Contact Centers Struggle to Execute AI Plans Despite Widespread Strategy

Contact centers face execution gap in AI implementation

Most contact centers have developed AI strategies but struggle to translate those plans into operational reality, according to new research from SuccessKPI. The Contact Center Maturity Survey, conducted with CMSWire and covering 400 contact center operators worldwide, reveals significant disconnects between strategic ambition and execution capability.

The findings paint a picture of an industry in transition, where enthusiasm for AI-powered customer experience has outpaced the foundational work required to support it. According to the survey, 82% of contact centers remain either in limited AI pilot programs (38.25%) or early adoption phases (43.75%). Meanwhile, nearly half still conduct quality monitoring manually or with minimal automation.

Why it matters

As contact centers shift toward hybrid models combining human agents with AI agents, the lack of supporting infrastructure creates operational risk. Organizations investing in AI without addressing data governance, system integration, and workflow automation may see diminished returns and service quality degradation rather than the efficiency gains they expect.

Data and integration challenges block AI progress

The survey identifies data readiness as a critical bottleneck. More than half of respondents (53%) report their data isn't sufficiently organized or centralized for AI applications, while 52.25% have limited or no integration across reporting and analytics systems.

Workflow automation remains surprisingly immature across the industry. Sixty-seven percent of contact centers still depend on manual processes or limited automation, with only 2.5% achieving fully automated, AI-driven workflows.

"As contact centers integrate AI call center agents, there is a critical need for organizations to establish robust governance frameworks," said Dave Rennyson, CEO of SuccessKPI. "Without comprehensive management, companies risk undermining the potential benefits of a hybrid workforce, which can lead to inefficiencies and decreased service quality among both human and AI agents."

Scale amplifies complexity

The research shows that larger operations face disproportionate challenges. Organizations with more than 5,000 agents struggle significantly with integration and adoption, often hampered by disconnected systems and siloed processes that prevent unified customer experiences.

Omnichannel delivery also remains incomplete. Despite years of investment in omnichannel capabilities, 40% of contact centers still deliver limited, disconnected, or repetitive customer journeys. Only 23.25% report fully unified omnichannel experiences.

Geographic variations emerged as well, with U.S. contact centers lagging behind international peers. Only 10% of U.S. operations report broad AI adoption or full integration, compared to 24% in both the UK/Ireland and Asia-Pacific regions.

Recommended path forward

SuccessKPI's report offers five recommendations: close the omnichannel gap through unified interaction technologies; realign AI expectations with realistic capabilities; establish robust AI governance structures; redefine agent metrics to reflect hybrid workforce realities; and enhance real-time operational data analysis.

The complete survey findings and recommendations are available on SuccessKPI's website. The research was first reported by SuccessKPI in partnership with CMSWire.