{"id":9101,"date":"2020-06-26T13:37:06","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T12:37:06","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=9101"},"modified":"2023-01-17T10:26:05","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T10:26:05","slug":"part-8-call-centre-trends-forecasting-workforce-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/part-8-call-centre-trends-forecasting-workforce-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 8: Call Centre Trends: Forecasting & Workforce Management"},"content":{"rendered":"

A common refrain in our series on contact centres has been that they are \u201cpeople businesses\u201d. The critical element of any centre\u2019s operations is the interaction between agents and customers. In a very real sense, a centre\u2019s workers are the organisation\u2019s most precious resource.<\/span><\/p>\n

As with all valuable resources, those workers must be <\/span>managed and handled effectively<\/span><\/a>. There\u2019s an entire strand of the operations of any call centre devoted to this. Forecasting and workforce management (WFM) are the two principal elements in that area.<\/span><\/p>\n

This post is going to take a closer look at forecasting and WFM in the contact centre<\/a> niche. Read on, and you\u2019ll learn what forecasting is all about and how it helps centres tailor their workforce. We\u2019ll also go on to discuss some of the most common forecasting techniques. As well as the vital KPIs and metrics associated with them.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Forecasting in the Context of Contact Centres?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hear the word \u201cforecasting\u201d, and your first thought might be for the five minutes at the end of the nightly news. Just as a weather forecast is about making predictions, so too is forecasting in call centres. The only thing that changes is what\u2019s getting predicted.<\/span><\/p>\n

For contact centres, what managers and agents need to know is the volume of contacts to expect at any given time. To deliver a superior level of <\/span>service to customers<\/span><\/a>, a contact centre has to plan ahead. Forecasted contact volumes are the building blocks of effective planning.<\/span><\/p>\n

The importance of forecasting stems from how it aids a centre to balance high-quality service and cost-efficiency. How essential forecasting is in that regard is evident once you get to grips with its connection to WFM.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Demand & Supply \u2013 The Relationship Between Forecasting & WFM<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In many types of business, supply and demand is an essential concept. In retail, companies must have the right amount of stock to meet consumers\u2019 needs. They must, though, avoid having too much inventory as that can raise their costs unnecessarily. Things are broadly similar in the call centre industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

A contact centre supplies advice and solutions in the place of retail goods. They must meet customer demands for that assistance. The higher the demand, the higher the call volume the centre will receive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than increasing stock levels, a centre meets increased demand by having more working agents. Having too many advisors active, though, damages an organisation\u2019s bottom line. No business wants to be paying workers who don\u2019t have enough work to keep them busy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Part<\/p>\n

Source: <\/b>Call Centre Helper<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

FM Outsource explained how \u201clabour flexibility\u201d was crucial to the firm\u2019s success. The business has both on-premises and home-based agents. They also have advisors who work core hours, but can add working time to those flexibly. Getting their forecasting right is the only way to know how to manage the workforce best.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All centres must get as good an idea as they can of the demand which their supply must satisfy. Factors that have to get considered when forecasting include:<\/span><\/p>\n