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Most
businesses are people-centric and, therefore, the ability
to deliver a service relies on the efficiency of workforce
acquisition, planning, and deployment. At any point of time,
the composition of the people in the right mix across the
organization or department determines the service capability.
The inability to serve customers due to inadequate staff or
lack of right workforce, results in customer satisfaction
decline. In such conditions, deploying the right person in
the right place to perform the right activities at the right
time is important. However, this is a daunting task which
workforce managers face today. It involves complexity and
uncertainty in both workforce and the work.
In most cases, the size and the type of workload is usually
unknown or could not be predicted in advance, as it depends
on the demand of service volume that keeps changing from time
to time. This is largely a supply chain problem pertaining
to human resources, which should be addressed through a holistic
approach.
Managing adequate workforce always to address service requests
without any delay is a great challenge, as the workforce is
subject to being absent from work at any point of time. If
organizations engage contingent or additional workforce, it
will only increase the costs.
These
workforce problems exist across a wide range of industries
such as manufacturing, transport & logistics, utilities,
healthcare, banking, airlines, retail, etc., while it is predominantly
a critical factor determining the success of call or contact
centers. Hence, an effective way that supports adequate tactical
planning and scheduling of the workforce is indispensable.
"Workforce Management" offers a pragmatic approach
to address these challenges. In the ensuing discussion, let
us broadly define and understand - what workforce management
is how information technology enables workforce management
within organizations and across various industries. We shall
also explore the tactical and strategic benefits along with
the advancements in workforce management solutions offering
sophisticated, next generation capabilities. |
