1. Using data and predictive analysis to optimize planning.
2. The contribution of AI in improving team engagement.
3Anticipating resource requirements to cope with fluctuations.
In customer relations centers, the challenges are many, and the priorities in terms of operational efficiency revolve around people, processes and tools. At the same time, demanding customers in a hurry have contributed to the multiplication of contact channels, as well as to greater personalization combined with faster problem resolution.
The multiplication of contact channels and, by extension, of agents’ skills, has made planning more complex. It must be reliable and precise, to enable more efficient, near-real-time management. For example, to facilitate the comparison of actual statistics with forecasts, to visualize discrepancies and anticipate re-planning, it is necessary to have a functionally rich solution which, beyond the fundamentals, can provide granular trends over the short, medium and long term.
A WFM solution is a unique experience for agents, supervisors and managers working in the field or remotely. It’s a must-have solution for all those who want to boost the performance of their customer relations center, encourage employee commitment and autonomy, and plan resources according to flows and preferences, while taking objectives into account. At the service of efficiency and service quality in a sector where every interaction is crucial to the brand experience, WFM draws on the best of AI to automate intelligently.
At the heart of WFM are three fundamental pillars: planning, forecasting and resource allocation. Planners have to juggle a multitude of variables, from historical data to market trends and seasonal factors, to determine how many agents are needed, precisely when they are needed, and what skills are required to meet customer needs and satisfaction. But WFM isn’t just about static planning. It also encompasses real-time management, where experts need to react quickly to unforeseen fluctuations in demand. This requires agile coordination and effective use of technology, including advanced WFM systems. The tool is more than just workforce management; it’s a strategic discipline that shapes the way companies interact with their customers. When mastered, it can be the key to success in the demanding world of customer relations, ensuring that teams are sized appropriately, that skills are matched to needs, and that the customer experience remains at the heart of every interaction. It also contributes to business development over the medium and long term, by providing analysis tools, reporting and visualization of skills, recruitment and training needs.
Automate workload forecasting for omnichannel workflows and back office activities. Automatic management of work schedules according to internal rules and employee preferences:
Different forecasts by activity or skill
Omnichannel and back office
Formation, réunion d’équipes, coaching...
– Customer service quality objectives
– Work constraints (minimum/maximum weekly working hours, etc.)
– Consultants’ skills and expertise
– Advisors’ availability
– Consultants’ work preferences
– Schedule requests in the form of auctions
It allows resources to be adjusted according to unforeseen circumstances (seasonal activity, absences, peak calls, etc.).
– Real-time adherence
– Alerts by email or pop-up message
– Agile tracking to improve adherence to planned activities
– Reminder of planned activities to advisors
It also offers the use of a mobile application for accessing schedules, making changes or requesting time off, an exchange system, and self-planning.
As a stakeholder in the quality of service delivered to the customer, the agent must evolve in a comfortable environment and have the best tools to function efficiently. Employees have a direct impact on production, and need to be considered and satisfied with their work in order to provide the best possible service. All studies converge on the fact that this phenomenon contributes to fostering a positive attitude, improving customer culture and individual and collective performance.
The WFM will also enable employees to play an active role in planning, by making available a mobile application that will enable them to draw up and monitor their schedules, postpone certain planned events, and exchange requests for time off and schedule changes. They will also be notified of pending requests, and will have a complete and exhaustive view without having to log on to the portal. A real time-saver that also offers a level of modernization for the working environment.
WFM coupled with a Voice of the Customer or Quality Monitoring tool will also enable further analysis of the content of the customer interaction, providing the advisor with more context, for example. With QM, training opportunities and personalized, gamified coaching can be offered.
The association of artificial intelligence (AI) with WFM opens up exciting new prospects, and will make a significant contribution both to the automation of a number of repetitive and administrative tasks, and to improving the personalized working environment of the employee. AI will also make it possible to predict call volumes more accurately, and automatically generate customer contact forecasts, whatever the channel, enabling the number of advisors to be readjusted. A perceptible impact for the customer: improved waiting time, better accessibility thanks to Machine Learning.
AI also brings a major strategic advance, particularly in training and skills development. This technology, at the forefront of innovation, serves as the foundation for accurately diagnosing weaknesses in agents’ skills and offering tailor-made training. AI surpasses the traditional learning framework by offering unrivalled personalization, aligning each training path with the specific needs and potential of each agent. This targeted approach ensures that agents’ skills are not just enhanced but constantly reinvented, aligned with the ever-changing needs and demanding expectations of the customer relations sector. In this ecosystem, AI presents itself not only as a tool for improving skills, but also as an essential vector for sustainable professional development.
AI also makes it possible to automate repetitive tasks. By taking over operations such as scheduling and query sorting, AI frees up monotonous tasks, enabling teams to focus on more complex, strategic activities. This evolution doesn’t just improve operational efficiency; it also enriches agents’ professional experience, offering them opportunities to engage in higher value-added tasks where expertise and emotion are at the forefront of customer interaction.
A complex project that deserves the best technical and business support if WFM is to live up to all its promises!
Our project approach is built around 4 pillars, including recurring monitoring and steering committees, as well as change management services.
Verint has significantly integrated AI into its WFM as well as its overall solution. Da Vinci Forecasting has been implemented to forecast demand by recommending the best algorithms using AI. AI-based Automated Quality evaluates human-bot interactions to improve quality, compliance and agent training. Verint RT Work Assist uses AI for real-time assistance, improving customer loyalty. Bots are also essential, automating tasks and improving the customer experience while reducing costs. For example, the Wrap Up bot uses AI to transcribe and summarize calls, integrating this information into the CRM. Finally, a team of bots, natively integrated into Verint's applications, helps advisors by evaluating performance, imparting knowledge and improving operational efficiency.
All in all, the integration of AI into WFM represents a significant advance for the customer relations sector, offering smarter resource management, improved customer experience, continuous development of employee skills, effective predictive analytics and sensible process automation.
Recently, Calabrio acquired Wysdom, an AI and bot analytics company to revolutionize the customer experience. An acquisition that accelerates Calabrio's strategy in this area of AI and Machine Learning to maximize engagement, productivity, and ROI. AI-powered WFM automates recurring tasks and facilitates agents' daily work. Studies show that a 5% increase in the commitment of customer relations center staff can generate a gradual 3% increase in sales. Calabrio, for example, is based on self-planning: boost your teams' motivation by giving them greater control over their schedules, thanks to the latest self-service tool - self-planning. Change your staff's productivity and your company's culture by moving from a rigid, manual work environment to a flexible, digitally optimized one.
