Switching to an Online Workforce Management System Increases Scheduling Efficiency

Moving from a manual call center scheduling system to one that is managed online can be a daunting change. You may have a certain way you like to schedule your agents and mixing up the format will require training and a different mindset. If the result is less time spent and an improved operation through efficiency and productivity gains, the switch is well worth the risk.

To help in the process, Monet Software’s introductory video to its workforce management solution for the contact center environment explores key capabilities and interactive dashboards of the Monet WFM Live product. Viewers gain insight into intra-day management, forecasting, scheduling, exceptions handling, real-time adherence and more.

Monet offers its comprehensive workforce management solution to enable the contact center to quickly and efficiently manage the agent base – their most critical resource. This is accomplished by enhancing the center’s ability to develop accurate forecasts, easily schedule according to needs and availability and even monitor agent adherence related to all activities.

In doing so, call center managers will realize measured improvements in the customer service levels of the organization and the cost savings that result from the more efficient use of the scheduling feature. Plus, the user interface is designed for sophistication and usability to ensure managers achieve the desired level of performance without creating new challenges.

The various modules needed on a daily basis to forecast, schedule and manage are found on the left hand side of the screen, ensuring the most commonly used elements are also the easiest to find. By incorporating a familiar user interface, workforce management professionals can ramp up their time to deployment, easily learning and then using the system. Such an approach to design helps to ensure contact center managers are more likely to adopt a new way of scheduling for the needs of the call center.

The demand for workforce management solutions is growing. According to a CedarCrestone survey in 2007, 51 percent of companies were using some sort of software-based time management program. In 2012, that number jumped to 73 percent as firms of all sizes are turning to scheduling tools and time management programs to better manage activities and employee availability.

The dynamics in the call center can certainly vary compared with other industries, which is why it’s important to partner with a proven provider and implement a strategy for forecasting and scheduling that supports the strategy of the organization. After all, changing the way things have always been done for a process that promises improvements is only as easy the design and training involved.

Edited by Amanda Ciccatelli