Workforce Management Featured Article
Why Killing the Spreadsheet is Key to Improving Visibility
Do you ever have one of those days where you’re running in 30 different directions, staff members are eating up your time, the line at your door doesn’t seem to stop - and yet, by the end of the day, you feel like you’ve gotten nothing done? Everyone runs the risk of good intentions turning into a day of seemingly lost productivity.
While the summary above may be more likely to happen to someone in a management position, the reality is that anyone without a clear plan for the day runs the risk of wasting it. In the call center, this is a recipe for disaster as it can lead to higher cost of operation, lower satisfaction rates among customers and poor key performance indicators (KPIs). It’s the reason why workforce management is so important.
Workforce management solutions provider, Monet Software (News - Alert) recently posted a blog on this topic, stressing that it’s a challenging time to be in business. It’s no secret that companies are being forced to make difficult decisions in a time where economic, technological and political factors are making an impact. The goal is to maintain productivity and increase profits, yet the goal is sometimes more challenging than the circumstances can support.
In the call center, the quest is often to improve productivity so as to keep this cost center at a minimum when it comes to the burden to the bottom line. When workforce visibility is improved, this is the first step towards achieving greater productivity. Workforce management is designed to deliver on this kind of activity, while also helping professionals in the call center spend less time on tasks not related to their core job functions.
Think about how much customer service is impacted when those put in place to interact with customers don’t have enough time to do so. At the same time, companies get into significant overtime costs simply because time is not properly allocated during regular shifts. Thought leaders in this space could significantly impact the organization by imaging ways to improve efficiency or generate profits instead of spending hours working in spreadsheets to create forecasts and schedules.
Workforce management helps to streamline those activities that take considerable manual hours to complete. It no longer requires a significant upfront investment as the solution is available as a cloud-based solution. Plus, managers have the visibility they need to help empower staff to be flexible and focus on the customer experience. When these outcomes are improved, the organization can’t help but benefit.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi