Results from respondents note critical success factors including cloud migration, knowledge management, voice to digital mix, and conversational intelligence
TTEC Holdings Inc., a leading global CX (customer experience) technology and services innovator for AI-enabled CX with solutions from TTEC Engage and TTEC Digital, announced the results of its inaugural AI Readiness Assessment. The survey findings indicate that the enthusiasm over generative AI has transitioned to demand for practical technology and services solutions that can scale from use cases to full-scale production.
Shelly Swanback, President of TTEC noted, “Post the peak of the AI hype cycle, businesses have moved to a more practical mindset. They acknowledge that the shift from pilots to full-scale deployment will require a cloud-based tech infrastructure, data preparedness, and process acumen that many currently lack. The survey results are a reminder of the value in partnering with CX experts like TTEC to unlock the full potential of transformational technologies like AI.”
Dave Seybold, CEO of TTEC Digital continues, “Working on the front lines with marquee brands across the globe in partnership with all the leading CX technology hyperscalers, we are in a unique position to help guide our clients on their AI-enabled CX transformation journey. Our holistic approach that includes our AI Readiness Assessment, AI Workshop, Strategic AI Roadmap, Deployment, and Continuous Improvement, helps our clients across the globe deliver the CX outcomes that matter most – increasing revenue, reducing costs, and building customer loyalty.”
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Key findings from the assessment include:
Migration to the cloud is table stakes: To unlock the full benefits of AI in the contact center, businesses must move their CX technology to the cloud. However, almost half of the study respondents express concern about their technology platform readiness. Aaron Schroeder, Director of AI solutions at TTEC Digital explains, “Without a cloud-based CCaaS and broader CX technology in the cloud, organizations will experience latency, sub-optimized computing, elevated costs long term and a disconnected experience for associates and customers.”
Moving interactions from voice to digital is a priority but will take time: On average, only 36% of respondents’ customer interactions are currently on digital platforms. They aspire to a target state that is nearly double. Schroeder continues, “Digital solutions like chat, self-service and automated chatbots can instantly solve questions and reduce waiting times but implementation will take time because they require thoughtful planning to deliver the desired results.”
Knowledge management is harder than it looks: Data fuels generative AI, however, less than 50% of survey respondents feel confident about the quality and completeness of their data. “As the saying goes, garbage in, garbage out. For associates to have the right answer at their fingertips, content needs to be accurate, accessible, and well-organized,” Schroeder added.
Conversational intelligence requires a strategic plan: Conversational intelligence enables an organization to analyze and act on linguistic features like tone, sentiment, and context to improve the productivity and effectiveness of a contact center. However, more than 50% of the study respondents are currently dissatisfied with their ability to bring this higher level of comprehension to a voice or text interaction through either their voice-based IVR or AI-enabled virtual assistants. “The ability to understand customer intent unlocks insight that can be used for associate training, product improvements, and the overall customer experience. Organizations that have the systems and processes to feed the learnings back into their operations at scale have a distinct competitive advantage,” concludes Schroeder.
TTEC surveyed hundreds of CX leaders across industries through its TTEC AI Readiness Assessment. The survey was designed to help organizations understand their AI maturity relative to peers and clarify their goals for implementing AI into their CX.
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