For many customer service and customer experience leaders in Europe, the thought of moving their contact centre from on-premise systems to a cloud-based platform can be both exciting and daunting. Exciting, because the cloud opens doors to agility, scalability, and better customer experiences; daunting because change management and integration can feel like major obstacles. This long-form article explores a proven migration action plan, highlights the key milestones you need to hit along the way, and reveals the common pitfalls you must avoid for a successful transition.
Why migrate your contact centre to the cloud
Customer service is constantly evolving, and for contact centres, this means the technology your team relies on directly impacts your ability to meet customer needs effectively and efficiently. Moving your contact centre to the cloud is not just a smart move but a necessary one for staying competitive and offering your customers the best service possible. From reducing costs to improving customer experiences, here’s why the cloud is the future of contact centres.
1. Cost savings and predictable budgeting
One of the most compelling reasons to transition to the cloud is the potential for substantial cost savings. Moving to the cloud eliminates many expenses linked to hardware, ongoing maintenance, and upgrades. With a subscription model, you can turn unpredictable capital expenses into fixed, monthly costs. This makes budgeting far simpler and more transparent.
See how much you could save with Puzzel’s on-prem to cloud savings calculator.
2. Scalability and flexibility
On-premise systems can quickly become out of date. Cloud platforms, however, are designed to grow with you. Adding new agents, new features, or even new channels is achieved much faster—and more seamlessly—than with on-premise solutions.
3. Future-ready innovation
Cloud solutions typically come with more frequent updates and automatic security patches. This ensures your contact centre is always running on the latest technology, making it easier to add emerging channels like AI-driven chatbots or advanced analytics.
Organisations often see improved operational efficiencies and faster response times across the contact centre once in the cloud.
4. Empowered hybrid work
Cloud technology means agents can work from anywhere, at any time. This flexibility can boost employee satisfaction and retention, helping you attract top talent who value remote or hybrid working arrangements.
5. A better customer experience
Cloud platforms support omnichannel engagement far more efficiently than most legacy systems. That means your customers can switch between channels—voice, chat, social media, SMS—without losing the context of their interaction.
Action plan: From on-premise to cloud in 7 steps
Migrating to the cloud is a big step for any contact centre, but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With the right plan in place, the transition can be smooth, efficient, and—most importantly—valuable for both your team and your customers. To help you navigate the move, we've broken down the process into seven key milestones.
1. Align with your stakeholders
- Milestone: Secure buy-in from senior leaders, IT teams, and key operational staff.
- Why it matters: Successful cloud migrations start with clear goals and a shared vision. Engaging early with decision-makers and front-line managers secures buy-in, clarifies priorities, and helps secure the budget and resources.
- Pitfall to avoid: Overlooking agent input. Agents provide critical frontline insights into daily processes. Missing their feedback can result in overlooked challenges and inconsistent adoption.
2. Audit current systems and map customer journeys
- Milestone: Conduct a thorough audit of your existing infrastructure and contact flows. Map out the “as is” experience vs. the “to be” state you want to achieve.
- Why it matters: Understanding your starting point—technology, data processes, and performance metrics—lets you set realistic migration goals.
- Pitfall to avoid: Focusing solely on technology instead of customer experience. Mapping your customer journeys clarifies where a cloud solution can improve speed, consistency, and personalisation in every interaction.
3. Define success metrics and set clear goals
- Milestone: Align on key success metrics (e.g., Average Handling Time, First-Contact Resolution, overall cost savings).
- Why it matters: Clear benchmarks help determine whether your new cloud platform is delivering the expected value—for example, a 20% reduction in call handling times or a 15% improvement in customer satisfaction scores.
- Common Pitfall: Not having a post-launch evaluation plan. Without clear KPIs, measuring ROI becomes guesswork.
4. Create a detailed migration plan
- Milestone: Create a technical and operational plan for transitioning users and systems. Decide on an approach (big bang vs. phased rollout) that suits your risk tolerance and timeline.
