The document summarizes the business case for implementing a workforce management (WFM) system. It outlines common problems contact centers face like inefficient scheduling, high costs, and missed service levels that WFM can address. Metrics are provided showing typical unsatisfactory vs best practice performance. Case studies demonstrate how WFM increased productivity and reduced expenses. The benefits of WFM for agents, supervisors, and the overall business are described. Best practices in flexibility, analytics, and change management are recommended to avoid pitfalls and maximize ROI.

1. The Case for Workforce Management
Simon Angove, CEO
GMT Corporation
May 5, 2011

2. Topics
! Early indicators of inefficient contact centres
! The objectives you should set to give yourself
the best chances of success
! Tangible ROI from WFM implementations
! Common pitfalls to be avoided at all costs
! Winning agents’ ‘hearts and minds’
! Best practices in driving centre efficiency
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3. Balancing service and expense
Must deliver better service… …while controlling costs.
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4. The complex modern contact centre
Customer
Multi-site Chat, web, expectations
email, fax
At home Virtual
IVR
agents centres
Multi-skill Mobility
Work
blending
Back office Part-time/ Staff
full-time preferences
24 x 7 Social media
& fairness
Quality Performance Shift e-Learning
management management bidding
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5. Ask yourself these questions
Our staff are
We dramatically exceed excessively busy and
or miss service levels stressed or under-
utilised and bored
Our managers carry an
administrative burden We don’t know if staff
managing schedules are performing the
and holidays right tasks at the right
time
We cannot manage
unexpected peaks in demand
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6. Performance by the numbers
Indicative metrics for an inbound customer service centre
Metric Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Best Practice
Occupancy <75% 75-80% 80-85%
Adherence <85% 85-90% >90%
AHT >6 mins 5-6 mins <5 mins
ASA >30 secs 20-30 secs <15 secs
Abandonment >5% 3-4% <2%
Staff attrition >20% 15-20% <10%
Cost per call £5 £4 £3
Source: Various (GMT, ContactBabel, SWPP, PFF, ICMI)
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7. What went wrong
Problem Possible cause
• Low agent occupancy • Not matching agent staffing to demand
• High cost per call • Limited leverage of workforce flexibility
• Missed service levels • Inability to handle unexpected surges
• High abandonment • Inability to handle unplanned exceptions
• Limited visibility to schedule adherence
• Excessive overtime • Too few agents on the payroll
• Right number of agents but at wrong times
• Limited visibility to long range hiring needs
• High agent attrition • Stressful, fire-fighting environment
• High absenteeism • Lack of flexibility in working
• Low agent engagement • Perceived unfairness in scheduling
• High administration • Manual, time-consuming schedule
creation and holiday management
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8. Microsoft Excel not enough
! Difficult to produce accurate
volume forecasts
! Can’t support skills-based
blended environments
! Hard to introduce more
flexible working practices
! Manual and time-consuming process
! No advanced capabilities such as real-time
adherence, what if analysis, or self-service
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9. Role of workforce management
Put the right people with the right
skills in the right place at the
right time performing the right
tasks to deliver the better
customer service at lower cost
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10. Essential workforce management
Set service
Analyse and level by
improve channel
Forecast
volumes
Measure
performance
Schedule staff
members
Enable
employee Monitor
self-service adherence
& exceptions
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11. Building the business case
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12. Example – current situation
100 agent contact centre struggled to
manage effectively with MS Excel …
Operating Lever Before
Agent productivity
Agent occupancy 75%
Schedule adherence 78%
Operating expenses
Over-time expenses 75 hrs/wk
Schedule administration 50 hrs/wk
Agent attrition 10% p.a.
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13. Example – improved situation
Workforce management improved agent
productivity and operating expenses
Operating Lever Before Improved Now
Agent productivity
Agent occupancy 75% 30% 82.5%
Schedule adherence 78% 50% 89%
Operating expenses
Over-time expenses 75 hrs/wk 50% 37.5 hrs/wk
Schedule administration 50 hrs/wk 50% 25 hrs/wk
Agent attrition 10% p.a. 20% 8% p.a.
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14. Improvement in agent productivity
Before WFM After WFM
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15. Payback in less than 6 months
Net Present Value (NPV) of over £1 million over 3 years
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16. Novacroft case study
! 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
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17. How to avoid the pitfalls
Change management
Executive sponsorship
Forecast accuracy
Benefits measurement
Continuous improvement
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18. What’s in it for me?
Agents
• Fairer schedules
• Visibility to performance
• Easily swap shifts
• More working flexibility
• Less stressful environment
Supervisors
• Accurate plans help meet goals
• Reduce administration time
• Better handle work exceptions
• Less intra-day fire-fighting
• Better view of agent performance
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19. Trends and best practices
! Workforce flexibility
! At home agents
! Virtual centres
! Quality monitoring
! Performance management
! “Open WFO”
! User process analytics
! Hosted solutions
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20. GMT Value Discovery
Study to diagnose current state, identify gaps,
recommend changes, and quantify benefits
Data Site Discovery Gap Present
collection visit workshop analysis findings
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21. Headquarters
GMT Corporation Six Concourse Pkwy,
Suite 3100,
Atlanta GA 30328 USA
Tel: +1.770.416.6000
www.gmt.com Fax: +1.770.734.9000
GMT Europe Ltd GMT Australia Ltd
Trigate House St Kilda Road Towers,
210-222 Hagley Road West Suite 230, 1 Queens Road,
Birmingham B68 0NP Melbourne VIC 3004
United Kingdom Australia
Tel: +44(0)845 080 0350 Tel: +61(0)3 8844 2000
Fax: +44(0)121 222 5101 Fax: +61(0)3 8844 2001
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