Verint has unveiled two new specialized bots: an Exact Forecasting Bot and an Intraday Spike Bot.
Debuted at Verint Engage 2025, the bots aim to augment contact center workforce management (WFM) operations.
That’s crucial, as the WFM space hasn’t enjoyed the same transformative innovation as other realms of the contact center.
While generative AI may have moved the needle elsewhere, advanced WFM relies on more complex machine learning models and neural networks, especially in regards to forecasting.
As such, many still view WFM technology as an enterprise luxury, while smaller contact centers stick with spreadsheets and Erlang Calculators.
Yet, with hybrid human-AI teams, the already difficult job of a contact center resource planner is only becoming more so.
WFM teams need more accessible innovations to boost their toolkit. That’s what these two specialized bots aim to provide.
The Exact Forecasting Bot
The Exact Forecasting Bot (EFB) scours historical data across different contact center channels to speedily evaluate various forecasting models and apply the “best-fit” to a given situation.
Such “situations” could be a holiday period, a what-if scenario, or business as usual.
To avoid added research, the EFB also explains why it chose a particular model while giving the planner space to test the model for themselves and make manual adjustments, based on their experience.
Moreover, the bot will offer updates on new features, current trends, and continually analyze current forecast accuracy, so planners get helpful alerts that may help them to continually improve their forecasting strategy.
Yet, it doesn’t just recommend models and surface insight; it also studies interaction patterns to recommend relevant adjustments, so it’s less of a static analytics tool and more of an AI assistant.
The Intraday Spike Bot
The Intraday Spike Bot (ISB) monitors real-time contact volumes to not only monitor spikes in contact volumes, but also highlight what is driving them.
Without this knowledge, contact centers cannot address the root cause of the issue and stem the flow of demand. Instead, they’re left to draft additional employees, adjust the IVR messaging, and follow other standard operating procedures (SOPs) that can be costly in expense and agent morale.
Yet, the ISB breaks down why customers are contacting, spots trends in their intent, and deduces the root cause. As such, contact centers can address it and ease pressure on the team.
Sometimes, the bot may suggest an action so that contact center managers, supervisors, and resource planners can quickly implement a fix.
Take a classic reason for demand peaks: marketing launched a secret campaign that nobody told the resource planning team about.
The bot could suggest a virtual agent update to deflect much of the incoming traffic. That’s massive for real-time response.
More from Verint
Alongside the new bots, Verint bolstered its portfolio with a Value Dashboard, showing savings from AI initiatives tied directly to KPIs in real time. That’s especially significant in highlighting the impact of AI on critical customer and agent outcomes, not just on specific cost measures.
However, despite these announcements, a shadow somewhat loomed over the event in Verint’s $2BN takeover by Thoma Bravo and the Calabrio merger.
News on what that means for Verint customers and the vendor’s go-forward is still muted. As the acquisition goes through regulatory approvals, that’s understandable.
Nevertheless, the vendor is pursuing its specialized bots strategy and bringing much-needed innovation to the WFM space.
After all, contact center leaders will increasingly manage AI agents, as well as human agents. That changes what WFM means. It’s no longer just tactical scheduling; it’s the orchestration of both humans and machines, understanding where AI alleviates, assists, and automates.
Despite its future uncertainty, few brands can do this as well as Verint.