- Why it matters: A step-by-step migration roadmap reduces uncertainties. Tasks include setting up integrations (e.g., CRM, ticketing tools) and configuring your new IVR or AI chatbot flows in parallel before go-live.
- Pitfall to avoid: Underestimating data security and GDPR compliance obligations. Make sure your chosen CCaaS partner offers robust data protection to meet European regulatory standards.
5. Training and change management
- Milestone: Provide hands-on training to ensure your agents and managers feel confident using the new cloud platform
- Why it matters: Even the best technology fails if staff can’t use it confidently. Change management efforts—like workshops, Q&A sessions, and user guides—make a big difference in adoption.
- Pitfalls to avoid: Forgetting ongoing training, continuous training, and performance reviews help your team keep up as new features or updates roll out in the cloud.
6. Pilot launch and monitoring
- Milestone: Roll out the solution to a smaller user group or a single department. Closely monitor performance and user feedback.
- Why it matters: A pilot or ‘soft launch’ helps you identify any teething issues—such as missed integrations or skill routing gaps—before the entire operation goes live.
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Common Pitfall: Not acting swiftly on pilot feedback. Delays in fixing issues can lead to negative perceptions of the new platform and hamper long-term adoption.
7. Full deployment and ongoing optimisation
- Milestone: Roll out the platform to the entire contact centre, replace legacy systems, and track performance against your initial goals.
- Why it matters: After your official go-live, an iterative cycle of reviewing performance data, gathering customer feedback, and making incremental improvements ensures you continue to harness the full benefits of the cloud.
- Pitfall to avoid: Getting complacent. Continuous innovation is essential to stay ahead of ever-evolving customer expectations.
Spotlight: Ombudsman Services’ success
Ombudsman Services faced a significant challenge with over 40,000 calls per month, long call queues, and agent fatigue—issues compounded by their outdated on-premise system. After migrating to a cloud-based solution, they achieved impressive results:
- Consolidated key contact centre operations,
- Introduced flexible homeworking opportunities for agents, and
- Greatly improved overall service efficiency.
Their story is a perfect example of how the cloud can ease friction for both customers and agents. It enables real-time adjustments to manage demand spikes and create a more responsive and productive environment for everyone involved.
Common migration pitfalls + solutions
- Lack of stakeholder involvement
- Solution: Get everyone on board early. Hold regular workshops with finance, HR, IT, and agents to ensure alignment across all departments.
- Underestimating legacy systems
- Solution: Develop a phased plan to decommission outdated hardware and ensure data migrations are fully tested before final cutover.
- Data silos and poor integration
- Solution: Choose a CCaaS platform with built-in CRM and third-party software integrations. Map all data flows to maintain a single source of truth for customer interactions.
- Insufficient training and rollout
- Solution: Provide multiple training formats—live sessions, recorded tutorials, and drop-in clinics—and continuously gather user feedback for improvements.
- Ignoring post-launch reviews
- Solution: Schedule regular performance reviews—monthly or quarterly—and use agent and customer feedback to make ongoing improvements.
The business case for cloud migration ROI
Moving to the cloud can drive tangible ROI in areas like agent productivity, speed to resolution, and improved customer loyalty. In fact, organisations that have made the switch reported more flexible staffing, reduced wait times, and smoother workflows—ultimately improving the bottom line
To help with your ROI calculations, Puzzel’s On-Prem to Cloud Savings Calculator offers an instant estimate of the potential savings your organisation could unlock simply by moving infrastructure maintenance and upgrade costs to a trusted cloud partner.
Final thoughts
Migrating from an on-premise contact centre to a cloud-based solution is a strategic investment that can transform both the customer and employee experience. While the path involves careful planning and a structured approach, the payoff—whether in cost-savings, agility, or brand loyalty—is undeniably worth it. By following a methodical action plan and keeping common pitfalls in view, you can ensure a smooth, value-rich migration that positions your contact centre for long-term success.
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By focusing on these milestones, preparing for common challenges, and investing in robust training and support, European customer service leaders can confidently embark on a cloud migration that delivers rapid value, fosters innovation, and ensures every customer interaction is handled seamlessly.
