Category: FAQ
Excerpt: Planning quality determines efficiency, satisfaction and service levels in the contact center. Those who are aware of deviations, analyse them in a targeted manner and systematically optimize them not only strengthen their processes, but also the resilience of the entire organization.
Why an inconspicuous key figure becomes a strategic indicator of efficiency, leadership and employee retention
In many service centers, KPIs are juggled on a daily basis: service level, availability, productivity, first-time fix rate, fluctuation. But one KPI leads a shadowy existence – even though it forms the basis for all these performance indicators: planning quality.
Anyone who believes that this is a technical metric for specialist departments is vastly underestimating the potential of this KPI. After all, planning quality is more than just “plan adhered to or not” – it is the silent indicator of how well an organization is positioned to manage volatility, involve employees and implement strategic goals operationally.
When planning becomes a strategic task
Volatile input channels, high cost pressure, rising employee expectations – staff scheduling is no longer just a question of deadlines, but the decisive lever for efficiency, employee loyalty and service quality. And this is precisely where the relevance of planning quality begins.
After all, what use is the best forecast logic or a finely balanced working time model if operational implementation ultimately fails too often due to deviations from the plan, short-term rebookings or unbalanced duty rosters?
What is planning quality - and how can it be measured?
Planning quality describes the relationship between the planned and actual working time or the actual capacity required. The greater the difference between these figures, the lower the quality of the planning. Precise planning means
- Employees work as planned (few transfers, no over- or underfunding)
- Personnel requirements and deployment times match (minimal deviations between forecast and reality)
- Shifts remain stable (no short-term changes, no constant readjustment)
Typical measured variables in modern WFM systems:
- Plan/actual deviation in hours or percent
- Proportion of planned vs. actually worked shifts
- Rebooking rate per shift/period
- Proportion of short-term shift changes (<24h)
- Compliance rate for requested services or flexi times
Why is planning quality so crucial?
The effects of poor planning are immediately noticeable – not just on paper, but directly in day-to-day business:
- Customer satisfaction decreases: Understaffing leads to longer waiting times, service level violations and increased escalation potential. A study by Zendesk (CX Trends 2024) shows that 73% of customers switch providers more quickly than three years ago if they have a negative service experience.
- Employee motivation suffers: Inconsistencies in the shift schedule, constant changes or not taking desired times into account cause frustration - especially among younger generations who have high expectations of work-life balance and predictability.
- Management effort is exploding: Planners and team leaders spend a lot of their time on ad hoc adjustments, queries and arbitration - instead of focusing on quality, development or operational excellence.
- Costs rise unnecessarily: Overtime, underutilization, shift premiums and high fluctuation due to dissatisfaction cause avoidable additional costs.
What high planning quality reveals about your organization
Stable, high-quality planning is not a product of chance – it is an expression of structural maturity:
- Process reliability: forecasting, planning, time management and absence management are seamlessly integrated
- Data competence: Decisions are based on real needs, trends and reporting - not on gut feeling
- Management culture: employees are scheduled fairly, wishes are taken into account, changes are communicated transparently
- Technological maturity: The use of a modern WFM system allows granular control and real-time insights
Those who regularly measure their planning quality identify weak points in the system: Where do deviations occur? Which layers are particularly prone to errors? Which sets of rules or contracts lead to conflicts? In this way, the KPI becomes the guard rail of a learning organization.
Making planning quality visible in dashboards and reports
A modern WFM system such as opcycWFM makes it possible to analyze the planning quality on several levels – e.g.For example, in the form of a configurable KPI dashboard:
- Plan/actual deviation per team / location / skill level
- Requested service fulfillment rate per employee
- Rate of approved vs. rejected applications / rebookings
- Deviations between forecast and actual capacity utilization
- Average number of transfers per planning period
These evaluations not only make operational bottlenecks visible, but also help with strategic management – e.g.e.g. in the adjustment of working time models or skill-profiles.
How opcycWFM supports high planning quality
Our solution is designed to systematically improve planning quality – on a technical, organizational and cultural level:
- Automated forecasts and real-time control: requirements are precisely determined, plans are constantly updated
- Rule-based shift planning: contracts, skills, preferred times, absences - everything is taken into account in a planning run
- Transparency through self-services: Employees can view their plans at any time, submit requests or initiate exchange processes
- KPI dashboards and warning systems: Deviations, conflicts and potential for improvement are recognized early on
- Customizable approval processes: Reduction of the coordination effort and clear responsibilities
Conclusion: Those who measure planning quality manage more intelligently
Planning quality is not a nice-to-have – it is an early indicator of operational excellence and a decisive lever for productivity, employee retention and customer satisfaction. Those who regularly measure, analyse and improve it not only increase efficiency – but also the resilience of their organization.
Would you like to know how high the planning quality in your company currently is? Then start with our free WFM checklist or experience opcycWFM in an on-demand demo.
