1. Workforce Management For Small Call Centers
Richard Spearrin
NECCF Board of Directors

2. Agenda Introductions and Overview Small Call Center Distinctives
Basic Workforce Management Ingredients
Excel Examples
Alternatives/ Resources
WIIFM
Conclusion

3. Introduction Objective Who Am I ??? Who Are You???
Inventory of Center Sizes
Current Challenges

4. Small Call Center Distinctives
Calls Still Arrive Randomly
Monday’s Are Still Busy
Smaller Call Volumes Make Forecast Accuracy Difficult
Inherent Schedule Inefficiency
One Person Makes a BIG Difference
Senior Managers Don’t See Your Problems

5. Actual Random Call Arrival

6. Basic WFM Ingredients Forecasting Factors Interval Proportions
Monthly
Weekly
Daily
Interval Proportions
Data Validation (Calls and AHT)
Monthly Updates
Holiday Factor
Shrinkage

7. Factors and Proportions Spreadsheet

8. More Basic Ingredients
Scheduling
Develop shifts that
Reflect demand
Are manageable
Build in schedule inefficiency factor
Assigned on phone based on call distribution
Assign breaks/lunch's based on business need
Part Time FTE
On site
Work At Home

9. Schedule Inefficiency
Everyone
starts here
But you don’t
need everyone
then
Inefficiency reflects
this environment

10. Intra Day Management Use schedules to adjust for Manage off phone time
Unplanned absence
Call surges
Manage off phone time
ACD AUX/ Walk Away codes

11. Excel Examples

12. Alternatives and Resources
Erlang macro
Portage Communications--
Mitan Ltd--
Kool Toolz--
Cloud Based applications (Aspect/IEX/Verint/ InVision/Pipkins/ etc)
Ansapoint---
Shift Planning---

13. WIIFM Better MANAGE the workload Improved staff management
Better management of surprises
Documented plan for Senior Mgt
How you are managing
Why you need resources
What will happen “if”………

14. Conclusion .

15. RICHARD SPEARRIN