Connecting the dots between performance metrics and contact center outcomes is paramount to keeping your service center humming along. As you know, call center staff typically have a high turnover rate, while customers demand exceptional service at every turn. So how do you bridge the gap?
Adopting better technology without understanding the machinations that drive your interactions is not enough. Mode and call flow is one thing, but what about a true insight into agent performance? How is that impacting your business, and where can you improve? That's where workforce-optimized, cloud-based contact center solutions come in. But what, exactly, is workforce optimization (WFO), and how can it help? Read on:
Are Workforce Optimization and Workforce Management the Same Thing?
Many believe workforce optimization (WFO) and workforce management (WFM) are two terms for the same thing. But they're not. While they are connected and have some overlapping features, WFO is a distinct set of tools that assists with appropriate staffing levels and includes contact center features that bolster agent performance. It might help to think of WFM as a component of WFO.
While both workforce management and workforce optimization refine and improve business operations, customer engagements, and team collaboration for bustling workplaces like retail, healthcare, and financial services contact centers, WFM is best for companies that manage hourly employees. At the same time, WFO is best suited for enterprise organizations.
WFM (and, therefore, WFO) manages schedules, tracks attendance, and automates staffing levels. Other key components are:
-
Service-Level Forecasting: Forecasting tools let organizations predict workflow and busy times throughout seasons, months, weeks, or even specific days for optimal staff planning.
-
Absence Management: Freeing up HR, WFM includes apps for employees to request time off and manage and track various types of PTO per company policies.
-
Shift-Swap Tools: Employees can trade shifts easily, increasing scheduling flexibility and enhancing employee satisfaction.
-
Mobile Access: Cloud-based platforms allow your organization to work anywhere from any device with an internet connection. Staff can check schedules, request time off, and more from their mobile device.
With appropriate staffing comes happier employees. They're less stressed, better utilized, and possess higher competency levels, leading to higher satisfaction and lower attrition. All good, right?
But WFO goes deeper than that.
How WFO Helps Contact Centers Thrive
Besides the functionality above, WFO provides additional tools to coach employees and foster enhanced engagement. These tools enable contact center managers to see what is going on in their customer service centers and understand gaps and opportunities that allow them to make decisions that provide better outcomes for everyone involved.
Here are some of the workforce optimization features available on a modern cloud-based contact center platform:
-
Call Monitoring: Supervisors can monitor calls as they happen, allowing for immediate assistance and feedback on performance evaluation.
-
Real-Time Coaching: AI (artificial intelligence) analyzes text and speech data to detect how a call is going, then gives reps prompts on the next steps to handle the call better.
-
Speech Analysis: AI analyzes live or recorded calls to identify training opportunities for the agent involved.
-
Desktop Analysis: The WFO feature records your rep's desktop activities, tracking resources used during their workday, enabling management insight into what behaviors lead to positive or negative outcomes.
-
Knowledge Management: Some WFO systems offer resource sections like FAQ libraries, reference guides, and Q&As.
Do you need workforce optimization, or is workforce management enough? The bottom line is every company will have specific requirements, so there’s not a one size fits all answer. Our in-depth cloud procurement process uncovers your unique needs. From there, we advise, plan, train, implement, and offer ongoing support throughout your journey so you'll be ready to tackle current and future business needs.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy: