AI is revolutionising customer contact – but for many contact centres, the results aren’t matching the promise. Despite a surge in experimentation, too many organisations find themselves in “pilot paralysis”: high on potential, low on return.
Contact centres need to adopt AI, but many are hitting the same wall: inconsistent ROI. Why? Because not all AI adoption strategies are created equal. Understanding where you are in your AI journey, having clarity about your end goal and choosing the right path forward are essential for success.
Here’s what we’re advising companies to successfully break through:
It starts with two things: choosing the right strategy—augmentation vs. automation—and understanding where you are on your AI adoption maturity journey. Let’s explore how to align strategy, maturity, and outcomes for long-term value.
Why This Conversation Matters Now
AI is transforming the customer experience, especially in high-volume environments like contact centres. With rising service expectations, growing skills gaps, and constrained budgets, business leaders face mounting pressure to “do more with less.”
In a recent poll, we asked customer contact leaders where they were on their AI journey. The most common responses? “Exploring use cases” and “running pilots” – a clear signal that many are still seeking clarity on the how and why of implementation.
Augmentation vs. Automation: Two Different AI Strategies for Customer Contact
One of the most important decisions early in your AI journey is where to start: whether to augment human effort or target automation.
Augmentation: Enhance and improve
Also called the ‘Assistive Model’, augmentation uses AI to empower humans. Think of:
- Real-time call summaries and after-call notes
- Intelligent knowledge prompts during live chats
- AI-generated coaching insights
This approach improves agent productivity, increases agent accuracy and speeds up onboarding—without major disruption to existing workflows.
Automation: Let AI Bear the Weight
Also known as the ‘Digital-First Model’, this strategy uses AI agents to fully automate processes:
- Start with high volume, low risk customer contacts
- Any rules based, process driven interaction
- Urgent and simple interactions outside of contact centre hours
While the potential ROI is higher, automation also demands deeper transformation—technically and culturally.
AI Adoption Maturity: Where Are You Now?
Many businesses leap into AI projects without considering their readiness level. But maturity is the missing link between effort and ROI.
Here’s a simplified version of the AI adoption maturity model:
- Exploratory – Isolated pilots with unclear outcomes.
- Emerging – Defined use cases and early implementation efforts.
- Scaling – Broader integration across teams or departments.
- Strategic – AI is fully embedded into business strategy.
In our upcoming webinar, we introduce a roadmap that aligns with these stages:
- Assess where you are
- Plan your strategy
- Pilot to learn
- Scale what works
Each stage requires the right mix of technology, change management, stakeholder buy-in, and compliance awareness.
What ROI Really Looks Like
There’s no one-size-fits-all metric. What counts as success in AI varies by stakeholder:
- Finance cares about revenue and cost per contact
- Ops looks at average handling time, operational efficiency and compliance
- CX leaders prioritise customer satisfaction and retention
Tip: Define ROI early—and ensure that all stakeholders are considered and committed to success. What looks like success for one department may not move the needle for another.
Ready to Make AI Work for You?
Don’t let AI become another tech trend that fizzles out after a few trials. Choose a digital transformation partner to help you:
- Understand where you are on the maturity curve
- Decide the right balance of augmentation and automation
- Define ROI through the lens of your own business goals
- Create a clear roadmap from pilot to scale
Want to learn more? Catch our webinar ‘AI Adoption Strategies: Choosing the Right Path to ROI’
At Business Systems, we help customer contact operations bridge the gap between ambition and execution. Whether you’re exploring assistive AI or ready for full automation, our experts are here to guide you.
Book a free AI strategy session to map your next steps with one of our consultants.
