Measuring Call Center Schedule Efficiency

Measuring schedule efficiency in a call center is a daunting task, especially if your center relies purely on forecasting methods. The new mission is to somewhat eliminate that concept and work with a new model that will provide much more accuracy.

Though forecasting is supposed to help with creating an accurate schedule, it can cause more harm than good. Forecasts look to the future based on the past, so the present is lost in the shuffle. This leaves management either over, under or incorrectly staffed, wasting or scrambling for resources. How can this be addressed so the call center is properly equipped to handle customer concerns efficiently?

A handful of factors are measured in a center: call volume, average handle time, service level, abandon rate, forecast accuracy, schedule adherence, and shrinkage. Much of this is left up to the WFM administrators, who must also quantify the impact of various business rules on scheduling. The attempt is to measure the workload with the required amount of workers, but the former is an unpredictable factor.

Time to look at the numbers, which should be reported weekly or monthly and adjust the staffing based on current peak demand. This gives a general idea of where staff may be overused. Having an automated scheduling system is great, but it is not foolproof. Reporting allows for proper adjustments.

Graphing is also an effective and visual way to demonstrate volume and staffing. What is forecasted versus reality can aid in a more effective scheduling system.

Every day will be different, but not having the ability to adapt to a changing market will leave unhappy customers and disgruntled agents. If a job cannot be done properly, turnover rates become elevated, leaving a poor reflection on a company. 

Is your call center still forecasting or are you implementing a more accurate system?

Edited by Erik Linask