optimise your workforce why spreadsheets fall short...• don’t forget to factor in...

Optimise your workforce Why spreadsheets fall short

Top 5 Workforce Management

Challenges

Jonty PearceEditor

RightPeople

RightPlace

RightTime

Identify the correct level of staffing, now and in the future

Across the day

Across the day

Day of week

Day of week WeekWeek MonthMonth Month of

yearMonth of

year

Spreadsheet solutions are not ideal

• Time consuming• Inaccuracies

(5 - 30% of spreadsheets contain serious errors)

• Limited or no integration with data sources

React to unexpected changes on the day

Marketing puts out an advertising campaign

Sudden spikes in call centre traffic

External factors Absence

5. Building flexibility into staff scheduling

• Flexible shifts• Shift swaps

Top 5 Workforce Management

Challenges

Jonty PearceEditor

Accurate. Easy. Affordable.™ Accurate. Easy. Affordable.™

7 ‘pearls’ of wisdom to optimise your workforce (and why spreadsheets fall short)

Karl Judd, GMT

Accurate. Easy. Affordable.™

Key questions to ask yourself

1. Do you often dramatically exceed or under‐perform against your Service Level targets?

2. Are your staff excessively busy (and stressed) at some times and under‐utilised (and bored) at others?

3. Is a large administrative burden placed on your managers in creating schedules and/or managing holidays?

4. Are you confident your staff are performing the right tasks at the right time?

5. Can you manage unexpected surges or plan for anticipated peaks in demand?

1. Do you often dramatically exceed or under‐perform against your Service Level targets?

2. Are your staff excessively busy (and stressed) at some times and under‐utilised (and bored) at others?

3. Is a large administrative burden placed on your managers in creating schedules and/or managing holidays?

4. Are you confident your staff are performing the right tasks at the right time?

5. Can you manage unexpected surges or plan for anticipated peaks in demand?

Purpose...

To identify underlying issues, such as:

•Over/under‐staffing

•Poor workload fit

•Excessive admin effort

•Lack of schedule adherence

•Lack of event planning

Purpose...

To identify underlying issues, such as:

•Over/under‐staffing

•Poor workload fit

•Excessive admin effort

•Lack of schedule adherence

•Lack of event planning


Pearl # 1: Prepare a solid foundation

Why spreadsheets fall short...•Some have forecasting capability, but time intensive to manage

•Lack of sophistication ‐based on waterfall and multiple assumptions

•Conditional data held in separate spreadsheets and applied manually

•Typically no automated feed of incremental call data

•Manual work introduces potential for human error

Why spreadsheets fall short...•Some have forecasting capability, but time intensive to manage

•Lack of sophistication ‐based on waterfall and multiple assumptions

•Conditional data held in separate spreadsheets and applied manually

•Typically no automated feed of incremental call data

•Manual work introduces potential for human error

• Typically, historical call or task demand data is a reliable guide to the future

• ‘Accurate’ demand forecasts are essential• Include all forms of work• Should consider volumes and durations• Incremental forecasts of more value

• ‘Precision’ forecasting adds another level of intelligence

• Log and apply ‘conditional data’• Model and apply ‘campaign data’• Exclude ‘bad data’

• Typically, historical call or task demand data is a reliable guide to the future

• ‘Accurate’ demand forecasts are essential• Include all forms of work• Should consider volumes and durations• Incremental forecasts of more value

• ‘Precision’ forecasting adds another level of intelligence

• Log and apply ‘conditional data’• Model and apply ‘campaign data’• Exclude ‘bad data’


Pearl # 2: Understand your staffing requirements

Why spreadsheets fall short...•Typically utilise ErlangCformula alone

•Generally satisfactory –but labour intensive – in a straightforward environment

•Do not support cross‐utilisation requirements

•Highly complex for blended environments

Why spreadsheets fall short...•Typically utilise ErlangCformula alone

•Generally satisfactory –but labour intensive – in a straightforward environment

•Do not support cross‐utilisation requirements

•Highly complex for blended environments

• Staffing requirement should be:• Derived from accurate forecasting data• Focused on meeting service level

• Typically not too difficult in a simple environment

• Can become complex where staff are:• Multi‐skilled/cross‐utilised• Completing call & non‐call work/blended

• Don’t forget to factor in ‘shrinkage’• i.e. paid time lost due to ‘no shows’, sickness, late arrivals, etc.

• Staffing requirement should be:• Derived from accurate forecasting data• Focused on meeting service level

• Typically not too difficult in a simple environment

• Can become complex where staff are:• Multi‐skilled/cross‐utilised• Completing call & non‐call work/blended

• Don’t forget to factor in ‘shrinkage’• i.e. paid time lost due to ‘no shows’, sickness, late arrivals, etc.


