A model that estimates future weekly advisor requirements is a vital component for the smooth running of a customer operation, and should be regularly updated to gain maximum benefit. It can also be used for what-if modelling, particularly at budget time, where you can tweak assumptions to see how resource requirement changes under different conditions & performance levels. This gives you understanding of the potential to improve commercials and prioritise initiatives.
Here are 8 factors influencing resource requirement within an operation, that can be included as tweakable assumptions within a weekly model:
1 Forecast
For each future week, we need an accurate forecast of interactions such as inbound calls, emails, chats or countable pieces of admin work. These must reflect business activity such as marketing & billing, and the launch of new products and services. Also take into account automation and worktype elimination. Changes can be layered in as scenarios to understand the impact of each.
2 Handling Times
Resource requirements are very sensitive to changes in process times, so select these carefully. These are influenced by systems and performance management practices. As with interactions, take into account any forthcoming automation.
3 Within-day Profile
Longer opening hours of an inbound centre can result in many intervals with tiny volumes. All other things being equal, this can increase resource requirement.
4 Service Level
Striving to answer inbound calls or respond to emails within certain timescales… the stricter the service level, the more resource is required.
5 Shrinkage
Advisors can’t be available to customer for all of their contracted time. There is sickness, holiday and other absence. Further, there are at-work absences such as breaks, training, coaching & team meetings. Ensure that the assumptions support endeavours to maximise employee engagement and performance.
6 Multiskilling & Pooling
How work arrives and is shared across the advisor population has a great impact on resource requirement, so should be included.
7 Schedule Inflex
If you have pockets of availability due to inefficiencies in the scheduling methods, it can have a significant impact on resource requirement.
8 Speed to Competency
If there is growth – or if attrition is high – then recruitment can be significant. Performance will be developing at the start of an advisor’s tenure, and can be taken into account in the model.
Using these factors as elements within your model will ensure it mimics the real world, and will allow you to see the commercial impact of changes. If you need help to calculate resource requirement or perform what-if modelling for your customer operation, please contact me.
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At Atlantic Insight, our mission is to help Customer Operations achieve sustained improvements in operational effectiveness and customer engagement. We would be delighted to partner with you to improve performance. To start a conversation, please email us at hello@atlanticinsight.com, or call us on +44 (0) 161 438 2009
Philip Stubbs is Partner of Atlantic Insight, and has over 25 years’ experience of improving performance within operational areas within a wide range of industries.
