Overview
Back office work doesn’t stay behind the scenes anymore. What happens after the customer interaction—claims, billing, order fulfillment, account updates—now shapes how customers feel about your brand just as much as the conversation itself. When that work is slow, disconnected, or invisible, customers notice. And they respond with repeat calls, frustration, and lost trust.
New research from Aberdeen reveals a clear shift in how leading organizations think about back office operations. The most successful teams no longer treat the back office as a standalone function or a cost to contain. Instead, they connect it directly to customer experience—aligning priorities, sharing context, and breaking down silos between front office and back office teams.
The result? Measurable gains across cost control, productivity, and customer outcomes. Organizations that take this integrated approach don’t just work faster, they reduce unnecessary effort, resolve issues with fewer handoffs, and create experiences that feel smoother for both customers and employees. Work gets prioritized based on customer impact, not just internal efficiency, and teams spend less time chasing information and more time getting things done.
This report explores what separates organizations that have made this shift from those still operating in silos—and why the gap between them is growing. If your teams are under pressure to do more with less, reduce inbound demand, and deliver better experiences without adding complexity, this research shows why integration has become a strategic advantage—and why waiting comes at a cost.
Why integration matters now- Back office work increasingly shapes customer perception
- Siloed operations drive cost effort and repeat contacts
- Integrated teams resolve issues with fewer handoffs
- Shared context improves prioritization and outcomes
- Leaders pull ahead while others fall behind
Where work connects experience improves
