Many small to medium size call centers still use spreadsheets to forecast and manage call center schedules and workforce planning, assuming that it is a sufficient tool for fewer agents. Quite to the contrary, it is more difficult to manage fewer agents in a small to medium size center, and here is why:
- Behavior of individual agents have bigger impact on overall center performance;
- Fewer agents need to multi-task, making skill-based scheduling more complex;
- It is more difficult to correct the schedule once it has been upset by unexpected events.
Staffing is the most expensive resource in the entire call center budget (60 to 80%), therefore, even a 1% increase in productivity will significantly impact the bottom line. Read more in this short whitepaper
The Real Costs of Spreadsheet Based Scheduling.
Many small to medium size call centers still use spreadsheets to forecast and manage call center schedules and workforce planning, assuming that it is a sufficient tool for fewer agents. Quite to the contrary, it is more difficult to manage fewer agents in a small to medium size center, and here is why: