Is Your Workforce Management Solution Exceeding Your Expectations?

By Bob Webb, Pipkins, Inc.

Three Criteria to Ensure You are Getting What You Paid For

How long does it take to realize you have made a purchasing mistake? Software purchases may be more insidious. Nothing glaring at first, but you gradually recognize subtleties in how your solution is not performing. You’re getting the basic result but the more sophisticated functions are missing. It’s not what you paid for, it’s not what you expected, and it’s certainly not what you were promised. Your only options at this point is an expensive upgrade, or scrub what you bought and replace it with a system that meets your needs. There are three important criteria to help you avoid this scenario.

The most common problem experienced with workforce management systems is over- and understaffing. This is an expensive problem and affects bottom line profits. If you drill down through the layers of inefficiencies with workforce management solutions, you will most likely uncover the core problem: algorithms. Many vendors offer workforce management systems; however, the disparity between solutions lies in the algorithms. Workforce management is based on science and should be approached from a scientific perspective. What does this mean? It means workforce management software should use mathematical algorithms for accurate call volume forecasting and scheduling based on data exclusive to each center’s target service levels, fluctuating call volumes, agent skill sets, and “what if” scenario requirements.

Here is where problems originate:

Avoid using a simple “hours-net-to-zero” scheduling algorithm. Scheduling systems that use a simple net-to-zero algorithm cannot distinguish between schedules that deliver good and bad service. If under- or overstaffing during different intervals throughout the day nets to zero, you are not truly meeting your service level objectives during those intervals.

• Algorithms incapable of producing an accurate forecast
  Accurate forecasting takes into account all the historic dynamics and requires a sophisticated forecasting tool. Only the most sophisticated systems can perform correlated forecasting, which is forecasting for specific events such as catalog drops or other marketing events that cause wide fluctuations in the volume of calls that must be processed.

  Accurate forecasting in a skill-based routing environment is the most critical component of workforce management. Without accurate forecasting, scheduling will fail to correctly plan for anticipated workloads. Precise scheduling is based on accurate workload requirements. Critical components of workforce management software for accurate forecasting include:

  • The amount of historical data available
  • The nature of the data
  • The forecasting period
  • An infinite number of different service objectives on one or more work streams
  • Algorithms that reflect real life customer behavior
  • Special events are treated differently, i.e., mail drops, campaigns, and special promotions can be quantified
  • Email and faxes have service objectives reflecting the way that work is handled
  Avoid using a simple “hours-net-to-zero” scheduling algorithm. Scheduling systems that use a simple net-to-zero algorithm cannot distinguish between schedules that deliver good and bad service. If under- or overstaffing during different intervals throughout the day nets to zero, you are not truly meeting your service level objectives during those intervals.
• An inability to generate requirements at the interval level
  The purpose of workforce management is to ensure you meet your service level objectives and provide your calling population a consistent experience. A system that does not achieve that goal is less than effective. Intervals are periods of time throughout the day when call volumes fluctuate. In order to accurately schedule agents, you must know agent requirements for each interval, such as when call volume is high or low. The shorter the interval, the more accurate your agent requirements will be. A system that can generate requirements at interval levels of 15-30 minutes is optimal. If your workforce management solution generates requirements only on a daily interval level, your service level objectives will not be met.
• The platform is unable to maintain sufficient historical call data to generate accurate forecasts.
  It is imperative to maintain detailed data for several years in order to produce an accurate forecast. Many workforce scheduling systems can use only 16 weeks of historical inbound call data to generate a forecast, and most fail to gather information on marketing campaigns, billing cycles or other variables that can affect call volume. A workforce management package should maintain several years’ worth of very detailed data for maximum forecast accuracy and be able to use any or all stored data for generating forecasts. Trying to predict future call volume without this information is like trying to balance your checkbook if you haven’t recorded all of your transactions. Look for a workforce management package that will maintain and utilize several years of very detailed data for maximum forecast accuracy.

With bottom line profits hanging in the balance, you need a workforce management system that not only meets, but exceeds, your expectations. Look for a system that can grow with your company and meet your changing needs without an expensive upgrade. Purchasing a system that incorporates these three bullet points will prevent problems in the future.

About Pipkins
Pipkins, Inc., an American company founded in 1983, is a leading supplier of workforce management software and services to the call center industry, providing sophisticated forecasting and scheduling technology for both the front and back office. Vantage Point, Pipkins’ premier product, is the most accurate forecasting and scheduling tool on the market. Pipkins’ systems forecast and schedule more than 100,000 agents in over 300 locations across all industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.pipkins.com.