Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center. By Paul Stockford, President and Chief Analyst at Saddletree Research

Transcription

1 Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center By Paul Stockford, President and Chief Analyst at Saddletree Research

2 Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center Introduction Calabrio Dynamic Scheduling represents the next generation of workforce management (WFM) software. The contact center market is undergoing redefinition and redirection in response to generational, technological and strategic changes. Dynamic Scheduling takes into account these environmental factors. Burgeoning interest in better understanding the voice of the agent and addressing agent turnover, are additional motivating factors driving this new WFM innovation. Calabrio Dynamic Scheduling provides an innovative method for providing contact center agents with an active role in the creation of their work schedule via a unique approach to schedule selection while maintaining an appropriate balance between the staffing needs, work rules (legal, cultural, etc.) and agent work/life balance desires. Beyond simple shift bidding, Dynamic Scheduling takes into account important factors, such as seniority and performance, to create a scheduling process that recognizes and rewards agents for superior performance. Calabrio Dynamic Scheduling relies on five key workflow processes: A staffing forecast based on generally accepted contact center workforce management procedures; Work rules definition library used to apply appropriate operational rules; Work rules are assigned to individual agents and/or groups of agents as is needed for any time of the year or even for specific events during the year; Event scheduling that allows the WFM analyst to oversee and monitor the shift selection process; Agent selection in which the agents select their shifts based upon the work rules established by the WFM analyst. Calabrio Dynamic Scheduling represents a significant departure from traditional WFM practice in many ways. To better understand the revolutionary approach to scheduling that Calabrio Dynamic Scheduling takes, the following refresher on the current state of contact center WFM scheduling may be helpful. Workforce Management in Perspective Workforce management software first appeared in the contact center market in 1980 with the advent of the first mainframe-based scheduling solution. By 1985, a PC-based WFM solution appeared, greatly simplifying the infrastructure required to support a WFM deployment. The scheduling process remained complex and still required weeks of specialized training and extensive knowledge of a particular product. As the WFM market segment evolved toward greater efficiency in scheduling and simplicity in administration, market penetration increased. Saddletree Research estimated penetration of WFM software into the U.S. contact center market at 13 percent in This year, we estimate WFM software penetration in the U.S. contact center market to be approximately 73 percent. Clearly, WFM has become the standard for scheduling in contact centers of all sizes. Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center Page 3

3 2004 also was the year the contact center industry saw the advent of the Workforce Optimization (WFO) market segment. In its initial configuration, a WFO suite consisted of the following contact center solutions: Workforce Management Quality Monitoring Performance Management E-Learning A comprehensive WFO suite tightly integrated these four contact center solutions, typically with a single point of administration, to create market demand based upon new performance applications that could be created with the combination of two or more of these individual solutions. The market quickly discovered that a true WFO solution must be anchored by WFM solutions and applications, further solidifying the role of WFM scheduling in the contact center industry. WFM Scheduling Evolves As previously noted, the WFM scheduling analyst once was a position that required weeks of specialized training as well as a deep understanding of a WFM solution from a single vendor. It was rare to find a WFM analyst whose scheduling skills could easily be transferred from one vendor solution to another. As a result, many WFM solutions eventually became severely under-utilized as analysts switched jobs and contact center management began to resist the training and opportunity costs associated with keeping a cadre of versatile WFM analysts. As a result, administrative interfaces associated with WFM scheduling were greatly simplified. The most significant change to the WFM interface was the addition of drag-and-drop functionality to replace the typically complex programming associated with traditional WFM software. The net effect of this evolution was to open the WFM software market to a much larger percentage of the contact center industry while streamlining the effort and time associated with administrating a WFM application. With the need for expensive and timely administrative and analyst training virtually eliminated, a greater number of contact centers of all sizes discovered the benefits of scheduling algorithms in the quest for productivity and efficiency. As the WFM market saw significant growth, many contact centers saw an opportunity to simultaneously improve customer service efficiency and agent job satisfaction by giving agents a greater say in their assigned work schedules. This phenomenon is recognized today as shift bidding. The precursor to Dynamic Scheduling, shift bidding requires the creation of agent shifts by WFM administrators. Once the shift schedule is finalized, agents are allowed to select from available shifts in order to create their work schedules. The order of selection is typically determined by a combination of agent seniority, performance, and other factors deemed relevant by the contact center director. If a preferred shift is not available by the time an agent s opportunity to select arrives, an alternative predefined shift must be selected from those still available. While shift bidding has improved contact center employee morale and gives agents a degree of work life control, it still has its shortcomings. For example, if all shifts are scheduled to begin at a time that is not ideal in the eyes of top performing agents, there is no advantage to offering them first choice of bid selection. Allowing an employee the opportunity to choose among a group of undesirable choices does not generally lead to greater job satisfaction. Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center Page 4

