Why Contact Center Strategy Needs Agent Involvement

It’s estimated that the world’s customer contact centers field about 270 billion calls annually. And, it takes close to $600 billion each year to make that happen. Contact center operations are dynamic, fast-paced departments with agents working tirelessly to please customers. There’s so much happening day-to-day. Contact center leaders devote a ton of time to keep operations afloat. But customers still aren’t happy.

So, how do you manage the high traffic, your overburdened team, and still deliver a steady customer journey? Implementing a robust digital transformation strategy is the solution. By modernizing tools and workflows with platforms like Sharpen, contact centers can become strategic business enablers instead of cost centers.

In today’s omnichannel world, contact centers must evolve—not only by improving internal processes but also by meeting the high expectations of mobile, impatient consumers. A single poor interaction could drive customers to the competition.

To foster loyalty and retention, contact centers must deliver exceptional service at every interaction. It’s time to revamp CX—aligning with current standards and preparing for future innovation.

Here’s what you need to know as you work with other company leaders to create a digital transformation strategy:

Define your transformation objective

Every contact center digital transformation begins with clearly defined goals. Which specific problem is being solved, and who is most affected?

• Data overload: Contact centers generate vast amounts of customer data. Without consolidation and analytics, this data provides little insight. Legacy systems often result in siloed data and limited reporting.
• Poor customer experience: Customers experience long hold times, fragmented communication across channels, and inconsistent agent support.
• Outdated technology: Systems may fail to retain customer information or drop calls. Agents often juggle multiple windows, causing frustration and inefficiency—leading many to cite outdated tools as reasons for departure.

Recognizing these issues is the first step toward building an AI‑powered contact center.

Set your goals

Avoid making a case for change based on competitive pressure. Rather, create a narrative on how the desired change will help improve people’s lives. Set measurable call center tech objectives such as cost savings, revenue growth, fast resolution times, and enhanced agent and customer satisfaction.

Begin by engaging stakeholders across contact center, IT, and business teams:

• What are the new goals for agent productivity?
• How will new tools empower agents and elevate CX?
• What specific metrics define success?

One article in Harvard Business Review told the story of a leading global company, Li & Fung. First, they established the problem they hoped digital transformation would solve. They sought to reduce production lead times, increase speed-to-market, and improve the use of data in its global supply chain. After they established concrete goals, the company decided which digital tools to adopt.

This goal setting requires that you truly know your people — your customers, your contact center agents, your IT team members, etc. These end-users and managers of the technology are all affected by your digital changes. Gather their frustrations so you can identify the exact problems you’re hoping to solve, together.

Make it an inside job

Avoid the common mistake of investing in new software without preparing the people who will use it. Harvard Business Review reported that of the $1.3 trillion invested in digital transformation in 2018, $900 billion was wasted. Much of that waste stemmed from changes in technology without a change in mindset.

McKinsey & Co. argues that an effective digital transformation strategy needs a launch team with team members with a variety of skill sets. Key recruits to the launch team, they believe, include designers, data scientists, scrum masters, and modern IT pros.

Agents must be included in the strategy from the start. They understand customer pain points and know what works. Involve them in technology demos, selection criteria development, QA testing, and process redesign. Their insights are critical to aligning Sharpen implementations with real‑world needs. 

Your team knows best

Digital transformation is not just technical—it is cultural. Technology should support sustainable, human‑centric business practices. For contact centers, this means looking to other team members in addition to your agents when you research and implement your digital strategy. Include members of your IT team, those who need to know the tools inside and out, and your contact center agents, those who will use the tools daily. Bring IT in to research and vet the technology available to you. IT pros have more technical expertise and can pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of each product option. And, they have knowledge about what systems will connect with other products in your contact center, and company-wide.

Invite your contact center agents to see demos of new technology. Let them build out important criteria to fix the agent and customer experience. Let them explore different products, write their own pros and cons, and compile notes to find the perfect fit for your team. Include agents and IT in the QA testing process to identify any potential problems your technology could have. And include them in conversations about new processes and procedures that support your transformation efforts, too. After all, digital transformation isn’t just about technology.

Working together heightens your success

When you use the insiders on your team, your strategy will fit the needs of your employees and your customers. Sometimes, it’s not fundamental flaws with technology that cause a transformation failure, it’s because you overlooked intimate insider knowledge.

Your employees want to be a part of the process. Including them in your transformation strategy is an opportunity to show them they are valued, heard, and represented in company changes.

Ready to discover what your agents really think about your digital transformation plan? Explore how Sharpen’s contact center solutions empower frontline teams and deliver measurable ROI when contact center strategy becomes a team effort. Schedule a meeting with a Sharpen expert today.

Curious to know what your contact center agents think about your digital transformation strategies? Read up on what your agents will tell you (and what they won’t) when it comes to updating your CX for the digital age.