Category: FAQ
Excerpt: Crisis situations such as sudden waves of illness or unexpected call peaks can severely disrupt operations in a service center. How do you ensure that your team functions optimally even in these exceptional situations?
What to do if the worst comes to the worst?
How does your service center react to a sudden wave of illness? What happens if the call volume unexpectedly increases dramatically or external events jeopardize operations?
Crisis situations not only put day-to-day operations to the test, but often also the strategic planning of companies. This is why companies need flexible and robust systems to manage their teams efficiently in times of crisis.
Possible crisis situations in service centers
Sudden waves of illness
Flu or cold seasons can decimate the workforce considerably. Without efficient planning, service levels and customer satisfaction suffer.
Unexpected increase in calls
Events such as product launches, technical problems or marketing campaigns can increase call volumes by leaps and bounds.
Technical failures
IT malfunctions or communication system failures can paralyze operations for hours.
Natural disasters or extreme weather conditions
Snowstorms, floods or heatwaves can prevent employees from showing up for work.
Unplanned changes in the personnel structure
Terminations or sudden changes in the availability of employees pose challenges for deployment planning.
In these scenarios, manual processes and rigid systems quickly reach their limits. Typical problems are
- Lack of transparency about available resources
- High time expenditure to adjust shift plans at short notice
- Lack of flexibility to efficiently deploy employees with the required qualifications
- High administrative costs in order to continue to comply with legal and operational requirements
The solution: workforce management in crisis situations
A modern workforce-management system such as opcycWFM is the key to effectively mastering crisis situations. With extensive functions it helps companies to remain capable of acting even under difficult conditions.
Typical WFM functions for crisis management
Real-time monitoring and customization
- Thanks to real-time data, planners can monitor short-term changes and react quickly to deviations.
- Dynamic target/actual comparisons reveal gaps and suggest available employees with suitable skills (job profile) so that open positions can be filled quickly.
Automated shift planning
- Automated replanning helps to carry out new planning adapted to the new requirements in the event of unexpectedly high employee absences, for example.
- Shift swaps and additional shifts can be coordinated via the self-service portal.
Vacation and absence management
- Quick overviews help to prioritize leave requests and absences and compare them with available quotas.
- Alternative plans are available to respond to short-term cancellations.
Compliance-oriented planning
- Legal requirements such as rest periods or maximum shift lengths are complied with despite dynamic changes.
How opcycWFM supports your company
With opcycWFM, you not only master everyday life, but also unforeseen crisis situations. Our solution combines powerful automation, real-time transparency and intuitive reports to offer maximum flexibility in personnel and shift planning. Sounds interesting?
Book a no-obligation online demo and find out how we can provide you with optimum support even in times of crisis.
