One-third of IT budgets are estimated to be wasted, which means that choosing CCaaS features that actually improve contact center ROI is incredibly important. But with hundreds of features competing for your attention and budget, which ones actually matter?
This guide focuses on the six most important ones.
Table of contents
Each section shows how that feature delivers ROI, what to look for, and how to evaluate these contact center capabilities.
Intelligent Routing
Intelligent call routing takes many forms, and a contact center should have several options including skills-based routing. SQM research found that companies using skill-based routing increased their FCR by 5-15%.
Essentials:
- Various routing options such as round-robin, longest-idle, serial, and parallel
- RONA – Automatically change agents’ status when they don’t answer
- Failover rules – Overflow to backup queues/teams when needed
- Presence-based routing
Evaluation Tips:
- Test edge cases: What happens when no skilled agents are free?
- Measure recovery time from missed calls.
- Verify routing works with your agent skill sets.
Live Wallboards & Analytics
Real-time contact center capabilities include wallboards that managers can use to monitor queues and assign agents to different places if needed. Agents themselves have also found them motivating, reducing absenteeism by 9%.
Essentials:
- Choose your own KPIs and display formats
- Multiple views for different roles (agents vs. managers)
- Threshold alerts (highlight when wait times exceed limits)
- Real-time workforce management data
Evaluation Tips:
- Demo with your actual metrics and thresholds.
- Test dashboard responsiveness during peak loads.
- Verify mobile access for remote managers.
AI Agent Assistance
One of the most direct CCaaS features to improve contact center ROI is through AI agent assistance. It can improve call center CSAT as well as reduce call handling time by 25%.
Essentials:
- Real-time help – Transcription, sentiment, suggested responses
- Built-in safety controls – AI systems can hallucinate, like when an airline’s chatbot mistakenly promised bereavement discounts that didn’t exist, costing the airline in court-ordered refunds. Look for systems that let you specify exactly which knowledge bases, databases, or approved sources the AI can reference.
- Context awareness – Relevant to current conversation
- Clean interface – Doesn’t disrupt agent workflow
- One-click actions – Insert suggestions without typing
Evaluation Tips:
- Pilot with real calls and your knowledge base.
- Test accuracy with industry-specific terminology.
- Verify security: data encryption, PII masking, compliance certs.
Advanced IVR/IVA
According to Aberdeen group’s research, IVRs bring about measurable improvements in several categories. Companies who used an IVR experienced a 5.8% higher increase in year-over-year customer lifetime value growth. They also saw a 4.7% higher growth year-over-year in agent productivity.
Essentials:
- Visual builder – Intuitive, low code/no code design
- Data access – Check balances, order status, or reset passwords
- Natural language – Handle “I need to reschedule,” not just button presses
- Easy updates – Change voice prompts and menus without IT support
Evaluation Tips:
- Test with your actual backend systems and data.
- Verify speech recognition accuracy for your use cases.
- Check maintenance effort: can users make necessary changes?
CRM Integration
CRM systems deliver proven ROI with every $1 invested, returning up to $8.71 in sales revenue. This is because a CRM makes customer data accessible when and where teams need it.
Integrating your CRM then, with the contact center, extends this same data accessibility to customer service, even further improving the ROI a CRM already delivers.
Essentials:
- Real-time sync – Agents can update CRM records directly from the contact center, while changes made elsewhere in the CRM system instantly reflect in the contact center.
- Automated workflows – Auto-log calls, create tasks, and update records.
- Smart routing – Route VIPs, priority customers, or others needing special assistance based on CRM data.
- Embedded interface – Agents can see CRM data from within the contact center call pop; not having to switch apps or tabs to see caller context.
Evaluation Tips:
- Test screen-pop functionality with your actual CRM.
- Check integration type: most CRMs support access via APIs, but some also connect with prebuilt connectors in PowerAutomate or Zapier for ease of connection.
- Determine what type of integration(s) would be useful to your company. Popular options include CRM data in call pop or smart routing using data dips to get CRM data or using webhooks to push the call data records to external CRM systems.
Workforce Management
Since Labor is the biggest cost in a contact center, managing it well provides proportionally large returns. According to Nucleus Research, every $1 invested in WFM returns up to $12.24 within the first three years.
Essentials:
- Manager controls: Adjust forecasts, approve changes, override schedules
- Agent self-service: View schedules, request swaps, submit time-off
- Role-based permissions for different user types
- Real-time adherence monitoring and alerts
Evaluation Tips:
- Configure with your actual business rules and constraints.
- Test integration with payroll and HR systems.
- Verify mobile app functionality for field agents.
Improve Your Contact Center with Proven CCaaS Features
Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams includes every feature in this guide. See how these CCaaS features improve your contact center ROI in a quick demo.