4 Dynamic Scheduling versus Traditional Scheduling Traditional scheduling relies on scheduling techniques developed during the past 30-plus years, with output being a complete agent schedule based strictly upon the needs of the contact center. Agents typically have little or no say in schedule creation beyond the standard time off/vacation requests. As previously noted, shift bidding includes a modicum of agent participation in the scheduling process. With shift bidding, agents are allowed to bid on previously established schedules based upon factors established by contact center management. In general terms, shift bidding does not offer a long-term incentive for agents to work toward the goal of being among the first to bid for a shift. Dynamic Scheduling represents the next generation of shift bidding, taking into account the voice of the agent as well as the needs of the contact center. Top performance and seniority are recognized in tangible ways relative to schedule creation. Meaningful rewards are available to those who work toward the goal of being among the first to participate in the dynamic scheduling process. Dynamic Scheduling is a multi-step process, the first step of which is the creation of a standard staffing forecast. This step represents the basis of any contact center schedule because it ensures adequate customer service coverage regardless of the scheduling technique employed. Dynamic Scheduling offers an innovative approach to engaging agents by giving them an active role in the scheduling process. The next step in the Dynamic Scheduling process is to create a library of work rules. As work rules are created they are stored in a library in which rules can be established for individual agents, groups of agents, or the entire enterprise. Work rules can address requirements as complex as legal work requirements, such as union rules, to issues as basic as the start time of a particular shift. Work rules also define directives such as how many hours an agent works during the week, which days they can or will work, how many days in a row they must work before taking a day off, how many hours they may work in one day, and so on. Variable work rules allow an agent to choose from a number of scheduling options based upon the basic work rules in the library. Figure 1 below illustrates a typical Dynamic Scheduling Work Rules administrator page. Figure 1: Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center Page 5

5 The next step involves the Administrator or Scheduling Analyst picking the work rules they wish to assign to agents for the targeted time of year they which to have schedules created. This action supports the ability for users to align the desired staffing and scheduling mix with the specific needs of any time of year and/or upcoming event while positioning staffing as is appropriate to their particular scheduling program. For example the more senior and/or higher performing agents not only could be allowed earlier scheduling options, they may also have work rules with a wider set of variables available to them than more junior or lower performing agents. Additionally, a user might want to use work rules specific to a holiday week to address the scheduling requirements unique to that particular week. Figure 2: Once the Work Rules have been defined and assigned as desired, the WFM analyst to define the time frame in which an agent will create their schedule in the Dynamic Scheduling process. In other words, the analyst determines when an agent will be allowed to access the schedule in order to select their preferred shift parameters, which work rules will apply to which agent, the ranking of each agent for schedule selection, and the length of time a particular agent will have in order to make his or her schedule selections. Figure 3 below illustrates how these events are scheduled within Calabrio s Dynamic Scheduling solution. Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center Page 6

6 Figure 3: Event Scheduling is where the differences between shift bidding and Dynamic Scheduling are the greatest. In a shift bidding scenario, agents select among pre-established shift times with assigned start and end times, break times, etc. With Dynamic Scheduling, agents are allowed to create their own shift times within the parameters set by the work rules. Figure 4 below represents a typical event scheduling page that is accessed by the agent during the Dynamic Scheduling process. Figure 4: Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center Page 7

