Workforce management (WFM)

In today’s remote and distributed work landscape, the efficiency and effectiveness of Workforce Management (WFM) systems and tools serve as the backbone of organizations, facilitating seamless operations, ensuring optimal utilization of resources, and ultimately contributing to the bottom line. However, beneath the surface lies a myriad of challenges that can impede the smooth functioning of these systems, potentially compromising employee satisfaction and organizational success. 

In this post, we delve into some common pain points encountered in WFM and strategies to overcome them, ensuring a happier and more productive workforce.

From Pain Points to Productivity

By identifying and understanding the specific pain points within WFM systems, organizations can implement targeted strategies and solutions to mitigate these obstacles effectively. Through proactive measures such as leveraging advanced technologies, fostering open communication, and promoting collaboration, businesses can transform hurdles into opportunities for growth and improvement. Ultimately, this shift towards a more efficient and streamlined approach not only boosts productivity but also cultivates a positive work environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and motivated to excel.

Scheduling Challenges

Creating and managing employee schedules is a delicate balancing act, requiring foresight, flexibility, and precision. Manual scheduling adjustments are time-consuming and often result in coverage gaps or overlaps, impacting customer service levels and operational costs. Therefore, scheduling challenges often manifest in the form of overstaffing, understaffing, or scheduling conflicts, leading to decreased morale and suboptimal performance.

One way to mitigate scheduling challenges is by leveraging advanced forecasting algorithms that take into account historical data, seasonal trends, and employee preferences. Additionally, adopting a collaborative approach to scheduling, where employees have input into their schedules, fosters a sense of ownership and accountability. Regular reviews and adjustments based on feedback and performance metrics ensure that schedules remain optimized and aligned with organizational objectives.

Forecasting Inaccuracies

Accurate forecasting is essential for effective resource allocation, budgeting, and capacity planning. But, more often than not, certain workstreams are not included in forecasts, affecting the accuracy of staffing requirements and the delivery of optimal customer experiences. Those forecasting inaccuracies, whether due to unforeseen events, market fluctuations, or inadequate data analysis, can disrupt operations and erode trust in WFM systems.

To enhance forecasting accuracy, organizations should adopt a data-driven approach, leveraging predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and anticipate future demand. Collaborating with cross-functional teams and external experts can provide valuable insights and validate forecasting models. Regularly reviewing and refining forecasting methodologies based on performance feedback and market dynamics ensures adaptability and resilience in the face of uncertainty.

Utilize predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs and tailor sales pitches accordingly, enhancing the effectiveness of service interactions.

Manager Shift Handoff Delays

Smooth handoffs between managers are essential for maintaining continuity, accountability, and employee satisfaction. Managers are spending excessive time catching up on previous shifts, reducing their effectiveness in team management and customer engagement. Therefore, delays in shift handoffs, whether due to communication breakdowns, conflicting priorities, or inadequate documentation, can disrupt workflows and undermine team cohesion.

Implementing standardized handoff protocols and communication channels streamlines the transfer of information between managers, ensuring clarity and consistency. Leveraging digital tools such as shared calendars, task management platforms, and collaborative workspaces facilitates real-time updates and visibility into ongoing tasks and priorities. Regular training and performance evaluations encourage managers to prioritize effective handoffs and cultivate a culture of accountability and teamwork.

Absent Leave Management

Effectively managing employee absences and leave requests is essential for maintaining productivity and morale. However, manual leave management processes, lack of visibility into resource availability, or inconsistent enforcement of policies can result in staffing shortages and employee dissatisfaction. Also, the absence of a defined leave management process is creating coverage gaps, negatively impacting customer service.

Automating leave management workflows through WFM systems enables employees to submit requests seamlessly while managers can review and approve them in a timely manner. Implementing clear policies and guidelines regarding leave entitlements, approval processes, and coverage ensures fairness and transparency. Regularly reviewing and adjusting leave policies based on organizational needs and employee feedback promotes a healthy work-life balance and fosters a supportive and inclusive work environment.

---

Mastering the Workforce Management

In conclusion, while the challenges of Workforce Management may seem daunting, they also present opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. By addressing the pain points outlined above and adopting proactive strategies and technologies, organizations can enhance the effectiveness of their WFM systems, maximize employee satisfaction, and achieve sustainable growth and success in the digital age. 