Pearl # 3: One rule / size does not fit all!

Why spreadsheets fall short...•Can be complex to manage manually

•High maintenance, and, most probably, multiple spreadsheets in operation

Why spreadsheets fall short...•Can be complex to manage manually

•High maintenance, and, most probably, multiple spreadsheets in operation

• Unlikely that each department or unit of your call centre, operates by the same rules

• Consider operational parameters for each and every department

• Opening hours• Target service levels• Minimum and maximum shift lengths• Break rules, etc

• Factor in this intelligence to inform your scheduling

• Unlikely that each department or unit of your call centre, operates by the same rules

• Consider operational parameters for each and every department

• Opening hours• Target service levels• Minimum and maximum shift lengths• Break rules, etc

• Factor in this intelligence to inform your scheduling


Pearl # 4: Optimise your schedules

• Recognise that agents have different skills, preferences, competencies and proficiencies

• Incorporate their preferences as far as possible

• Don’t forget your organisational requirements

• Create flexible shifts which:• Improve performance• Reduce your cost base• Increase employee engagement• Improve customer satisfaction!

• Aim: match the right agents to the projected work

• Recognise that agents have different skills, preferences, competencies and proficiencies

• Incorporate their preferences as far as possible

• Don’t forget your organisational requirements

• Create flexible shifts which:• Improve performance• Reduce your cost base• Increase employee engagement• Improve customer satisfaction!

• Aim: match the right agents to the projected work

Why spreadsheets fall short...•Barrier to move away from fixed shifts

•Very difficult to balance agent preferences, proficiencies, min/max hours, break rules, etc. to meet service levels

•Inability to optimise available resource vs. demand leads to higher wage bills/increased overtime

Why spreadsheets fall short...•Barrier to move away from fixed shifts

•Very difficult to balance agent preferences, proficiencies, min/max hours, break rules, etc. to meet service levels

•Inability to optimise available resource vs. demand leads to higher wage bills/increased overtime


Pearl # 5: The only constant is change

Why spreadsheets fall short...•Information logging is arduous

•Real‐time view difficult to achieve

•‘Before’ and ‘after’ analysis very difficult

Why spreadsheets fall short...•Information logging is arduous

•Real‐time view difficult to achieve

•‘Before’ and ‘after’ analysis very difficult

• No forecast, staffing requirement or schedule remains constant

• Don’t assume that forecasting is linear

• Remember that agents are human!

• Assess extra‐ordinary events in real time to avoid service disruption

• Capture all changes, on the day, every day• this will facilitate analysis • decision making • allow you to track and plan for future shrinkage

• No forecast, staffing requirement or schedule remains constant

• Don’t assume that forecasting is linear

• Remember that agents are human!

• Assess extra‐ordinary events in real time to avoid service disruption

• Capture all changes, on the day, every day• this will facilitate analysis • decision making • allow you to track and plan for future shrinkage


Pearl # 6: Optimisation is a constant cycle

• Model scenarios to understand the impact on

• expected demand

• staffing requirements

• schedules• service levels• cost

• Make sure your schedules support the business’ objectives

• Involve your people

• Create a culture of continuous improvement

• Model scenarios to understand the impact on

• expected demand

• staffing requirements

• schedules• service levels• cost

• Make sure your schedules support the business’ objectives

• Involve your people

• Create a culture of continuous improvement


Pearl # 7: Challenge perceived wisdom

• If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got!

• Question long‐standing workplace culture and practices

• Look at customer requirements, your organisation’s objectives, your people’s preferences ‐ with fresh eyes

• Model all your ideas – however different from current practice they may be

• Don’t be afraid to change!

• If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got!

• Question long‐standing workplace culture and practices

• Look at customer requirements, your organisation’s objectives, your people’s preferences ‐ with fresh eyes

• Model all your ideas – however different from current practice they may be

• Don’t be afraid to change!


