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THE PREDOMINANT THEME OF 2024 MAY HAVE BEEN UNCERTAINTY BUT THIS YEAR WE WILL SEE A MARKED SHIFT TOWARDS PRACTICAL INNOVATION .

Behind the scenes , significant work will focus on integration and data management . Making AI work seamlessly with existing contact centre systems isn ’ t simple . It requires substantial investment in data engineering , normalisation and consistent tagging across data silos . SMEs can mitigate these challenges by partnering with third-party providers who specialise in AI integration , reducing the need for large in-house teams while ensuring highquality implementation . Data privacy adds another layer of complexity . Most AI solutions are new and not well understood . SMEs must ensure that they ’ re meeting data privacy regulations with watertight processes for data housing and security .

Driving transparency , security and skills

Digital transactions will continue to grow in 2025 but as more interactions move to apps , web chat and online platforms , a new challenge emerges . How do we efficiently handle complex interactions that reach human agents ? Customers have already tried the app , website , chatbot and IVR [ interactive voice response ] which means they now need solutions only humans can provide . By equipping agents with better tools and information , SMEs can deliver a customer experience that ’ s not only competitive but exceptional . Whether it ’ s a bot or human handling the interaction , we ’ ll see significant reuse of data presentation patterns and automation tools . The key is making this technology work ethically and transparently . SMEs must demonstrate clear safeguards and tracking mechanisms for every conversation , ensuring AI stays aligned with data privacy principles and only uses data for its intended purpose .

IT and technology expertise has always been scarce in the contact centre space . For SMEs , this shortage is even more prominent , as they compete for talent against larger firms with bigger budgets . SMEs must find creative ways to attract and retain skilled professionals , such as offering flexible working arrangements , fostering inclusive workplace cultures and providing opportunities for upskilling .

This talent shortage will only become more acute as we push towards AI implementation . Contact centres often sit at the bottom of investment cycles . While the pressure to reduce costs while improving service quality has intensified , SMEs can leverage

42 Intelligent SME . tech