ACM Diagnostics

Intra-Day Contact Centre Management Skills - Course Outline

This is a course for contact centre managers and team leaders.

Its aims are to teach :

	the basic principles of staffing to meet service level targets; and
	how to manage the business impact of unforeseen events.
The course is largely based on our Contact Centre Simulator, CC-SIM, which enables the practical impact of resource management decisions to be swiftly and entertainingly presented to students, with no effect on real life service levels. The simulator is introduced by means of a series of short lecture sessions which develop the principles of resource management. Program:
	Module 1: Contact Centre Costs
	Module 2: Call Profiles and Staffing
	Module 3: Using TrafCalc
	Module 4: Factors we Can and Cannot Control
	Module 5: Using CC-SIM, the Contact Centre Simulator
	Module 6: Continuing Use of CC-SIM
	Module 7: Use of Workforce Management Packages

Module 1: Contact Centre Costs

In this module we consider the major cost components in the operation of a contact centre, and the main determinants of staff costs - which are the most significant cost element.
Traffic and service levels
Average handle times
Limits to staff numbers
Supervision ratios

Module 2: Call Profiles and Staffing

Next we look at traffic profiles and forecasts, and investigate sources of data for this key factor. The effect of target service levels on staffing is explored in this session.
Typical voice call traffic profiles and sources for these
Typical email traffic profiles and sources for these
Average handle times
The effects of service level targets on staff numbers, using Erlang C
Staff utilisation best practice

Module 3: Using TrafCalc

In this module we use TrafCalc to show participants the inter-relationships between traffic intensity, AHT, target service level, staff numbers and staff utilisation in a very graphic form.
Understanding the inter-relationships
Using the tool to gain staff commitment to schedule adherence

Module 4: Factors we Can and Cannot Control

In this module we analyse the factors which we can control in the contact centre, and those which are outside our control.
Mix of full-time and part-time staff
Shift structures
The 'cost' of an agent
Use of excess capacity in voice staffing to handle non-real time contacts

Module 5: Using CC-SIM, the Contact Centre Simulator

CC-SIM is a contact centre simulator, presented as a business game, to teach participants the principles underpinning staff rostering with an emphasis on business outcomes.
Understanding the traffic profiles and target service levels
Analysing the shift structures
Rostering staff to meet target service levels
Monitoring performance and costs
Improving performance

Module 6: Continuing Use of CC-SIM

Enabling the random events which challenge the contact centre manager every day- staff absences and unpredicted traffic surges.
Responding to unanticipated events - intra-day management
Monitoring performance and costs

Module 7: Use of Workforce Management Packages

What they do for you and where they can be cost-justified.
Work with ShiftBuilder, an effective rostering tool for smaller call centres:
	Defining business rules for rostering
	Defining staff records - skills and shift preferences
	Defining traffic
	Setting up a roster, managing breaks and adherence.