1. Workforce Management Software Suite
by Phi Division Ltd, Hungary

2. The challenge Workforce planning which fits for call curve
Number of agents in half an hour
call queues above the line, free agents under the line
Call curve
Workforce cost is 40-60% of total operational costs of a call center.
Distribution of incoming calls is not constant. Not controlled, external factors affect call quantity.
Strategic service expectations (service levels, call control theories, open hours, composition of workforce, division of labour) creates the framework of workforce planning.
20-30% average fluctuation should be calculated which influences availability of call center. 12 10 8
Number of calls 6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29
interval (min)‏
Underseating – reduced free time
Overseating – growing free time
Underseating – negative customer experience
Overseating - no significant added value
Workforce planning which fits for call curve
or optimization of existing workforce for call curve? 2

3. Management Summary
Contact center outsourcers, financial services, travel, hospitality, telecommunication providers, retailers and e-commerce companies are some of the most frequent users of contact center WFM software.
Enterprises using WFM solutions to report the following achivements:
Reduced time to create agent schedules by 45 percent to 90 percent
Increased service levels by 10 percent to 13 percent
Decreased payroll costs by 10 percent to 13 percent
Decreased call abandon rates to 3 percent. (Overall call abandonment rates consistently average around 7 percent; however, the best-performing 25 percent of desks average only 3 percent abandonment, according to Gartner Measurement.)
MarketScope: Workforce Management Software for the Contact Center Wendy S. Close, Tom Berg Document Type:  Strategic Analysis Report Note Number:  R

6. System implementation
Case study: workforce mgmt automation for a leading telecom service provider
Manual roster making, based on historical data
Chaotic seating, decreasing workforce satisfaction
Varying quality parameters
Human resources out of proportion to service level achieved
• Flexible roster that easily follows unpredictable events
• Supporting infrastructure, time of preparing roster reduced radically
• Steady service level
Requirement analysis,
determined by
planning inputs
Preparing system
specification
System implementation
and support

7. Architecture of main modules
Phinesse DB planner
Phinesse overtime
Phinesse outbound
Csiribiri client
Csiribiri client
Csiribiri client
Phinesse DB roster builder
Phinesse DB
Csiribiri admin
Application & communication server
XML loader
Phinesse XML planner
Imitátor client
Imitátor client
Imitátor client
Event/ message server
CMS loader
XML files
Phinesse XML roster builder
ACD
CTI
CMS

8. Integration to AIC AIC Phi- Nesse
Break/ACW/consulting transfer permission
Break/ACW/con sulting transfer request
On line traffic data by skill
Agent state actual data
AIC
Phi- Nesse

9. Making roster without WFMS
A roster can be made this way as well…
WFMS is most useful at 35 agents or above
Depends on complexity of roster (number of skills, cross-login etc.)‏

10. With PhiNesse
This way:
Input data
processing
Output data

11. Input data
Time period
Planned traffic by skill (historical data + trends)
Labour regulations
Service-Level expectations
Requirements of agents (ad hoc / regular)‏
Quantity of back office activities, outbound campaignes, breaks
Planning of outsourced workforce
Number of seats (by skill)‏
Agent-Skill, cross-login
Parameters of shifts (length, start time, etc…)‏

12. The ideal output Should fit annual Service Level requirements.
No accumulation in Back Office activities.
Efficiency of outbound campaigns should be satisfactory for the procurer as well
No violation of labour laws, local regulations and collective agreements
Agents work in a friendly atmosphere, where their personal requests are considered in the roster. Shifts should be swapped simply and without managerial involvment between agents with the same skills.

13. The process of automated roster
Initial, static parameters
Erlang table for workforce requirement based on expected service level
Prediction of traffic curves based on historical data and trends
Workforce requirement calculation based on Erlang values by skill
Defining forecastable personal requirements, assigning skills
Defining shift plan
Defining dynamic parameters
Building the roster automatically

14. Initial static parameters

15. Erlang table for workforce requirement calculation

16. Prediction of traffic curves based on historical data and trends

17. Workforce requirement calculation based on Erlang values by skill

18. Defining forecastable personal requirements, assigning skills

19. Defining shift plan: parameters of shifts for each skill can be defined (start time, length of shift, required number of people)‏

20. Defining dynamic parameters and building the roster

21. Different views of the complete roster
Global coverage

22. Different views of the complete roster
View by agent

23. Different views of the complete roster
What the agent receives

24. Different views of the complete roster
What the agent receives (Excel export)‏

25. Swapping of ready rosters
Shift exchanger module
Swapping of ready rosters
No need of management control
Popular (25% of shifts is swapped)‏

26. Windows for shift swapping
Client side windows of shift exchanger

27. Bidder
Agents can choose shifts within the given possibilities

28. Client side of the bidder application: bidding for the shifts of virtual roster

29. Supervisor can review the actual state of bid

30. Agent state managing module
Scheduling of breaks is a critical factor in call centers

31. Planning of breaks: overseating

32. Break and back-office activity schedule by agent

33. Break planning and control: static vs. dynamic