FrontLogix offers comprehensive WFM services that cater to the specific needs of businesses, providing advanced solutions to streamline scheduling, improve forecasting accuracy, and optimize reporting processes. With FrontLogix, organizations can navigate the complexities of workforce management with confidence, knowing they have the tools and support necessary to cultivate a happy and productive workforce—the cornerstone of a thriving organization.

What sets FrontLogix apart is that we:

1. Are experts in contact center optimization and operational efficiencies 
2. Have a proven track record of 20+ years of BPO operations, technology implementation, and professional services experience
3. Focus on Unit Economics, conversion rate optimization for upsell and cross-sell
4. Have experience in technology assessment, procurement, and implementation oversight
5. Offer managed Services
6. Have in-depth WFE system familiarity and intimate knowledge of its workings
7. Use unified Dashboards
8. Are integration Experts

Get In Touch.

When it comes to running a contact center, Workforce Management (WFM) solutions have proved time after time to be a transformative tool. They play a crucial role in improving operations, enhancing customer experiences and keeping agents happy.

We have covered the importance of Workforce Management in our previous blog posts.

Related articles: 
What is Workforce Management (WFM) for Call and Contact Centers?
Call center Workforce Management (WFM) tools and their benefits
How Workforce Management Drives Customer Experience
How Workforce Management Drives Agent Experience

But, despite the clear advantages, many organizations still hold onto outdated systems. This hesitation often comes down to concerns about whether the investment in WFM will pay off. Worries about upfront costs, fear of the unknown, and the effort required to integrate new systems also add to the mix.

In what follows, we’re going to break down the biggest concerns with WFM and offer practical solutions to overcome them, helping your organization tap into the benefits of WFM.

Navigating Common WFM Challenges: Solutions

Challenge #1: Initial Investment Cost Considerations

Investing in WFM technology might seem like a big step financially, with worries about the hit to your budget and how long it’ll take to see the payoff.

Solution: Think beyond the initial spend. The real value comes in the form of reduced labor costs, improved customer satisfaction, and higher efficiency. A deep dive into a cost-benefit analysis will lay out how WFM can not only save money but also boost your bottom line in the long run.

Challenge #4: Employee Pushback

A major hurdle when rolling out new WFM solutions is getting your team on board. Shifts in how schedules are made, performance is tracked, and tasks are handed out can spark worries over privacy, freedom, and even job stability.

Solution: Start conversations with your team early. Make sure to explain the advantages of WFM, emphasizing how it’s designed to simplify their jobs and make their day-to-day more fulfilling. Offer thorough training and ongoing support to help smooth the path to these changes.

Challenge #7: Complexity of New Systems 

The success of a WFM system heavily depends on the willingness and ability of staff to use it effectively. New WFM tools often come with advanced features and functionalities that require significant training for both managers and agents. 

Solution: Introducing continuous training initiatives and establish a robust support network for users. Incorporating gamification and rewards can further motivate staff to engage with and master the new system.

Also, finding a WFM expert who can offer tailored training and insights can significantly enhance the learning curve and system adoption.

FrontLogix: The Solution to WFM Challenges

FrontLogix is your solution to WFM challenges. From the get-go, we’re here to advise on the best WFM solutions tailored to your specific needs. We’ve got you covered on everything from labor forecasting and scheduling to setting up the right scheduling rules, adopting best practices, and tapping into essential WFM knowledge whenever it’s needed.

We bring to the table over 20 years of workforce management experience, offering on-demand management expertise that blends seamlessly with your current WFM setup.

And with our WFM-Managed Services available on a subscription basis, you gain access to our top-tier expertise without the overhead of a full-time hire.

Find out more about FrontLogix’s WFM-managed services or set up a call.

---

Call center workforce management WFM tools streamline the most important aspects of call center operations: labor needs and service levels.

Call centers employ a mix of part-time and full-time personnel working multiple shifts, typically providing 24/7 customer support. Addunpredicted call volume spikes, agents calling in sick, and their lack of enthusiasm to work weekends and holidays make call center management even more challenging.

This is where a WFM tool comes into play.