7 Among the most notable features on the page depicted in Figure 4 is the column on the right side that displays the variable work rules parameters. Note that rather than agents having to select predetermined time slots, they have the option of selecting what time they start their shift(s), how long they work between the minimum and maximum shift lengths as defined by work rules, the number of days per week they work, and which days they have off. This unprecedented level of agent scheduling flexibility is supported by Calabrio WFM scheduling software, which continually learns and trains itself based upon the addition of work rules over time. Specific rules can be associated with specific time frames, such as holidays, and with specific agents. Similar to shift bidding, agents are allowed access to scheduling selections based upon rank as determined by management. Agents at the top of the rankings will have the largest array of options to choose from when creating their schedules. Users have complete control over the order and if (as well as which) multiple agents have simultaneous access and when the agents have access. This level of configuration control prevents scenarios where agents could select time periods that do not need additional staffing. While Calabrio Dynamic Scheduling is automated, supervisors or managers still play an important role in the process and, not surprisingly, the manager still has the final say in schedule approval. Likewise, any changes to the schedule once the selections have been made must be approved by management. Contact center management remains integral to agent scheduling, even as the benefits of Dynamic Scheduling can be seen in overall contact center efficiency. The Impact of Dynamic Scheduling Beyond the positive operational impact Calabrio Dynamic Scheduling will have on the administrative side of the WFM scheduling process, it also expected to make a significant impact on agent morale, performance, and job satisfaction. As contact centers look toward reducing agent turnover and engaging agents as important contributors to the overall enterprise mission, Dynamic Scheduling has the potential to play a major role. Dynamic Scheduling leverages crowd sourcing techniques to accomplish scheduling tasks. Crowd sourcing has a long history of generating results not possible through traditional means. Take Wikipedia, multiple resources generate ongoing topics and content for subject matter not possible through printed and bound encyclopedias. Creation of traditional encyclopedias is limited by time, resources and personnel. Similarly these obstacles are removed by crowd sourcing scheduling tasks. Optimal schedules are generated by allowing for easier discovery of individuals willing to work shifts once thought undesirable. As the Voice of the Customer (VoC) initiative has gained traction in the contact center, there is an equally intriguing Voice of the Agent (VoA) movement gaining a foothold in the industry. Driven by generational concerns about how the employee of the future must be treated along with a general softening of the rigid performance metrics that have traditionally been the foundation for agent performance measurement, the Voice of the Agent movement seeks to include and empower contact center agents relative to work/life decisions and career potential. Calabrio Dynamic Scheduling directly addresses the burgeoning need to provide agents with an active role in their working life. Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center Page 8

8 Conclusion Calabrio Dynamic Scheduling is tangible evidence of the shift in contact center industry dynamics that is taking customer service to customer experience; replacing performance metrics such as Average Handle Time (AHT) with First Call Resolution (FCR); and directly addressing agent turnover and work/life issues by such actions as making shift scheduling an inclusive task. The increased job satisfaction provided by Dynamic Scheduling stands to have a positive impact on every facet of the contact center. As discussed in this paper, the contact center industry is undergoing a period of change that is ushering in better understanding of the overall customer journey and improving customer care efficiency by taking into account the voice of the customer, as well as the voice of the agent. Calabrio Dynamic Scheduling is designed to recognize and support these changes, putting it at the vanguard of the next generation contact center. Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center Page 9

9 saddletreeresearch.com Calabrio, Inc st Avenue North Suite 300 Minneapolis MN calabrio.com Copyright 2015, Calabrio, Inc. All rights reserved. Calabrio and the Calabrio logo are the registered trademark of Calabrio, Inc. All other products are the property of their respective companies. LC Dynamic Scheduling: Workforce Management for the Next Gen Contact Center Page X