Common issues with manual tools

• Contact centres that rely on manual tools generally have higher operating costs and inconsistent customer service…

• Contact centres that rely on manual tools generally have higher operating costs and inconsistent customer service…

• Low agent productivity• High cost per call• Missed service levels• High call abandonment

All results of inability to accurately optimise staff to work volume

• Excessive overtime expense Organisation may have correct number of staff but not in the right place at the right time

• High agent attrition and sickness levels

Result of poor work/life balance or rigid schedules

• Manually intensive administration

Result of spreadsheet‐based schedule and holiday administration


The move away from spreadsheets:

Tangible performance improvements without the pitfalls

Dan Outten, Novacroft


Novacroft – an overview

• Novacroft designs, develops and manages innovative, end‐to‐end smart ticketing solutions

• Predominantly focused on concessionary bus and rail industries

• Services include consumer application processing, a Web‐based Card Management System, the production and support of smart cards

• Supported by a 100+ seat contact centre in Northampton

• Dedicated to customer service excellence and our employees

• Novacroft designs, develops and manages innovative, end‐to‐end smart ticketing solutions

• Predominantly focused on concessionary bus and rail industries

• Services include consumer application processing, a Web‐based Card Management System, the production and support of smart cards

• Supported by a 100+ seat contact centre in Northampton

• Dedicated to customer service excellence and our employees


The challenge

• In late 2009, Novacroft recognised its contact centre was not being run efficiently

• Hampered by a lack of sophisticated workforce management capability

• Spreadsheets did not meet needs

• Unable to handle significant peaks in activity

• Inability to create flexible schedules

• Increased costs

• Dissatisfied staff

• Situation was exacerbated by growth of the centre

• In late 2009, Novacroft recognised its contact centre was not being run efficiently

• Hampered by a lack of sophisticated workforce management capability

• Spreadsheets did not meet needs

• Unable to handle significant peaks in activity

• Inability to create flexible schedules

• Increased costs

• Dissatisfied staff

• Situation was exacerbated by growth of the centre


How we rose to the challenge

• Agreed realistic objectives and ROI

• Consulted with staff

• Defined the features we required from the solution and the support required from the WFM partner

• Managed a stringent procurement exercise in line with our requirements

• Worked collaboratively to agree requirements and project plan for implementation

• All underpinned by a strong internal communications programme

• Agreed realistic objectives and ROI

• Consulted with staff

• Defined the features we required from the solution and the support required from the WFM partner

• Managed a stringent procurement exercise in line with our requirements

• Worked collaboratively to agree requirements and project plan for implementation

• All underpinned by a strong internal communications programme


What we like…

• Scalability

• Accurate forecasting capability, staffing requirement definition and scheduling

• Comprehensive reporting

• Intra‐day management capability

• Employee Time Centre

• Easy to follow graphics

• Agent ‘pop’ up functionality

• Scalability

• Accurate forecasting capability, staffing requirement definition and scheduling

• Comprehensive reporting

• Intra‐day management capability

• Employee Time Centre

• Easy to follow graphics

• Agent ‘pop’ up functionality


Results and benefits

• 23% reduction in staff costs

• Over 25% increase in agent utilisation

• Employee satisfaction consistently > 98%

• Tangible improvements in morale and motivation

• Excellent feedback from agents with 100% acceptance

• Improved revenues

• Hitting target service levels within a tightly defined budget

• Other benefits:

• Effective, long term planning

• Nimble decision making

• Time to focus on the really important things!!!

• 23% reduction in staff costs

• Over 25% increase in agent utilisation

• Employee satisfaction consistently > 98%

• Tangible improvements in morale and motivation

• Excellent feedback from agents with 100% acceptance

• Improved revenues

• Hitting target service levels within a tightly defined budget

• Other benefits:

• Effective, long term planning

• Nimble decision making

• Time to focus on the really important things!!!


Avoid the pitfalls!

• Move away from the spreadsheet!

• Engage with your staff

• Consult

• Listen to their ideas

• Communicate, communicate, communicate!

• Position the WFM solution as a business enabler – to avoid sensitivities around personal performance

• Create a support mechanism for staff (clinic, briefings, presentations, helpline)

• Don’t underestimate the importance of training

• Don’t implement too quickly and make sure you select a partner that will help you implement

• Move away from the spreadsheet!

• Engage with your staff

• Consult

• Listen to their ideas

• Communicate, communicate, communicate!

• Position the WFM solution as a business enabler – to avoid sensitivities around personal performance

• Create a support mechanism for staff (clinic, briefings, presentations, helpline)

• Don’t underestimate the importance of training

• Don’t implement too quickly and make sure you select a partner that will help you implement


Where next?

• Additional features within the contact centre

• Implementation for other communications channels

• Customer care and production centres

• Additional features within the contact centre

• Implementation for other communications channels

• Customer care and production centres


The move away from spreadsheets:

Tangible performance improvements without the pitfalls

Dan Outten, Novacroft

Watch the replayhttps://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/300084225

Available from 12 noon tomorrow (Friday 9th July 2010)

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/300084225

Thank you for attending

For more details on GMTcontact Keir Woolhouse on

+44(0)845 080 0398 or www.gmt.com

http://www.gmt.com/

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