Call Center Management Featured Article
October 26, 2009
Free Webinar to Explain the Advantages of Call Center Workforce Management Software over Spreadsheets
Still using spreadsheets to schedule your call center agents? If so, you are probably at a distinct disadvantage compared to your competitors using workforce management solutions.
Today’s workforce management solutions, which are increasingly being offered via the software-as-a-service or cloud-based model, typically include analytics capabilities which enable call center managers to forecast, with a surprising degree of accuracy, how many agents will be needed for any particular shift. And as any call center manager will tell you, balancing staffing with call volume has and always will be the greatest call center management challenge: Schedule too many agents for any particular shift and they’ll be sitting around at their desks, doing nothing, wasting precious labor dollars. Under-schedule and customer service levels will erode.
But the ability to accurately forecast call volume is just one of many advantages today’s WFM systems have over spreadsheets and other manual systems.
So what other advantages do today’s WFM systems have over spreadsheets? Here are a few quick bullet points comparing the two:
--With a spreadsheet, you are limited to a fixed schedule, which can lead to higher attrition and/or overstaffing. Whereas with a WFM system you have total flexibility -- you can easily manage start, end and break times, which can drastically reduce agent idle time and improve service levels. This new level of flexibility results in improved call center management.
--With a spreadsheet, you can’t automatically incorporate call history to arrive at a forecast – you have to do it manually. Not only is this time consuming, you generally end up with less accurate forecasts. Whereas with a WFM system you get real-time and historic ACD call history with accurate forecasting and the ability to make quick schedule adjustments.
--With a spreadsheet it’s difficult to manage agents based on their specific skills sets, mainly because it’s difficult to account for which agents have which skills. That means you can end up overstaffed with agents with certain skill sets, understaffed with others. Whereas with a WFM solution you can schedule agents automatically based on their skills, resulting in more efficient staffing and higher service levels with fewer agents.
--With a spreadsheet, tracking and schedule adherence are next to impossible: You are limited to “spot checking” only. This leads to higher shrinkage, missed service levels and over/under staffing. Whereas with a WFM solution r you get real-time adherence monitoring and analysis, which in turn can reduce shrinkage by 15 minutes per agent per day, as well as improved service levels.
--With a spreadsheet, you can’t account as easily for staff exceptions and desires. This, in turn, can result in lower agent motivation and higher shrinkage. But with a WFM solution, you get automatic consideration of exceptions, which keeps agents happy and boosts productivity.
--With a spreadsheet, you’ll spend more administrative time handling the scheduling process. This takes away time from more important activities like monitoring and coaching. With a WFM solution you can save up to 25 percent the time you spend creating schedules.
Want to learn more about the advantages do today’s WFM systems have over spreadsheets? Then be sure to check out the upcoming free webinar, “How to Make Call Center Scheduling Easier - Without Spreadsheets,” sponsored by Monet Software, scheduled for 10-11 a.m. PT (7-10 a.m. ET), Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009.
During this informative webinar, industry expert Chuck Ciarlo, who successfully owned and operated multiple call centers, will show attendees:
--How much spreadsheet-based scheduling costs you every month
--How to make call center scheduling easy and more effective
--How to reduce costs and improve service levels
--How to free up time for supervisors and managers
… all by replacing your scheduling spreadsheets with a hosted WFM solution.
To register for this free webinar, click here.
Today’s workforce management solutions, which are increasingly being offered via the software-as-a-service or cloud-based model, typically include analytics capabilities which enable call center managers to forecast, with a surprising degree of accuracy, how many agents will be needed for any particular shift. And as any call center manager will tell you, balancing staffing with call volume has and always will be the greatest call center management challenge: Schedule too many agents for any particular shift and they’ll be sitting around at their desks, doing nothing, wasting precious labor dollars. Under-schedule and customer service levels will erode.
But the ability to accurately forecast call volume is just one of many advantages today’s WFM systems have over spreadsheets and other manual systems.
So what other advantages do today’s WFM systems have over spreadsheets? Here are a few quick bullet points comparing the two:
--With a spreadsheet, you are limited to a fixed schedule, which can lead to higher attrition and/or overstaffing. Whereas with a WFM system you have total flexibility -- you can easily manage start, end and break times, which can drastically reduce agent idle time and improve service levels. This new level of flexibility results in improved call center management.
--With a spreadsheet, you can’t automatically incorporate call history to arrive at a forecast – you have to do it manually. Not only is this time consuming, you generally end up with less accurate forecasts. Whereas with a WFM system you get real-time and historic ACD call history with accurate forecasting and the ability to make quick schedule adjustments.
--With a spreadsheet it’s difficult to manage agents based on their specific skills sets, mainly because it’s difficult to account for which agents have which skills. That means you can end up overstaffed with agents with certain skill sets, understaffed with others. Whereas with a WFM solution you can schedule agents automatically based on their skills, resulting in more efficient staffing and higher service levels with fewer agents.
--With a spreadsheet, tracking and schedule adherence are next to impossible: You are limited to “spot checking” only. This leads to higher shrinkage, missed service levels and over/under staffing. Whereas with a WFM solution r you get real-time adherence monitoring and analysis, which in turn can reduce shrinkage by 15 minutes per agent per day, as well as improved service levels.
--With a spreadsheet, you can’t account as easily for staff exceptions and desires. This, in turn, can result in lower agent motivation and higher shrinkage. But with a WFM solution, you get automatic consideration of exceptions, which keeps agents happy and boosts productivity.
--With a spreadsheet, you’ll spend more administrative time handling the scheduling process. This takes away time from more important activities like monitoring and coaching. With a WFM solution you can save up to 25 percent the time you spend creating schedules.
Want to learn more about the advantages do today’s WFM systems have over spreadsheets? Then be sure to check out the upcoming free webinar, “How to Make Call Center Scheduling Easier - Without Spreadsheets,” sponsored by Monet Software, scheduled for 10-11 a.m. PT (7-10 a.m. ET), Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009.
During this informative webinar, industry expert Chuck Ciarlo, who successfully owned and operated multiple call centers, will show attendees:
--How much spreadsheet-based scheduling costs you every month
--How to make call center scheduling easy and more effective
--How to reduce costs and improve service levels
--How to free up time for supervisors and managers
… all by replacing your scheduling spreadsheets with a hosted WFM solution.
To register for this free webinar, click here.
Monet Software’s WFM Live is a fully Web-based workforce management system delivering advanced forecasting and reporting capabilities. To learn more about Monet’s WFM solutions, check out the company’s newly-redesigned Website. Here visitors can access a Workforce Management Success Kit offering additional tips on how to select a workforce management system.
Patrick Barnard is a contributing writer for TMCnet. To read more of Patrick’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Patrick Barnard