Why do so many contact center transformation projects drag on and go over budget? Principally because they require a high degree of custom development.
Indeed, IT teams must often write code to integrate various systems and create algorithms.
Yet, there is another significant reason: bolt-on technologies.
Thankfully, these are becoming less prominent with CCaaS solutions delivering native CRM, WFO, and helpdesk integrations.
However, when it comes to adding channels, many businesses still turn to bolt-ons – with WhatsApp being an excellent example.
Stuck In the Mud
Bolt-ons may come with many flashy settings. But, when building out these channels in the future, contact centers often find themselves stuck in the mud.
Why? Because it is an almighty struggle to add data into customer interactions or extract it from them. This stalls the implementation of new processes and strategies.
Custom development is the only way out.
Not only does this add time to a tech project, but developers and DevOps specialists are hard-to-find and expensive.
With the growth of various pieces of software and digital transformation projects in full swing, this status quo is unlikely to change.
Indeed, IDC research estimates the worldwide shortage of full-time software developers will increase from 1.4 million in 2021 to 4.0 million in 2025.
As such, operations must delve deep into their pockets to secure these resources and unlock the custom code.
A much better way is to approach the adoption of new technologies more cautiously, making considerations like the following.
Think: How Will We Change It Later?
With any new technical contact center initiative, don’t only think: how will we build it? Also, ask: how will we change it later?
For instance, the contact center may not be ready for agent-assist yet. But, it will likely want to add it later as the technology improves.
Thankfully, it is doing so fast, with CCaaS vendors starting to incorporate large language models – like ChatGPT and Bard – into their technologies.
As such, it is critical to install channels that lay the sufficient groundwork for future innovation. After all, the one thing that AI won’t change is the need for APIs and back-end integrations.
So, think about how the channel strategy may change in the future. If elements of that change involve code, reconsider the implementation with IT restrictions front of mind.
Low-Code to the Rescue
The struggles businesses face in custom development have likely accelerated the implementation of low-/no-code solutions.
As Esther Yoon, VP of Industry & Product Marketing at RingCentral, states:
“The low code, no code, pro code industry is blowing up meeting the pent-up demand for the ability for non-technical users to “develop” unique work streams across their apps and tools.”
Gartner expects this acceleration to continue. The market analyst forecasts that the worldwide low-code development technologies market will grow by 20 percent in 2023. Such software will significantly impact complex environments like the contact center.
After all, keeping developers and maintaining the contact center architecture is tricky enough without additional custom development.
As a result, contact centers must contain the processes they manage day-to-day. Making such maintenance considerations will help businesses build the best possible architecture.
Create Intelligent, Connected Experiences with RingCentral
“At RingCentral, our goal isn’t just to provide flexibility through our industry-leading APIs, but to empower everyone to create intelligent, connected experiences through our no-code, low-code, and pro-code capabilities,” says Severine Hierso, Director of Product Marketing at RingCentral.
Applying this vision across all its innovations, the vendor strives to simplify integrations, future-proof the contact center, and allow everyone to become a developer.
Moreover, by embracing low-code development itself, the vendor has created composable applications that give enterprises the agility to quickly adapt to operational and market changes.
An excellent example of one such change is a new customer expectation for a service channel, such as Apple Messages.
RingCentral builds these channels into its cloud environment, so they seamlessly fit into any contact center strategy. As such, customers can wave goodbye to bolt-ons.
Yet, there are many more advantages to RingCentral’s flexibility-first approach.
Discover more by visiting: www.ringcentral.com
