Why Workforce Management Software Should be a Top Priority for the Remote Contact Center

There are several different areas to consider when attempting to improve efficiency. One of the most important factors is having the right workforce management software (WMS) or workforce engagement management (WEM) software. This can bring together all the back-office aspects of an efficient contact center into one program. As a result, your contact center can become a more optimized workforce.

Every year, companies lose $75 billion in revenue due to poor customer service. Lack of structure and communication in an organization is usually the culprit. Optimizing a work environment such as a contact center can ensure that customers are always taken care of, quickly and efficiently.

Think about the areas of improvement in your contact center’s workflows. Understanding the pain points can help you select the right workforce management software for you and your employees. Ask, “What operations are currently slowing down our departments? Are there any recurring issues that keep popping up?”

Contact centers usually run into the same sorts of industry issues. Thankfully, many workforce management software programs designed for contact centers help address these needs.

Take a look at the 10 top features that workforce management software programs should have to ensure your contact center runs smoothly.

Ease of Use

Optimizing your contact center starts with optimizing your agents’ workflows. This includes using workforce management software that has a friendly user interface and is easy to learn and use. It should be as easy as possible to clock in, track time, complete tasks, and submit PTO so that way your team is spending as much time as possible assisting customers.  

Your software should be simple to configure, reducing workloads for your IT department. Further, training time is reduced when your workforce management software is intuitive and simple.

Human Resource Benefits

Human resources for call centers involve a wide variety of functions. Payroll across your agents — especially if they’re in different countries — can be quite tricky if not managed properly. Onboarding and offboarding are other kinds of work that you’ll need to address correctly and efficiently. Fortunately, today’s latest workforce management software technology provides support for your HR departments.

Only two mistakes on payroll can push employees to look for another job. An automated solution will keep your agents confident that their paychecks will be deposited on time every time. Payroll complexities such as taxes or other deductions can be accurately handled.

To-do lists can be sent out to employees to remind them to enroll in their chosen benefit plans, complete training, or review new services and product lines.

Accurate Forecasting Capabilities

The ability to do workforce optimization and forecasting days makes a significant difference in contact center efficiency. A workforce management software that can accurately inform you about staffing needs will always show a great return of investment. Avoid going over your budget by overstaffing on less busy days with precise data.

Productivity Improvement

It is easy to lose productivity in a busy place like a contact center. Optimal workforce management software can help increase your agents’ productivity in several ways.

Another way that leading workforce management software helps improve productivity is by introducing chatbots. Chatbots and virtual agents are available 24/7 for customers to interact with. They provide resolutions for easy questions customers may have. As a result, your contact center only receives top-priority calls which relieve your agents’ workloads.

Features of Top-Rated Contact Center Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) Platforms

Are you interested in using the most robust contact center workforce management (WMS) and workforce engagement management (WEM) platform? Here are the top features you’ll use the most:

Time and Attendance

How is your contact center currently tracking time and attendance? Are you using an outdated software program that is disconnected from other programs agents use? Perhaps you are using spreadsheets to keep track of employees’ in and out times.

Implementing an automated employee scheduling system helps you eliminate manual processes. It can also help you manage employee breaks or days off.

Your contact center’s scheduling program should be integrated into the rest of the software your agents use. This provides a seamless experience for the user. Management can have a more hands-off approach and improve productivity.

Having tools that include automation will save you lots of time. Agents can manage their own schedules and submit requests as needed, reducing the workload for managers. This feature enhances the employee experience which means less turnover for your company.

Call Analytics

Are you relying on manual effort in gathering time spent on phone calls or managing customer requests or work orders? The latest technology in workforce management software includes the ability to provide high-quality business insights and analytics.

This data can help support other important components of your business. For example, see if your team is spending enough time on core work (such as in your CRM, chat, or phone apps) versus non-core work.

Cyber Security Features

How safe is your customer’s data? Do you know where your HR department stores sensitive employee information? Your workforce management system should be safe and secure to ensure privacy and security requirements are best-in-class. Secure workforce management software should be compliant with HIPPA, GDPR, and SOC-2 Type II standards.

Cybersecurity breaches can be a nightmare for any company. One hacking incident can easily cost a small contact center over $200,000. Ensure your workforce management software is secure so you and your customers don’t have to worry about data leaks.

Cloud Based Capabilities 

Enterprise workforce management systems can take your teams to the next level. Gone are the days when agents needed to rush to the office to make calls from cubicles. Simply log on to your laptop and securely do your work from home.

The number of remote employees has risen significantly since mandatory quarantine in 2020. 74% of employees now see remote work as standard. Therefore, WEM software for remote and hybrid call centers is more important than ever.

In Conclusion: Modernize your Call Center with Best-in-Class Workforce Engagement Management Software

A quality workforce management system does not have to be complex. It should make your contact center’s operations run smoothly so that both agents and customers always have positive interactions.

There are many different components that make up an optimized working environment to consider. Taking the time to implement and invest in an efficient system will be one of the wisest business decisions you make for a successful contact center.