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Why Genuine Real-Time Automation Must Come Before AI in Contact Centers

Contributed Article by John Norton, Chief Revenue Officer, Intradiem   

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to dominate conversations about the ongoing evolution of contact centers, an often overlooked yet critical technology deserves more immediate attention: real-time automation. Positioned as the essential intermediary layer between basic technologies like Automatic Call Distributors (ACDs), Workforce Management (WFM) systems, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems and other contact center technologies, real-time automation addresses the operational inefficiencies that AI alone cannot solve.

This article will guide contact center leaders through the strategic importance of genuine real-time automation—i.e., the instant availability and actionability of freshly generated data—and offer actionable steps to implement it effectively as a foundational step before investing in AI.

A Brief History of Automation in Call Centers

The journey of automation in call centers has evolved significantly over the past few decades. In the 1980s and 1990s, the primary focus was on efficiency and cost reduction. The goal was straightforward: answer customer calls promptly, often within 20 seconds, and maintain service level objectives while managing costs related to equipment, employees, and network services. These objectives were driven by the need to reduce customer wait times and optimize resource allocation.

As we moved into the early 2000s, the industry saw a shift towards enhancing customer experience through self-service options. IVR systems became prevalent, allowing customers to navigate menus and perform tasks independently, reducing the need for direct interaction with agents. This period paved the way for the emergence of an omnichannel approach, where customer interactions can seamlessly transition across different channels, from landlines to websites and, eventually, mobile devices and social media. The rise of smartphones and social channels empowered customers considerably, and customer service centers had to adapt by providing consistent service across all channels.

In recent years we’ve witnessed the growing importance of a new challenge: the agent experience. With the advent of remote work, contact centers needed to focus on supporting their agents as much as their customers. High turnover rates, often exceeding 100% annually in many contact centers, underscored the need for better agent engagement and support.

Despite advancements in technology and analytics, the industry remained largely dependent on historical data, lacking the real-time capabilities necessary to adapt to live customer interactions. This inability to act on real-time data became a significant operational gap, one that only genuine real-time automation can fill.

The Need for Genuine Real-Time Automation

The critical limitation of existing contact center technologies lies in their reliance on historical data, which leaves a critical gap in the context of real-time customer interactions. Many technology vendors claim to offer “real-time” capabilities, but that typically means one of three things: 1) instantaneous delivery of historical data to agents on demand; 2) recommendations based on that data, which agents must execute themselves; or 3) cyclical refreshing of data repositories at intervals that may range from a few minutes to an hour or more.

None of that is “real-time automation.” Recycled historical data—or data that is minutes, hours or days old—is not “real-time.” Real-time means NOW. It means data made available as soon as it is generated. It means fresh insights freshly delivered. Only Intradiem can pull and process live data from contact center technology systems EVERY FEW SECONDS and leverage it IMMEDIATELY to boost performance.

Traditional WFM systems, for instance, use historical patterns to forecast demand and set schedules, but they are powerless to adapt once the actual day unfolds and real demand deviates from forecasted demand. This gap results in either an underwhelming customer experience when calls exceed agent availability, or wasted resources when there are more agents than needed for actual call volume.

Real-time automation provides the solution by dynamically adjusting to input from live data, allowing contact centers to optimize their operations in the moment. For example, it can instantly redistribute agent workloads, manage changes in minute-to-minute staffing needs, or utilize aggregated agent idle time for targeted training and coaching sessions. This level of responsiveness not only enhances agent productivity but also ensures that customers receive the best possible service, regardless of fluctuating demand.

Furthermore, real-time automation has a profound impact on cost management. By continuously optimizing the deployment of resources, it reduces the inefficiencies that arise from overstaffing or understaffing, directly contributing to lower operational costs. Additionally, by enhancing the agent experience through better support and engagement, it helps reduce turnover rates, which can be a significant expense in the contact center. High turnover not only incurs direct costs in recruiting and training new agents but also disrupts the consistency of customer service, further affecting the bottom line.

The Strategic Role of Real-Time Automation as a Prelude to AI

Investing in real-time automation is not just about immediate operational improvements; it is a strategic move that sets the foundation for successful AI adoption. While AI is adept at processing and analyzing data to generate insights, it requires a solid base of real-time information to be truly effective. Real-time automation provides this by capturing and acting on data as it is generated, allowing AI to build on a foundation of already optimized operations.

