Integrating business software with your call center is essential, but it’s rarely easy. Vendors, of course, are going to sugarcoat the hurdles and advertise a call center integration that works off the shelf. Some are more open about the difficulties, but either way, you need to do your due diligence before making any drastic changes.
I’ll walk you through every way that you can test prospective call center integrations before you make a huge commitment. It’s hard to unwind these changes once deployed — you don’t want to be stuck in that position, or locked-in to a suboptimal integration.
We’ll also look at how to lead the transition at your organization. The truth is that technically sound integrations sometimes fail because managers lack the will or communication skills to really drive adoption. Preparing your agents and supervisors for the integration is just as important as selecting software that fits with your tech stack.
First and foremost, make sure that your system meets the technological or legal requirements for any new integration you wish to add to your stack.
Verify that the integration is built to work with your call center software and any other software that it must play well with, such as CRM software, ticketing systems, or ERP software.
Review integration documentation and API specs, ensuring they match your systems’ version and configuration. Compatibility is crucial to avoid issues like data mapping errors or limited functionality.
You also want to ensure that this integration complies with all legal requirements. Most reputable call center integrations are built with data security in mind, but if your industry has strict compliance requirements (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR). Check if features like data encryption, role-based access controls, and audit trails satisfy relevant regulations.
Your IT team is a great resource that understands your call center’s technology even more than the agents who will ultimately be using it — and this includes the software you’re looking into integrating.
Rather than simply asking if an integration is doable or if the systems are compatible, ask them if they think the software will truly work well with your current infrastructure. What about your infrastructure 2-5 years from now?
You can also ask them if they have any glaring concerns about certain integrations, and what they would recommend for a testing plan once the integrations are complete.
By arming yourself with as much information as possible beforehand, you can ensure you are asking the right questions moving forward, and that subsequent integration testing is thorough, comprehensive, and accurate.
This is a must, and the better job you do figuring out what everyone at the organization needs, the more pitfalls you can avoid. Survey heads of any team that is going to touch the integration or its data. This probably includes sales, service, IT, billing, HR, and may include third-party apps like payment gateways or services like IVR testing.
For example, your sales team may need the integration to work with specific types of call center dialers, call tracking software, or even a separate CRM from your customer service team.
It’s crucial for you to uncover the specific needs of each department early on in the process to ensure that you are only shopping for truly viable integrations. The last thing you want to do is find out that your new integration doesn’t meet the actual day-to-day needs of the organization.
Reach out to the sales representatives for the software you’re looking to integrate and ask for any customer references they may have available — particularly from other call centers. Be sure to confirm what integrations their software works with, how their integration processes went, and if they encountered any testing or post-integration issues.
Taking this step can reveal potential issues that might not be evident in demos or technical documentation. Speaking with customers who’ve used the software helps validate its effectiveness in the real world. Someone who has been using integration for a few years has a perspective you won’t find anywhere else.
With this information from peer organizations, you’ll have several first-hand accounts of the integration and testing process. This can help you rule out seemingly good-fit options and give you a better idea of what to expect moving forward.
Be sure to conduct walkthroughs or demos of the technology before committing to any new call center integrations. This can be done by reaching out to company representatives and scheduling demos with key stakeholders such as your call center agents, IT team, and managers.
I would get down to a very short list of potential call center integrations before conducting demos. You need to “see how it drives,” but demos are so time-consuming and they pull important employees away from their work for at least an hour for each demo.
Know exactly what you want to demo, too. Don’t expect that the vendor’s team is going to come prepared for your exact situation. That would be nice, but it’s not realistic. More likely, you are their third demo of the day, tenth of the week, and the rep is figuring out who you are right before the call.
So come prepared on your end. If the integration relies on APIs, come ready to test the software your team plans to use. For example, check if the software integrates smoothly with your CRM, IVR software, and call tracking software. Is data exchanged accurately in real time? Are customer records updating and syncing to call logs?
Let’s say you’re looking to integrate interactive voice response (IVR) technology with your call center. You’ll want to know what other technology it’s compatible with, how you should proceed with testing, and what specific bugs or problems you should watch out for. The key is to figure out what you need to know beforehand so you have the right information to proceed without issues.
The better you have done your due diligence prior to the demo, the better level of information you will be able to glean. You’ll know what questions to ask and what you need to see the integration do.
After demos, you have to make a choice. There isn’t much more you can figure out ahead of time. Select a call center integration confidently and know that you put yourself in the best possible position for success.
Deploying a call center integration requires careful planning to ensure technical success and friction-free adoption by employees. Start by defining the workflows and data points that need to connect, so both IT and call center teams are aligned on goals and expectations.
Common technical challenges include data syncing, API compatibility, and the risk of extremely costly downtime. Address these by testing data mapping, ensuring fields align correctly across systems, and preparing a backup plan for potential disruptions.
This process is always going to be a little messy, but data integration is smoother when you have a clear strategy. For a call center integration that is going to be deployed across an entire organization, consider a phased deployment or use middleware to bridge functionality gaps.
Testing is essential. Begin with unit tests for each feature, then move to end-to-end testing in a sandbox to simulate high call volumes. After that, pilot the integration with a small group of users to gather feedback and resolve any issues before full rollout.
To drive adoption of the new call center integration, it’s essential to involve end-users from the outset. Engaging them early not only helps them feel invested in the change but also provides an opportunity to highlight how the integration will make their work easier or more efficient.
Take every opportunity you can to demonstrate specific benefits — like reduced manual tasks, faster access to customer information, or automated call center workflows — that show users exactly how the new solution will make their lives easier.
Effective training and ongoing support are critical to making this transition successful. In the ideal scenario, you’ll be able to provide structured training sessions for different user levels, supplemented by quick-reference guides and accessible resources. You should update your call center knowledge base before the roll out so that employees can find answers to common issues as fast as possible.
A dedicated support channel, like a helpdesk or a chat room, can offer real-time assistance when issues arise. If that is not feasible, I would at least anoint someone who has been involved with the integration to be a point person for employees to contact with issues moving forward.
