Many companies with outsourced contact centers struggle to find the optimal approach to hold vendors accountable for staffing to the forecasted workload. There are multiple strategies, some of which are quite complex. However, an absolute line adherence model is often a simple and effective way to monitor and measure compliance. The methodology outlined below relies on an absolute variance calculation, which eliminates a vendor’s ability to mask poor operational planning that results in over/under-staffing throughout the day. While daily averages may give the perception that staffing levels were appropriate, the absolute variance model will reveal how often staffing was off at the interval level throughout the day.
- For static or insignificant changes in staffing levels, share the staffing forecast with the vendor at least three weeks in advance of the operating week.
- For significant increases in staffing, share the staffing forecast with the vendor 4-6 weeks in advance to allow time for recruiting/training (timeframe will vary based on training duration).
METHODOLOGY
- Develop a workload forecast by quarter-hour, half-hour or full hour interval, based on volume and average handle time (AHT).
- Translate the forecast to the number of staff required by interval across the hours of operation.
- For static or insignificant changes in staffing levels, share the staffing forecast with the vendor at least three weeks in advance of the operating week.
- For significant increases in staffing, share the staffing forecast with the vendor 4-6 weeks in advance to allow time for recruiting/training (timeframe will vary based on training duration).
- On a daily basis, track the actual staffing levels by interval.
- For each interval, calculate the absolute variance between the actual staff logged into the telephony platform vs. the number of staff forecasted (required) for the interval.
- The absolute variance is just the difference and does not indicate positive or negative/above or below the forecast; it is simply the variance (number) of the actual to the forecast.
- The vendor is responsible for calculating off-phone activity requirements, or OPA, and must deliver on the forecasted staffing levels after subtracting OPA.
- At the end of the day, calculate the total staff required across all intervals, and then calculate the total sum of the absolute variance across all intervals.
- Divide the absolute variance sum by the total staff required to calculate the vendor’s line adherence for the day. Each company’s target for absolute variance depends on the scale of the operation and call arrival profiles. Less volatile work is easier to staff, while more volatile workload is more challenging.
Please see the following example for details on how to calculate line adherence compliance.
ABSOLUTE VARIANCE CALCULATION EXAMPLE
We used a 9-hour day measured in half hour intervals for our example, but the methodology can be applied for all operational hours where staffing is not coverage based (e.g., those hours with minimal call volumes where staffing is based on operating hours rather than forecasted workload).
Half Hour Interval | Required Staff | Actual Staff | Difference | Absolute Variance | Interval % Compliance |
800 | 13.00 | 13.20 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 98.5% |
830 | 13.00 | 12.30 | -0.70 | 0.70 | 94.6% |
900 | 13.00 | 13.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.0% |
930 | 13.00 | 11.50 | -1.50 | 1.50 | 88.5% |
1000 | 13.00 | 12.40 | -0.60 | 0.60 | 95.4% |
1030 | 13.00 | 12.40 | -0.60 | 0.60 | 95.4% |
1100 | 13.00 | 12.40 | -0.60 | 0.60 | 95.4% |
1130 | 13.00 | 13.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.0% |
1200 | 13.00 | 15.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 84.6% |
1230 | 15.00 | 14.50 | -0.50 | 0.50 | 96.7% |
1300 | 15.00 | 15.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 98.3% |
1330 | 17.00 | 16.50 | -0.50 | 0.50 | 97.1% |
1400 | 17.00 | 16.25 | -0.75 | 0.75 | 95.6% |
1430 | 17.00 | 16.35 | -0.65 | 0.65 | 96.2% |
1500 | 17.00 | 17.40 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 97.6% |
1530 | 17.00 | 17.40 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 97.6% |
1600 | 17.00 | 17.40 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 97.6% |
1630 | 17.00 | 17.50 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 97.1% |
1700 | 15.00 | 15.70 | 0.70 | 0.70 | 95.3% |
Hours | 140.5 | 139.7 | -0.8 | 5.6 | 96.0% |
Absolute Variance Sum | Compliance to Staffing Requirement |
RESULTS CALCULATION
- Target Compliance Range: 5%
- % Out of Compliance (Absolute Variance: 5.6/Planned Staff: 140.5) = 4.0%
The absolute variance of 5.6 represents 96% of the day’s total staffing requirement of 140.5. With a target absolute variance of no more than 5% of the required staffing, the vendor hit the line adherence target in this example.
It is important to note that to hit this target, the vendor should schedule more agents than the required staffing level of 140.5 in order to cover breaks, other OPA, and to account for potential absenteeism. They may staff as much as 20% above the required level, understanding that breaks account for 6.25% of an agent’s 8-hour shift, assuming absenteeism is 10% and knowing other OPA may require 3.75% of the agent’s day. It is the vendor’s responsibility to schedule sufficient staff to meet the line requirements after accounting for these anticipated reductions. McIntosh has outlined various best practices for managing a staffing buffer in our recent Insights Article, “Scheduling & Productivity Optimization in Contact Centers.”