4 key steps to manage your contact center

Managing a contact center requires rigorous control of a set of responsibilities, combining team coordination, regulation of often unpredictable flows and continuous adaptation to operational requirements, making this mission a real challenge.

Thus, the management of a contact center is based on multiple parameters: forecasting the flow of activity, balancing the workload, distributing the workforce effectively across different channels (telephone, e-mail, chat, face-to-face) and guaranteeing a constant quality of service.

Discover what levers to mobilize to orchestrate these requirements accurately and ensure optimal management

How to anticipate, plan and optimize your workforce needs while effectively managing the unexpected to achieve your goals and improve the customer experience?

Step 1: identify and prioritize flows

The diversity of flows in a contact center (incoming calls, e-mails to be processed, face-to-face customers, etc.) requires strategic thinking about their prioritization.

In a multi-channel environment, each flow has a different degree of urgency and importance, requiring rigorous organization. Poor management can lead to long response times and customer dissatisfaction, which can directly impact your performance.

How to set priorities:

Identify the most used channels : analyze your flow data to identify which channels are generating the most volume.
Sort flows by priority level : interactions requiring an immediate response, such as calls or greetings, must be treated as a matter of priority in order to guarantee rapid care and maintain customer satisfaction. For example, incoming calls are often channels where responsiveness is crucial because you can't afford to miss out on a sale or a dissatisfied customer.

After highlighting these two factors, you can prioritize your flows taking into account both volume and priority level. You will have a better vision of the needs of your contact center.

Step 2: anticipate flows

Once strategic channels have been identified and prioritized, their planning is based on rigorous forecasting of workloads. It is a question of forecasting fluctuations in activity in order to adjust resources optimally and to mobilize the appropriate expertise at the appropriate time.

This approach ensures an efficient distribution of staff while maintaining a high level of service.

Optimal recommendations to refine your estimates:

Analyze your historical data : Identify trends, recurring spikes in activity, and quieter periods to better plan your resources. You can start with an annual, monthly and then daily analysis. You will find cycles and recurrences, such as more calls in October, often on Mondays and more in the morning. This data will vary depending on your sector of activity.
Exploit artificial intelligence : Use planning software that integrates advanced models to get accurate and reliable forecasts. Your historical data will be analyzed and will serve as a basis for you to anticipate workloads.

With the right tools and a thorough analysis, you can anticipate needs based on past trends and maximize your schedule management.

Step 3: adapt schedules and monitor performance for optimal management

After prioritizing flows and then anticipating the workload through refined forecasting, the challenge now lies in workforce planning. The aim is to transform these analyses into an optimized organization. This means allocating resources consistently. It is also essential to align everyone's skills with operational needs.

The keys to success:

Develop precise schedules based on your forecasts. Make sure you balance the workload across teams and channels.
Ensure a job-skills match : positioning each employee according to their skills and potential is essential to guarantee a balanced team, stimulate motivation and strengthen organizational performance
Follow Ongoing key indicators performance such as waiting times, volumes of flows processed and customer satisfaction.
Prioritize an agile approach : adjust headcount and priorities using real-time data
Make balance sheets regularly to assess your strategies and identify areas for improvement.

Step 4: Choose the right software to create your contact center schedules

The final step is crucial: opt for a multi-channel scheduling software effective that facilitates the forecasting of flows, the management of staff and the creation of schedules.

A solution like m-work, specially designed for contact centers, makes it possible to optimize the organization of schedules and the management of teams to improve the customer experience.

Why m-work?

Customer flow forecasts : thanks to artificial intelligence, m-work accurately anticipates variations in workload and provides recommendations for mobilizing the optimal number of employees at all times. This ensures adequate staffing, reduces team stress and improves workforce management.
Optimization of plannings : easily create flexible schedules adapted to the specific needs of your contact center, while taking into account regulatory working hours. This optimization contributes to reducing costs, better managing the workforce and improving employee satisfaction.
Interactive dashboards : monitor your performance in real time and identify critical touchpoints to adjust your decision-making quickly and effectively.
Simplified ergonomics : m-work's intuitive interface accelerates integration and allows teams to focus on what matters most.

The adoption of a software of workforce management as m-work represents a strategic investment to streamline workforce management, increase performance and improve the customer experience.

With fast implementation and powerful tools, your contact center will be ready for any challenge. Effective workforce management ensures sustainable results and a more balanced work environment for all.

In conclusion: choose the right tool to help you

Managing a contact center requires adapted tools and an effective strategy.. m-work is not only a planning tool, it is a complete solution to structure your organization and ensure its sustainability. Its advanced functionalities allow you to anticipate flows, optimize your schedules and maximize the productivity of your teams.

m-work helps you set up rigorous management and implement solutions adapted to the needs of your contact center.

With its advanced system, you optimize team management, reduce overtime, and better balance workload. This ensures a better quality of life for your teams while maintaining an irreproachable service for your customers.

By equipping yourself with m-work, you are putting every chance on your side to structure a solid strategy and meet the growing demands of your customers.

Choose a tool that supports your teams in their daily success, and optimize your contact center into a sustainable performance driver, capable of evolving according to the needs of your business.