Staffing numbers are critical in balancing costs and the quality of customer experiences. Workforce Management (WFM) is the discipline used to optimize cost and quality. WFM involves forecasting contact volumes by channel or interactions, staffing during the term, the production of schedules and reporting and analysis of data that allow management to deliver on its goals. WFM uses mathematical models, such as Erlang, and sophisticated software, such as Calabrio, in its solutions.
Five WFM Benefits are:
1. Drives Service Levels with Proper Forecast
The ability to use historical data, trends and other variables such as special events, allows WFM to create volume and staffing forecasts that align with business needs.
Maximize contact center potential to meet contract-driven service level agreements.
2. Boosts Effectiveness by Aligning Scheduling
Scheduling is an important tool to increase productivity and lower attrition.
Creative shifts – shift swapping, voluntary time off, off queue projects and overtime – are game changers for a program when properly and consistently used by WFM.
This includes efficient management of time off requests from a business needs perspective.
3. Real-Time Analysis Provides Efficiency Gains
Gains can come from monitoring KPIs, including decreased average handle time to increased adherence to schedule and occupancy.
The goal is to eliminate as much unused or wasted time as possible through effective monitoring of queues and the allocation of resources.
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4. Provides Reporting for Operations Management
WFM provides clear actionable reporting to assist operations when making decisions on running the business.
Call metrics (volume, average handle time (AHT), service level (SVL)), adherence, dispositions and exceptions provide visibility to productivity.
5. Brand Specialists Leverage Data
Workforce Management is designed to help Brand Specialists take ownership of their own efficiency by reducing unused time (idle, shrinkage, adherence) or wasted time (waiting on long holds, system issues, scheduling problems)
WFM provides structure and information through communications and data keeping. In addition, it supplies reporting that helps Brand Specialists become more knowledgeable and engaged in their own performance, from adhering to their schedule to requesting assistance on long difficult calls.
These Workforce Management Tactics can Help Your Business Grow
Workforce Management is essentially a management tool for the contact center, assessing data, analyzing it, providing guidance into it; and, based on that information, telling it how to operate and at what strength. Yet despite the benefits of WMF, only 51 percent of contact centers report having a manager or team to oversee this function, according to ICMI. These 5 workforce management benefits can give you an idea of how this practice will benefit the call center.