Continuing from the previous blog posts where we explain Workforce Management (WFM) and Workforce Managed Services, here we will delve deeper into the specifics of WFM tools for call centers, what can a WFM tool do for your contact center, and how to choose the best software for your needs.

What are call center WFM tools?

Call center workforce management tools or software streamline the most important aspects of call center operations – employee scheduling, capacity management, labor forecasting, and time and attendance tracking.

These systems ensure above-par service quality while minimizing personnel expenses through efficient agent scheduling. The WFM software significantly contributes to higher CSAT ratings, improved CX, and increased customer retention by elevating service levels with correct forecasting and aligned scheduling.

Which is the best WFM tool?

There are many WFM systems on the market. While some software is independent and concentrated on a single activity, others offer a wider range of cloud solutions. The size, industry, workforce makeup, location, and company goals are significant in selecting the best WFM software for your contact center.

Follow these six steps when choosing the right software for your business:

• Define the existing processes and persons responsible for each WFM task.
• Determine which WFM activities are currently effective and which ones require improvement.
• Determine whether the company requires a stand-alone solution focused on a single task or a more robust software with a broader suite of cloud solutions and comprehensive analytics.
• Make a list of desired WFM features and evaluate your options accordingly.
• Choose a system that will easily integrate with existing applications and function with your current workforce without requiring future changes down the road.
• Ensure vendor support meets your needs.

What can a WFM tool do?

1. Improved demand forecasting = improved scheduling

Improved forecasting is where the WFM tool demonstrates its full strength.

WFM makes demand forecasting easier by identifying patterns and trends. Using both past data and predictive algorithms, WFM tools can predict demand fluctuations based on historical need, seasonality, and even weather conditions. This allows a contact center to respond more quickly to rising contact volume or personnel changes.

The function of Intraday scheduling takes demand forecasting one step further. It enables monitoring of the current day’s call volumes and trends to make same-day rebalances to the workload.

Decision-making is even more simplified with the simulated scenario forecasting feature. It allows supervisors to analyze potential metrics and change scenarios depending on different criteria. Supervisors can use simulations to see how changes to a schedule or new shift patterns affect productivity and labor costs.

2. Proper scheduling = reduced overhead costs

A call center’s biggest expense is payroll, and its biggest challenge is scheduling. Relying on the traditional manual spreadsheet approach is time-consuming, unreliable, and leaves room for underutilization of labor.

Ineffective scheduling can go two ways. Operating understaffed leaves the reps overworked and stressed out. Being overstaffed affects the company’s bottom line.

A workforce management tool helps achieve balance between the two. It optimizes the scheduling process while reducing labor costs and offers scheduling flexibility to agents while increasing their job satisfaction levels.

Functions such as best-fit schedules make managers’ jobs easier by automatically developing schedules based on a variety of parameters, including expected demand, availability, agent skills, scheduling preferences, staff seniority, and many more.

Aside from optimized shift scheduling, a good WFM tool also simplifies the process of break scheduling. It enables automated break scheduling and rescheduling based on current-day events.

3. Flexible scheduling = happy agents

Recruitment, screening, interviews, onboarding, and training costs can easily exceed thousands of dollars.

With high agent attrition being one of the biggest pain points for call centers, improving your agent’s satisfaction should be your top priority.

WFM tools offer agents the added benefits of:

• Preference-based scheduling where agents can specify their choices for shift allocation.
• Shift bidding and shift trading allow agents to express interest in working certain shifts and facilitate swapping shifts with other agents that have the same skillset.
• Dynamic scheduling solutions split staffing requirements into configurable chunks, allowing work-from-home agents to perform split shifts and sign in fast for unexpected call spikes.
• Access to schedules on mobile phones that let agents view their schedules at any time while facilitating shift bidding and shift trading.
• Accepting or declining shift assignments using the web or a mobile device.
• Overtime and paid time off request submission and balance review.

4. Automated requests = reduced manager’s workload (and happier agents)

WFM allows you to track all attendance data, type of employee time  (regular work hours, overtime, holiday hours), work locations (remote work, at the office), and absence categories (annual leave, maternity leave, personal days) for payroll purposes.