Without the real-time capabilities that automation provides, AI’s potential is limited to post-event analysis, offering insights that are valuable in understanding what happened but not necessarily in preventing issues or capitalizing on opportunities in real-time. For example, AI can efficiently summarize past interactions and suggest improvements, but without real-time automation, it cannot adjust staffing levels on the fly or redistribute tasks to meet sudden changes in demand.

The importance of this distinction—between merely having AI and having AI that works on real-time data—cannot be overstated. AI is powerful at turning data into insights, but the true value of those insights is realized only when they are actionable in the moment. Real-time automation provides the essential layer that ensures data is not just analyzed after the fact but is immediately acted upon during live customer interactions. This enables AI to deliver its full potential, driving operational efficiency and enhancing both customer and agent experiences in real time.

This fine distinction is not widely understood in the market, yet it is critical to maximizing the benefits of AI technologies. Contact centers that attempt to leap directly to AI without first establishing real-time automation risk missing out on significant efficiencies and cost savings. They may find that their AI investments do not yield the expected returns, as the insights provided by AI will be disconnected from the immediate, actionable data that automation provides. To get the most from AI, centers must approach it from a position of maximum achievable efficiency, grounded in real-time automation.

Moreover, the return on investment (ROI) from real-time automation can be substantial, and used to fund subsequent AI projects. For example, by streamlining operations and cutting costs through automation, contact centers can free up budgetary resources that can then be directed toward AI initiatives. This strategic sequencing not only ensures that the contact center’s technology stack evolves logically but also maximizes the financial and operational benefits of each investment.

Actionable Steps to Implement Real-Time Automation in Call Centers

Now that we’ve established the strategic importance of real-time automation, let’s explore actionable steps contact center leaders can take to implement this technology effectively:

1. Evaluate Your Current Technology Stack: Conduct a thorough audit of your existing contact center technologies. Identify which systems are primarily dependent on historical data and where manual interventions are necessary. Focus on areas where automation can provide immediate, real-time benefits, such as managing unexpected spikes in call volume or optimizing agent availability.
2. Identify Key Automation Opportunities: Pinpoint specific processes within your contact center that would benefit the most from automation. Common areas include intraday staffing adjustments, managing agent idle times, and real-time performance monitoring. Automating these tasks can lead to significant reductions in operational inefficiencies and enhance both customer and agent experiences.
3. Invest in a Real-Time Automation Platform: Select a platform that integrates seamlessly with your existing systems and offers robust real-time capabilities. The ideal solution should enable instantaneous adjustments to live data, allowing your contact center to adapt swiftly to changes in demand, agent availability or customer needs. This investment will lay the groundwork for future AI enhancements, ensuring your operations are already optimized for real-time efficiency.
4. Train and Empower Your Agents: Ensure that your agents understand the benefits of real-time automation and how it will support their roles. Provide comprehensive training that demonstrates how automation can make their jobs easier, such as reducing manual tasks or providing real-time feedback. A well-informed and empowered workforce is more likely to embrace automation and less likely to experience high turnover.
5. Continuously Measure and Iterate: Implementing automation is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. Regularly measure the impact of automation on key performance indicators like customer satisfaction, agent productivity and cost savings. Use these insights to refine your automation strategies, ensuring they continue to align with your evolving business goals and customer expectations.
6. Use Cost Savings to Fund AI Initiatives: Once your real-time automation is in place and delivering measurable benefits, leverage the cost savings to invest in AI projects. This approach not only ensures that your technology investments are financially sustainable but also positions your contact center to fully exploit the capabilities of AI, backed by a solid foundation of real-time operational efficiency.

Automation First, AI Second

The journey to AI in contact centers should begin with a solid foundation of real-time automation. By addressing the operational inefficiencies that current technologies cannot resolve, automation paves the way for AI to deliver its full potential. It provides the necessary real-time data that AI needs to make meaningful, actionable insights, turning what would be retrospective analysis into proactive, real-time improvements.

For contact center leaders, the message is clear: investing in real-time automation is not just a preparatory step—it is a strategic imperative. It streamlines operations, reduces costs, and redeploys resources to where they are most needed, creating more efficient and effective customer service delivery. Moreover, the financial benefits of automation can directly fund future AI projects, ensuring that your technology stack evolves in a logical, financially sound manner.

Ultimately, insights without action are useless. Real-time automation bridges this gap, enabling contact centers to act on insights immediately, when they are most needed. By prioritizing automation today, contact centers will enhance their current operations and also build a robust foundation for the AI-driven innovations of tomorrow.