June 2, 2026
The Map Has Changed: Rethinking CX Delivery Footprint in an AI-Driven World
For many years, customer experience strategies focused heavily on finding the lowest cost delivery locations.
But today, AI, evolving customer expectations, and the growing complexity of contact center work are changing how leaders think about global operations.
In this episode of the Etech Leadership & CX Podcast, Jim Iyoob welcomes back Andrew Kovalyov for a practical conversation on how organizations can build stronger, more flexible, and more successful CX teams.
From AI tools and agent skills to nearshore and offshore strategies, this discussion covers what modern customer support operations need to grow and succeed today.
About the Episode:
As AI takes on more routine contact center tasks, the role of people inside CX is becoming even more important. Organizations now need teams that can think clearly, adapt quickly, and work confidently alongside AI tools.
In this follow-up conversation, Andrew shares how CX leaders can move beyond cost-focused thinking and build operations around quality, flexibility, and long-term value.
The conversation also covers how onshore, nearshore, and offshore delivery models each support different business needs and how the right combination can help organizations scale without sacrificing customer experience quality.
This Episode Answers the Following Questions and More
- How is AI changing contact center and CX operations?
- What should CX leaders look for when evaluating delivery locations?
- Why are agent skills and digital fluency becoming more important?
- How can organizations balance quality, scale, and customer expectations?
- What role do nearshore and offshore teams play in modern CX strategy?
Top Takeaways
Customer Experience Is Evolving: As AI handles more routine tasks, the focus is shifting to building contact center teams that can solve complex problems and deliver real value to customers.
Agent Skills Are the New Competitive Advantage: Modern CX teams need to be comfortable working with multiple AI-powered tools and systems and making good decisions while doing it.
Strong Operations Need the Right Mix: A balanced delivery model — onshore, nearshore, and offshore helps organizations stay prepared, responsive, and consistent across all customer support needs.
Different Teams Support Different Needs: Onshore, nearshore, and offshore operations each bring unique strengths. Knowing when to use each one is what separates a good CX strategy from a great one.
People Continue to Play a Key Role: As AI takes on more of the routine work, human judgment, understanding, and decision-making become even more valuable in delivering great customer experiences.
Quotes from the Episode
- “The goal is no longer to find the cheapest price per seat.”
- “The true next-generation hubs are where the human in the loop can add the most value to the AI stack.”
- “AI is capable of handling high-volume routine tasks.”
- “Single delivery location is a single point of failure.”
Meet the Leaders
Andrew Kovalyov – Service Delivery Director, CONTIO Tech
Jim Iyoob – Chief Revenue Officer, Etech Global Services | President, ETS Labs
Discover how customer experience and contact center leaders are building smarter operations as AI becomes a bigger part of the work.
Gain practical insights on agent skills, delivery strategies, and how to create customer experiences that balance technology with human expertise.
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