all that’s needed is to carefully measure incoming (often phone) load to create accurate, time-based forecasts. Since staff is pretty much interchangeable, simply plug the right amount of staff in the schedule. Modern tools automate the entire process and some even offer smart features such as supporting car pool schedules. They work very well for high-volume environments.
In a high-complexity world, things are different.
• most cases are opened electronically, not on the phone
• volumes are much lower (and we know that staffing analysis becomes unreliable at low volumes)
• resolution times are very high, with many cases requiring many more than one transaction to resolve
• the staff spends more time working the backlog than working new issues
• staffers often specialize, sometimes in very small team sizes
Here are some workforce management principles that really work in high-complexity environments.
Create a staffing model
Don’t pretend you can finesse it: you must have a formula for how many bodies you need to handle X number of customers. The formula can be easily built with just a little patience: start with utilization rates (hours that are actually available for support work) and likely case volumes; apply known or targeted productivity metrics and your tiering model to derive a rough indication of manpower required. Adjust the numbers as needed to handle shift requirements and other minimum staffing levels. You will need one model per specialty area (queue). The exercise will immediately show you how beneficial it is to work with generalists whenever possible.
Implement productivity metrics
This is often a difficult topic in high-complexity environments in which case complexity can range from easy to very, very difficult, and where customer satisfaction is often seen as the only appropriate measurement. Think of it this way: if two support engineers both get similar high marks on customer satisfaction, but one happens to resolve twice as many cases as the other (and they are pulling from the same queue), wouldn’t you say that the one who closes more cases is more valuable to the organization?
The roughest metrics are the best if you’re starting out (as in: 12 support staffers closed 240 cases this month, hence 20 cases per month per staffer is a good number, again assuming that all 12 staffers have similar roles). Use average productivity, not “in office” productivity, so you never have to make adjustments for vacations and the like. And take measurements for long periods of time. In a high-complexity environment, someone could be hard at work for the whole day and not close a single case!
For a more refined measurement, capture effort time for each case. This is often tricky since most CRM systems don't include a friendly tracking feature and you can expect lots of pushback from the staff. It’s worth trying, however. Balance productivity targets with generous amounts of customer satisfaction: an even 50-50 split seems to work well.
Consider WFM tools
A simple spreadsheet is perfectly adequate for the modeling exercise. Almost all the companies I work with use Excel for modeling. No doubt it's a disappointment for workforce management (WFM) tool vendors, but Excel does a fine job of calculating staffing requirements.
When it comes to scheduling, many support centers, including very large ones, use spreadsheets, but managers can tire of juggling shift coverage, vacations, and training. WFM tools are very useful for scheduling 50 or more support staffers. Look for one with an employee portal so employees can self-manage their schedule once you define basic business rules such as "no fewer than X people on the Y team at any one time".
Adjust and tune the model
WFM is not a one-time exercise. Adjust the productivity assumptions at least quarterly, using the metrics from the tracking system. Increase the goals slightly at least once a year. And don't hesitate to experiment on a regular basis to see if a different routing or escalation scheme could make productivity go up a bit.
About The Author
Francoise Tourniaire is the founder and principal of FT Works, a consulting firm that helps technology companies create and grow their support operations. She’s the author of The Art of Software Support and Just Enough CRM, both practical guides for support managers and executives. For more information, visit www.ftworks.com or call 650 559 9826.
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