Contact centers find themselves at the intersection of a major hype cycle around AI.
Many have invested heavily in AI or secured funding to do so, but have stumbled as they plot out the best path forward.
As such, some are still stuck preparing data projects, spotting process improvement opportunities, and mapping use cases.
Unable to move beyond, they’re facing a lot of fear, ambiguity, and confusion.
After all, solution providers are proving out their models for the first time, and universally trusted case studies are few and far between.
This uncertainty creates internal tension. Turf wars have begun, with departments debating ownership, metrics, and success definitions.
Yet, there’s only one way forward: Experiment. Fail fast. Iterate.
Laying the Foundations for Fast Innovation
As noted, there’s only one way forward. But, to prepare for experiments and faster innovation, contact centers must lay the foundations. There are two critical steps here:
1. Prepare People for a Changing Future
Generative and agentic AI will shift what the role of a contact center agent looks like.
Of course, there have always been shifts in what agents do as technology advances. But now, that maturity curve is accelerating.
There’s a hard truth here: a machine can learn faster than a person can be reskilled. Agentic AI will further accelerate this shift by introducing autonomous agents capable of navigating multi-step customer journeys. This evolution requires a new level of assurance to validate outcomes, behaviors, and experiences across increasingly complex interactions.
So, if the contact center knows where it wishes to innovate, consider how the agent role and customer journey will change in six, 12, or 18 months from now, and start building toward that today.
That may include creating structured development plans and maturity models.
2. Accept Uncertainty and Learn to Work Within It
Automation will eliminate some tasks, but new, complex problems will emerge.
For instance, forecasting, staffing, and workload planning will be more challenging than ever.
The reality: this has brought both increased automation and increased unpredictability. Leaders need to get comfortable operating in that uncertainty.
Although, having an end-to-end view of the contact center’s performance across channels to gauge the impact of change, with a solution like Cyara Pulse 360, can massively help here (more on that later!).
Experiment. Fail Fast. Iterate: Here’s Where to Start
Here’s a piece of advice from Justin Robbins, Founder & Principal Analyst at Metric Sherpa:
“Write down the one thing that, if accomplished, would define success for you over the next 12 months. Then, make sure you’re moving closer to it every day, week, and month. Don’t feel like you’ve made no progress this time next year.”
From there, build out a test-learn-optimize-embed workflow, so that when the contact center does fail fast, it happens first in a safe, controlled environment.
Some do this by starting at ground level and deploying AI tools to agents. They can then help pinpoint where the AI performs well and where it fails.
That “bottoms-up approach” is critical in stopping organizations from over-engineering a solution without fully grasping the problem first.
Moreover, the safe space for experimentation engages the team, earns their buy-in, and helps establish the most impactful use cases.
However, there is a solution contact centers should throw into the mix to scale innovation faster and optimize performance…
Cyara Pulse 360: Your Innovation Partner
The trouble with the test-learn-optimize-embed workflow is that contact centers can’t “optimize” where they can’t see issues.
Enter Cyara Pulse 360. Unlike legacy monitoring tools, this AI-driven CX assurance engine delivers real-time visibility across voice and digital channels to deliver frustration-free customer experiences.
With early issue detection, automated troubleshooting, and global carrier insights, Pulse 360 helps eliminate service disruptions, decrease churn, and avoid SLA and compliance penalties.
As Janet Vito, SVP of Marketing at Cyara, told CX Today: “Pulse 360 evolves with your tech stack, seamlessly integrating with enterprise platforms for global scalability without added complexity.
“And with global coverage – more than 130 countries and 380 carriers – and smarter alerts, your teams can proactively detect issues before they impact customers, reducing alert fatigue and accelerating resolution.”
In industries where innovation needs to move fast, but the stakes are high – like finance, healthcare, life sciences, insurance, and beyond – the cost risk of botched AI is too great to ignore. Pulse 360 provides the safety net.
To dive deeper, visit: cyara.com
