The traditional automatic call distributor (ACD) is the workhorse of call center systems. Choosing the right one for your contact center depends on business requirements, but in all cases your ACD should be capable of supporting your business as you grow and evolve. Some ACD software is simple and handles very basic requirements. But is that enough for future needs? What about supporting digital channels? Knowing what ACDs can do and what features to look for will have you on your way to choosing a long-term solution. Let's get started.
What is an ACD?
An ACD’s core function is to organize incoming calls by either queuing or routing them to the most qualified available agents. The goal of an ACD strategy should be to route calls quickly and effectively so that customers don't have to wait very long and they're matched with agents who are most qualified to help them. The matching criteria are established as rules within the ACD and enable the system to route calls based on factors such as the number the caller dialed, the nature of the inquiry, and the caller's language preference.
More modern ACDs handle digital contacts, like email, chat, and text (SMS). This provides contact centers with a universal queue which allows them to holistically manage workload and labor resources across all channels. To reflect these expanded capabilities, ACDs are now sometimes referred to as automatic contact distributors. Going forward we will now be referring to Contact rather than Call when we reference ACD in this write up
ACDs are also the source of many critical call center metrics, like average time in queue, average handle time (AHT), abandon rates, and service levels.