It also allows agents to self-manage their vacation days, overtime, and voluntary time off requests, reducing your manager’s workload in the process. Allowing agents to self-manage their requests not only streamlines the manager’s job, allowing them to focus on more important matters, but it provides your employees the flexibility they need without affecting service levels. By employing a WFM tool, you’ll have a fair system in place for deciding who can take time off and when. It directly boosts employee morale as they don’t have to wait as long to know if their request is being approved. A WFM tool offers transparency for everybody, eliminating the idea of playing favorites for the most popular leave periods.

* Another added benefit of the WFM tool is that all of the changes mentioned above can be set to be automatically authorized, or if you prefer additional control, supervisors and managers can quickly approve and oversee agents’ actions.

5. Real-time reports and metrics = increased operational efficiency

WFM technologies provide detailed, up-to-the-minute reporting, providing valuable insights into agent efficiency, ticket status, and service levels. They also provide real-time statistics on the number of hours worked, actual vs. scheduled hours, and overtime to assist managers in staying within budget.

The automated tracking of time spent on tickets, chats, and calls significantly reduces the paperwork, resulting in increased operational efficiency. By observing employee behavior in specific roles, locations, and work periods, managers can schedule staff based on these performance management features.

Common WFM reports include:

• schedule efficiency (workload fit)
• forecast data
• request data
• preference data
• availability data
• queue and agent data
• staffing data
• adherence data
• intraday performance data

6. Improved call center operations = happier customers

A WFM tool streamlines the entire call center operation, which directly influences customer satisfaction. By elevating service levels with correct forecasting and aligned scheduling, WFM software significantly contributes to higher CSAT ratings, improved CX, and increased customer retention.

As previously mentioned, one of the additional benefits of WFM technology is happier agents ‒ and the call center’s effectiveness definitely depends on its staff’s productivity. Being the point of contact with customers, customer satisfaction will only be as good as agent satisfaction.

Takeaway

Real-time reports and improved forecasting is where the WFM tool demonstrates its full strength. Improved demand forecasting leads to better scheduling, and proper scheduling leads to reduced overhead costs.

Through the utilization of functions such as flexible scheduling and automated requests, WFM tools reduce managers’ workloads and increase agents’ job satisfaction levels.

WFM software significantly contributes to higher CSAT ratings, improved CX, and increased customer retention while improving your bottom line.

Not sure where to begin? FrontLogix can assist through every step of the WFM process.

From helping you choose the right WFM tool for your needs to designing labor forecasting and scheduling rules, identifying and implementing best practices, strategic WFM support and consultancy, cost management improvements, and performance monitoring, FrontLogix is here to be a flexible extension to your WFM solution.

 Get a quote or contact us today to discuss how we can help you.

What is Workforce Management (WFM) for Call and Contact Centers? Is it a set of practices or is it a tool? And what are the actual benefits of WFM? 

Jump to:
What is Workforce Management for Call and Contact Centers?
Benefits of WFM in call and contact centers
Agent satisfaction and simplified scheduling
Improved demand forecasting
Budget savings and increased efficiency
Improved customer experience
Key takeaways

What is Workforce Management for Call and Contact Centers?

Workforce Management (WFM) in call and contact centers refers to processes that streamline operation workflow by providing more precise demand forecasting and managing workforce scheduling.
This entails optimizing employee productivity and cost-effectiveness, scheduling paid labor hours while preventing employee burnout, and maintaining customer satisfaction.

In a nutshell, WFM ensures that the correct number of reps with the right skills are scheduled at the right time. Workforce management comprises two parts: efficient WFM software and competent specialists to ensure that the software operates optimally.

There is a great selection of WFM software on the market. The correct choice depends entirely on your company’s specific needs. Keep in mind the size, scope, and requirements of your call or contact center when choosing the optimal software.

If you need assistance choosing the software – FrontLogix can help you make the right decision. Our highly qualified specialists will advise you on everything you need to know and give you access to tactical WFM knowledge whenever necessary.

FrontLogix provides a full range of WFM Services, from strategic WFM support and consultancy to cost management improvement and performance monitoring ‒ to help you achieve business excellence.

Benefits of WFM in call and contact centers

Well-implemented WFM delivers significant benefits, including reduced labor costs, increased efficiency through better planning, lower agent attrition, and improved customer experience (CX). Let’s dive deeper into the benefits of a good workforce management program for call and contact centers.

