A new report from Frost & Sullivan shows that mid-sized call centers are putting digital first. And in doing so, they’re dialing into the always-connected world where modern consumers live. Moving forward with your call center’s digital transformation is a step in the right direction, but it can seem intimidating. To ease the transition — and keep customer experience consistent throughout — Frost & Sullivan recommend that businesses consider the following five points.

1. Don’t get lost in the weeds; have the whole picture in mind.

Customer experience transformation is on the rise. And more businesses see the connection between customer experience and business success. Unfortunately, “many often stumble due to lack of organizational alignment, operational silos and clarity in strategy,” according to Frost & Sullivan. Basically, if you don’t start with a clear vision of where you want to go and how you plan to get there, you risk getting lost. The group recommends charting a customer experience roadmap to establish goals and keep track of your desired outcomes at every stage. “Start small and gain quick ROIs before scaling up.”

2. Meet your customers where they are.

To make customers happy with how you communicate, you need to reach out on the right channels. And you need to optimize communication across all those chosen channels. “The emphasis must be on developing an ability to map customer journeys during different stages of the lifecycle and obtain a 360-degree view of customers to differentiate the experience.”

3. Embrace the power of new technology.

Modern technology enables your business to leverage customer data in new and exciting ways. You can capture and analyze vast amounts of interaction data, which lets you quantify customer behavior and better predict individual intentions. Being able to gather this data and combine it with powerful analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) is a huge step toward your digital transformation — it means “organizations can generate more intimate engagements and even automate them at a reasonable monthly subscription fee.”

4. Look to the cloud for cost savings.

Outdated infrastructure can hold your digital transformation back. Outdated systems are costly to maintain and might not provide all the capabilities you need. “Today, some of the leading solution providers offer single platforms with all the features an organization needs and help in integrating with existing systems,” notes Frost & Sullivan. “Such platforms in the cloud also provide fast access to new features, speeding time-to-market and eliminating the prerequisites of capex and in-house IT expertise.”

5. Find a vendor that will work for you.

Digital transformation is a big deal; you need a partner you can trust. Look for a vendor with a proven track record of innovation and responsiveness. It should be up to date on changing requirements and have demonstrated success in your industry. You want a vendor that’s an expert and can step in and guide you at your preferred pace.

Lead the Charge Into Digital Transformation

All the cool kids are taking part in a digital transformation — maybe even your competitors. See how 600 business and IT leaders are refining their customer service strategies, systems and processes to lead digital transformation. Download the report.