For successful running of call center operations you need to have the knack of managing numbers to avoid overstaffing. And among numbers most important is the figure for call center staffing i.e. the number of people who respond to customer calls every hour. Since the biggest part of call center costs, nearly 65 percent, relate to call center staffing it becomes crucial to have the correct number of staff in the right places for maintaining proper service levels and controlling costs. This demands a systematic approach in the calculation of call center staffing requirements and evaluation of service and cost trade offs.  

The very first step for determining the optimum number for call center staffing is forecasting of call loads, analysis of historical data, seasonal patterns and trends in order to create monthly estimates and then use day-of –the-week and time-of-the-day patterns for breaking down the figures arrived at into half-hourly/hourly forecasts.   

For call center staffing the staff workload can be determined by making some simple calculations using the forecasts about anticipated call volumes and realistic assumptions related to AHT (average handling time). These calculations involve multiplying the number of calls forecast for an hour with the AHT (assumed) of each call which includes both conversation time and wrap up time such as that for filling out a form or updating customer database.   

AHT plays a critical role in call center staffing calculations. There are variations in average handling time by the time of the day and the day of the week. Therefore using an average figure for AHT will be imprecise and may contribute to overstaffing or understaffing. Therefore it is essential to use AHT numbers according to the time of the day/day of the week in calculations for deriving optimum call center staffing figures.   

Call center staffing has a significant impact on service levels. Although there are no industry standards for this, in general call center service level goal is pegged at 80. Reliable figures arrived at after detailed calculations show that due to shrinkage i.e. the unproductive time during which agents are not available to handle calls, actual call center staffing for achieving a service level of 80 would need an additional 30% staff. Shrinkage is a reality that exists due to activities like meetings, training sessions, breaks, off-phone work and general unproductivity including that which is due to the random style of inbound calls in call center operations.   

Barring the additional staff needed in call center staffing for maintaining adequate service levels despite shrinkage, any overstaffing is a drain on the center’s financial and other resources and needs to be strictly controlled and can easily be done by using suitable call center staffing software.

Most people suffer a huge financial setback during recession mainly because they were never prepared for it. While everyone is aware of the importance of resource planning, most of us tend to overlook it until it becomes imperative. Today, companies have various measures in place to ensure effective resource management within the organizations. For this purpose, business owners employ different versions of resource scheduling software at the workplace.

Some of the advantages of having good resource scheduling software are as follows:

Reserve alternative workspace - Mobile workers can quickly access a particular floor or the entire office building to see which desks are vacant or check the availability of conference rooms and book them for a later date. The rationale behind doing this is to enable mobile workers to book temporary office space as and when it is required by means of a reservation kiosk. This kind of space management allows organizations to reduce real estate costs, improve space utilization, and lessen energy consumption costs. After all, freeing up office space would mean lower payments to the landlord.  

On-demand scheduling - The software enables users across the world to get more work done in less time thereby reducing operational costs. With the resource scheduling software, you can manage tedious tasks such as scheduling shared workspace, conference rooms, and different kinds of office equipment in a jiffy.

This kind of management not only allows you to reduce real estate costs but also gives more flexibility to mobile workers. With this software, you can limit access to certain secure areas, send automated reminders to remind workers about their reservations, track favorite locations, view space details, and even locate other people within the organization.

Reduce energy costs - Virtually all organizations have adopted the green initiative these days not only because it is the right thing to do but also because it helps them save a lot of money every single day. The green initiative is a major step towards reducing energy consumption and its subsequent effects on the environment.

The resource scheduling software not only allows you to manage space wisely but also lower energy costs since more empty spaces would mean lesser use of electricity in those areas. The software allows you to monitor and curtail energy consumption by means of a 'management dashboard' that would help in reducing carbon emissions and lower heating and lighting costs.

So, get resource scheduling software today and save money on real estate and energy costs through proper scheduling and utilization of office space.

Diligent resource planning is the key to surviving a recession. Recession has hit virtually all industries and has resulted in job cuts in shocking numbers. If you are a business owner or an entrepreneur wanting to save money during recession, you can start off with your office space. Like everything else, even office space comes at a premium and calls for careful planning.  

It does not make sense having a large office if you have a large number of employees that spend more time outside office than inside meeting clients or talking to prospective customers. These days, a relatively new kind of software called as hoteling software is being sold in the market to facilitate office space planning. This software is a boon for mobile employees such as consultants, auditors, sales representatives, and even telecommuters who have very little work in the office.

Typically, hoteling software makes the task of desk sharing extremely easy and hassle free by ensuring that the limited office resources are being made accessible to a greater number of people so as to allow employers maximum utilization of office space. 

You can thus look forward to an assortment of features that include fast and easy check-in in less than eight seconds, point and click floor maps, conference rooms, locate an employee, advance reservations, PBX interaction, occupancy reports, web browser, and local 'kiosk' access.

Considering the unique needs of different businesses, hoteling software is available in customized versions. You can thus configure software to accommodate the size of the office and its changing needs. From catering to small businesses to dynamic business environments, you can depend on hoteling software to administer a single site or multiple sites locally. 

With good hoteling software, you can share everything from desks and conference rooms to even parking lots. The software enables you to view and assess the entire floor or even a whole building to identify available conference rooms or space for a particular office chore. This eliminates the need of a having administrative personnel maintaining spreadsheets, and logs to ensure proper space management.  

It literally allows you have an ‘office on the go' so that you are never too far away from your place of work. With more empty desks in the office, you don’t really have to fill your landlord's pocket by paying for the space that is never used. Alternatively, you can increase your workforce so that you can expand your business while maintaining the same office size.

If you haven’t yet considered having a room scheduling software in your organization, then it’s about time you did. When recession is killing global economy and when inflation is sky high, it is important that you employ some cost reduction strategies in your organization to bring down the operational costs.

A room scheduling software can do wonders for your business especially if a large part of your workforce spends more time outside the office than inside attending customers. The software is ideal for mobile workers like consultants and sales representatives who do not require an assigned workplace or desk but need to complete certain desk jobs once in a while.

On the other hand, there is the problem of managing shared meeting rooms and other corporate assets that are few in numbers but need to be shared by a large group on a regular basis. In a traditional work environment, this task would be given to specific personnel from the administrative department who would then maintain logs and other laborious paperwork to schedule and manage conference rooms and office equipment. However, computerization has changed this scenario and this job is now being taken care of by room scheduling software.

The whole purpose of having this kind of software is to find whether resource is available when you need it. All you need to do is type the kind of resource you want, may it be a meeting room, an A/V equipment, or any other service, and let the software present you the options available to you.

With just a few clicks, you can explore the available options, book the space, service, or equipment, set a reminder and log out. You can even browse through your favorite locations to check for availability and book them ahead. This kind of advance reservation eliminates the need of maintaining tedious paperwork.

Some organizations require employees to simply post a piece of paper outside a conference room to book it but the downside of this method is that it may lead to double bookings and a lot of paper wastage.

If your organization has implemented the green initiative, you can take it a step further with the room scheduling software. You can integrate this software into your HVAC system so that a particular room gets heated or cooled or illuminated only on the basis of its occupancy. This can help a great deal in lowering energy bills since none of the empty rooms would consume any energy.