Agent satisfaction and simplified scheduling

Staff turnover is one of the most severe issues that call and contact centers experience. Finding and retaining qualified employees significantly impacts the bottom line and the quality of service.

According to Gartner, agent attrition is caused by feeling overburdened by their work and is highest during the first 90 days of employment. Losing an agent can cost anywhere between $1,500 and $20,000, depending on their experience level and duties.

Workforce Management can dramatically increase agent job satisfaction by streamlining the scheduling process. Scheduling flexibility can help agents achieve the work/life balance they require. The right WFM tool can offer more options in the scheduling process, such as:

• Preference-Based Scheduling allows agents to be involved in the scheduling process, enabling them to request working hours that best fit their lifestyle.
• More options for Intra-Day Changes which significantly reduce last-minute sick calls.
• Shift Bidding is where agents can express interest in working open shifts.
• Dynamic Scheduling Solutions that divide staffing requirements into configurable chunks enable work-from-home agents to easily work split shifts and sign in fast for unexpected call spikes.
• Automated Trades allow agents to swap shifts with others with the same skills.
• Automated Vacation, Voluntary Time Off, and Overtime Requests allow agents to use self-service tools and are an excellent opportunity for satisfying work requirements and satisfying agents at the same time.
• Access to Schedules on Mobile Phones allows for effective communication and enables agents to interact with their work schedules at any time.

Improved demand forecasting

Demand forecasting is the foundation of WFM. It is the technique of predicting future call volumes based on historical and current data.

By abandoning spreadsheets in favor of WFM software, forecasting and managing agents’ time becomes easy, without having to bother with Erlang calculators.

Workforce Management tools simplify demand forecasting by identifying trends and patterns, leveraging historical data, and considering demand fluctuation from recent days and weeks, as well as weather conditions and seasonality. This makes it easier for a contact center to respond to increased contact volumes or staffing fluctuations.

Budget savings and increased efficiency

Payroll is the highest cost of any call and contact center. Planning, scheduling, and management of human resources have a significant impact on the budget. WFM eliminates over-staffing by creating the most efficient schedules possible with the personnel at hand while keeping appropriate levels to deliver quality interactions.

Monitoring call center statistics and performance measures are critical for increasing efficiency, profitability, and, ultimately, customer satisfaction. WFM software facilitates this by automatically tracking key metrics such as service levels and time spent on tickets, chats, calls, average call wait time, conversion rates, and upsell rates.

Front Logix’s expert team can assist you in making the most of your data. We will help extract and analyze information and deliver detailed reports. We can assist your management team in analyzing data and historical trends across various critical indicators.

Improved customer experience

An effective WFM system will help your company provide fast, quality, and consistent customer service. Your team can track real-time data to determine better if incoming customer requests exceed agent capacity. WFM improves call and contact center operations by estimating staffing and scheduling requirements based on historical customer demand.

The secret to pleasing consumers is having engaged and well-organized employees. With superior WFM, your organization will exceed customer expectations and provide excellent customer service.

Key takeaways

Workforce management (WFM) in call and contact centers refers to processes that streamline workflow through improved demand forecasts and agent scheduling. WFM comprises two components: efficient WFM software and competent specialists to ensure that the WFM software operates optimally.

With solid WFM practices in place, call and contact centers can significantly increase operational efficiency and customer satisfaction ‒ while greatly reducing agent attrition and labor costs.

---

FrontLogix is here to help you navigate through every step of the WFM process — from choosing the right WFM software, developing labor forecasting and scheduling rules, and identifying and implementing best practices to strategic WFM support and consultation, cost management improvements, and performance monitoring.

Utilize our 20+ years of workforce management experience to build your business excellence.

 Get a quote or contact us today to discuss how we can help you.

Successful Workforce Management involves two things: A great WFM system and a knowledgeable partner that offers Workforce Management (WFM) services.

Workforce Management (WFM) has made its way into every sector, from WFM in contact centers to WFM in customer support, HR departments, and accounting. Well-implemented WFM can reduce labor costs, increase efficiency through better planning, provide higher levels of customer service, and boost team morale.

