Unlocking The Potential of WFM

Riitta is based out of our Finland office and she is one of our key experts in workforce management in Genesys Cloud.

Implementing and utilizing #WFM in your contact center unlocks so much potential - but what if you are new to #WFM? What is it, and where do you begin? Or what if you are already a WFM-pro and are now looking into #WEM?

We interviewed Riitta and asked her all the questions we would like to know if we had our own contact center.

Read along as Riitta answers 8 insightful questions about WFM, CX and herself.

1. For those who don’t know, can you explain what WFM stands for?

WFM stands for Workforce Management. It involves optimizing the scheduling, forecasting, and management of employees to ensure efficient operation within an organization, particularly in contact centers.

2. How would you describe the possibilities WFM can create for a contact center?

Genesys Cloud WFM is like having a super intelligent assistant for a contact center. It helps make sure there are enough customer service agents available to help people when they call, chat, or email. This system predicts when the busiest times will be and creates schedules so that agents are available when needed. It also helps monitor agents in real-time and can make quick changes if something unexpected happens, like if many people suddenly start calling in.

Besides helping managers, Genesys Cloud WFM has great features for the agents too. Agents can easily see their work schedules on their computers or mobile app. If they need a day off, they can request it directly through the system. They can also swap shifts with their colleagues if they need to change their working hours. This makes it easier for agents to balance their work and personal lives, keeping them happier and more motivated.

Overall, Genesys Cloud WFM makes sure customers get quick and efficient service by having the right number of agents available at the right times. At the same time, it keeps the agents happy by offering flexible scheduling options and making it easy to manage their work schedules.

3. In which ways do we typically use WFM in contact centers?

Here is a breakdown of different ways that WFM is helping contact centers.

• Predicting demand:

Genesys Cloud WFM uses historical data and advanced algorithms to forecast how many customer interactions (calls, chats, emails) will occur at different times. This helps the contact center plan for busy and slow periods, ensuring they are always prepared.

• Creating schedules:

Based on the forecasts, Genesys Cloud WFM creates optimized schedules for the agents. It ensures that the right number of agents are scheduled at the right times to handle the predicted customer demand. This reduces wait times for customers and ensures efficient use of agents' time. You will have right amount of people working at the right time.

• Monitoring in Real-Time:

It keeps track of whether agents are following their schedules in real time. Managers can see if agents are on calls, on breaks, or available to take new interactions. If agents are not following their schedule, managers can quickly address it. The analytics of Genesys Cloud are every manager’s best friend.

• Making Day-to-Day Adjustments:

Genesys Cloud WFM lets managers update schedules throughout the day. If there are more calls than expected or if an agent needs to leave early, managers can quickly make changes to keep everything running smoothly. Maybe there is a meeting that can be rescheduled to make more agents available for calls on a suddenly busy day. Genesys Cloud can suggest a better time for the meeting and all the manager needs to do is to approve the change.

• Managing Time Off:

Agents can ask for time off directly through the system, making it easy for them to manage their work-life balance. Managers can review and approve these requests while ensuring there are enough staff to cover, or managers can also create rules that allow the system to approve certain changes by itself. The system also tracks absences to help plan for these situations.

• Shift Swapping:

Agents can swap shifts with colleagues. This flexibility helps improve agent satisfaction by allowing them to adjust their schedules to better fit their personal lives.

• Performance Analytics:

Genesys Cloud WFM provides detailed reports and data on various performance metrics, such as how well the contact center is meeting customer service goals and how productive the agents are. Managers can use this information to find trends, see what's working, and make informed decisions to improve operations. It helps managers to use real data to make decisions and not evaluate things based on guesses or estimates.

• Employee Engagement:

By offering self-service options for agents to view their schedules, request time off, and swap shifts, Genesys Cloud WFM empowers agents and makes them feel more in control of their work schedules. This leads to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates.

4. If you had your own contact center, which WFM functionality would you implement first?

The first thing I would implement is the forecasting and scheduling tools. These tools help predict peak times and create schedules to ensure enough agents are available to assist customers. This is crucial for minimizing customer wait times and maintaining efficient operations. If I could choose another function from Genesys Cloud WEM (Workforce Engagement Management) beyond WFM, I would implement Quality Management. The call evaluation and transcription tools are incredible, and I can’t imagine going back to manual processes. 

5. If any, what are some typical misconceptions about working with WFM?

❌ Misconception: WFM is just about making schedules and it requires a lot of work, it is easier to make the schedules by using Excel.

✅ Reality: Genesys Cloud WFM automates predicting busy times, managing real-time changes, handling time-off requests, and analyzing performance data to drive improvements. Initially, you need to configure the system with your scheduling preferences, such as shift lengths and break times. Once set up, it's very easy to use. The best part is that the system learns more about your contact center every day, enabling it to make better forecasts and create accurate schedules with just a few clicks.

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

Where are you based, and how long have you been with Advania?

I'm based in Kuopio, Finland, but I often visit Advania Finland's home office in Espoo. I have been with Advania for three and a half years. I started as a System Specialist and then transitioned to a Service Delivery Manager.

Why CX? Why is CX interesting to work with?

Working in Customer Experience (CX) is exciting because it directly impacts customer satisfaction. It's about ensuring every interaction a customer has with a company is smooth and enjoyable. This field constantly evolves with new technologies and strategies, making it both fun and rewarding. I love helping my customers succeed with their contact centers and other touchpoints where Genesys Cloud is used. Having worked in various roles within customer service and contact centers, I understand the challenges and daily operations firsthand. 

Lastly, what is one thing you’d wish all our clients knew?

I wish all our clients knew just how powerful and versatile Genesys Cloud Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) tools are. It's like having a Swiss Army knife for your contact center! WEM doesn't just handle scheduling and forecasting; it also enhances employee engagement, tracks performance, and manages training. Imagine a tool that can do everything except make coffee — but it can remind your agents to take a well-deserved coffee break! Investing in WEM is like giving your contact center a superpower to create a happy, productive, and efficient work environment.

Riitta Hoffrén

Service Delivery Manager