and analytics are on the rise in the US. Update from Wall Street Journal —Verizon Communications Inc. uses technology from Afiniti where AI ensures that callers are connected to agents determined to have the best chance of retaining customers. The Wall Street Journal lists examples of large American companies that make intensive use of AI and data analytics, such as Verizon, JetBlue and Maximus.