Successful Workforce Management involves two things:

• A great WFM system for the company’s needs
• The right people to ensure the best performance of the WFM system

Choosing the right WFM system

There are numerous WFM systems available. Some software is stand-alone and focused on a single task, whereas others provide a broader suite of cloud solutions. Choosing the optimal software depends on the company’s size, industry, business objectives, and needs.

As part of our WFM services, FrontLogix can assist you in selecting the best WFM solution for your company’s requirements. Our highly skilled, on-demand management experts will advise you on all you need to know before committing to WFM software and provide access to tactical WFM knowledge whenever necessary.

Choosing the right WFM experts

WFM solutions can assist you in managing all aspects of your employees’ work assignments. From tracking time and attendance, allocating tasks, scheduling shifts, budgeting, and forecasting demand, WFM software is an excellent solution for increasing operational efficiency.

Since WFM technologies cover many focus areas, ensuring a proper system implementation, developing a WFM strategy, and providing adequate workforce training is essential.

While system setup and employee training can be costly, outsourcing WFM expertise can help you make the most of your WFM data. It will help you ease worries about resource limits, inadequate system implementation, and ineffective data management and usage – all at a significantly reduced cost.

Benefits of WFM-managed services:

Built on our 20+ years of workforce management experience, FrontLogix’s WFM services deliver highly relevant, on-demand management skills integrated with your WFM solution to achieve outcomes like:

• Improved customer experience by providing timely and proper service.

• Improved company profits through the utilization of experienced WFM resources at a lower cost.

• Reduced investment losses due to staff churn by eliminating the need for hiring and training new employees.

• Increased product adoption by ensuring that your customers become aware of your product, perceive its value, and become regular users.

• Increased employee productivity through setting employee benchmarks and taking corrective action if employees fall short of expectations.

• Eliminated training costs of in-house personnel by offering a learning management system (LMS) solution. This will help reduce in-house training costs while providing comprehensive instruction from experienced pros.

• Increased service levels by offering profound insights into how your company operates and indicating any potential areas for development.

• Improved forecasting and time management by delivering a precise plan and a reliable forecast.

• Improved agent adherence and utilization by providing precise adherence data and highlighting areas where agents thrive. As a result, WFM analysts will benefit from a better understanding and application of contact center trends.

• Optimizing omnichannel support through WFM-managed services will assist you in ensuring the correct agent with the relevant skills is available on the right channel.

WFM-managed services

FrontLogix offers a full spectrum of WFM Services to help you build business excellence. From strategic WFM support to cost management improvements, we are here to guide you through every step.

FrontLogix’s WFM-managed services include:

Strategic WFM support and consultation

Provide your WFM team with the most important insights and the best possible knowledge and assistance combined with your WFM system.

Precise data integration in your WFM system

By ensuring the data is inputted accurately and correctly, your team will operate better and smarter.

Help in labor forecasting and scheduling

By helping you understand and model scenarios, your company can receive an accurate labor forecast.

Optimization of workforce resources

By conducting a thorough audit, we can pinpoint where inefficiencies lie and help you address them effectively. We can also provide insights on time tracking, absence mitigation, and overtime management.

Access to skilled and experienced WFM advisors

We can provide experienced WFM advisors at a competitive cost.

Comprehensive reporting

Comprehensive reporting enabled by our team of experts will help you get the most out of data and aid you by extracting and analyzing information and providing comprehensive reports.

Management analytics

By assisting your management team in analyzing data and historical trends across various key indicators, we can help you make the most of your WFM software, and access and interpret real-time data.

Efficiency enhancement

Facilitated by an improved organization and customization from our WFM experts, your WFM team can run smarter, better, and more efficiently.

Cost management

Our cost management solutions will assist your company in rethinking its fixed expenditures, reducing variable costs, and performing effective budgeting.

Performance monitoring

Through performance monitoring and measuring employee productivity, we can help you improve your work quality and deliver a superior customer experience.

---

Our partners benefit from our decades-long experience as pioneers in workforce management. FrontLogix’s services include labor forecasting and scheduling, development of scheduling rules, identification and implementation of best practices, and our large pool of tactical knowledge.

Think of FrontLogix as a flexible and resourceful expert extension to your WFM system, available 24/7.