Presented by:

Wendy Fowler and Brent HaferkampSenior Consultants, ICMI

Schedule Adherence: Learn How to Stop Guessing on Goals

Schedule Adherence: Learn How to Stop Guessing on Goals

Define – Schedule Adherence

Factors to Consider When Setting Your Goal

How Can You Improve Schedule Adherence

The Impact of Non-Adherence

Questions

Adherence to Schedule:

A general term that refers to how well agents adhere to their schedules. Can include:

• how much time they were logged in compared to scheduled log in time (% log in time/availability)

• when they were logged in compared to scheduled time to be logged in (compliance/conformance)

Note: Most WFM systems do not impact you if you are working when you should not be…but all systems impact you if you are not working and you should be.

Polling Questions:

o Do you measure adherence to schedule?

o What is your schedule adherence goal? 95% or higher 91% - 94% 90% Less than 90%

o How did you come up with your schedule adherence goal?

Polling Questions:

o How many participants are currently meeting their schedule adherence goal?

o If you are not meeting your goal, what do you suspect is wrong?

Lack of understanding Too rigid Too Flexible Wrong Goal Poor Exception Management Processes

Determining Your Goals

What factors should you consider when determining yourschedule adherence goal?

• Scheduled Hours• Average Handle Time (AHT)• Average # of non-phone scheduled events per day• Amount of non-productive time allowed per day

Let’s take a closer look.

What Should Your Schedule Adherence Goal Be?

•Average Hours Scheduled per Day

7.5

•# of Times Caught on Call Per Day on Avg

3

•AHT (minutes)

8.3

•Additional Minutes of Non-Adherence

30

•% of Non-Adherence Time

12%

•Proposed Schedule Adherence

88%

ICMI Calculations for Determining Schedule Adherence Targets

What Happens if We Change AHT?

•Average Hours Scheduled per Day

7.5

•# of Times Caught on Call Per Day on Avg

3

•AHT (minutes)

5.0

•Additional Minutes of Non-Adherence

30

•% of Non-Adherence Time

10%

•Proposed Schedule Adherence

90%

Questions:

o Do you have different schedule adherence goals for different queues/skills?

o Should you?

o Do you have different schedule adherence goals for full-time staff vs. part-time staff?

o Should you?

•Average Hours Scheduled per Day

4.0

•# of Times Caught on Call Per Day on Avg

1

•AHT (minutes)

5.0

•Additional Minutes of Non-Adherence

15

•% of Non-Adherence Time

8%

•Proposed Schedule Adherence

92%

What Should Be Your Schedule Adherence Goal?

Additional things to consider when determining you adherence goal:

•Only use half the average handle time

•Allow agents to transition to a non-phone activity when they are within a window equivalent to half the handle time.

What Should Be Your Schedule Adherence Goal?

What Can You Do to Improve Schedule Adherence?

1. Set realistic goals and expectations

2. Create accurate forecasts

3. Schedule efficiently - optimize breaks and lunches

4. Train agents on how their individual performance impacts your customers and their peers – ever hear of “The Power of One”?

5. Train everyone in your contact center on the importance of schedule adherence.

6. Hold everyone accountable – employees, supervisors and managers

Talk Time in Seconds = 180After Call Work in Seconds =30Calls per Half Hour =250Service Level Objective in Secs = 20

30313233343536373839404142

Agents24%45%61%73%82%88%92%95%97%98%99%99%100%

Service Level2097538211385321110

ASA97%94%91%88%86%83%81%79%77%75%73%71%69%

OccupancyErlang C Calculation

1. How many agents do you need to meet your service objective?

2. What happens to service if you lose one agent because they are out of adherence?

3. What happens to occupancy?

The Impact of Non-Adherence

Schedule Adherence 92% 90% 88%

Total Calls and Emails 967200 967200 967200Handle Time 300 300 300

Base Workload Hours 80600 80600 80600

Base Required FTEs 42.12 43.06 44.03Annualized Salary and Benefits $35,000 $35,000 $35,000

Total Salary Expense $1,474,185 $1,506,944 $1,541,193

Incremental Cost - $32,760 $67,008

•To do the same work with less adherence requires more FTEs•Inconsistent service to customers•Higher occupancy•Real-time team changing the past verses focusing on the future

Schedule Adherence: Learn How to Stop Guessing on Goals

Just Released!ICMI Workforce Management Research Report• 545 contact center professionals surveyed• Representing wide range of industries and geographic • Evaluation of contact centers’ workforce management technologies and tools• Examination of the various staffing strategies employed to manage a dynamic workload

icmi.com/wfmreport