Contact center workforce management scheduling - Optimize Your CX

The NICE Workforce Management (WFM) application has been a long-standing market leader providing workforce management and optimization solutions for over 30 years, since 1988. With more than 45 algorithms for maximum forecast accuracy, NICE WFM offers the flexibility to fit forecasting and scheduling to highly specific environments. With its ability to simulate exact routing rules, provide multiple options for business rules and employee preferences, and advanced self-scheduling and communication capabilities, NICE WFM easily supports complex environments. Overall benefits of the NICE WFM solution include:

a. Forecasting Accuracy:

NICE's proprietary forecasting and simulation technology produces the most accurate workforce plan in the market, which helps you effectively serve your customers at the lowest cost possible. NICE does this through the following unique methodology:

b. Simulation-Based Scheduling:

NICE is the only WFM solution on the market that uses simulation during the forecasting and scheduling processes to more accurately predict the balance between customer demand and agent availability and skills. The ability to re-simulate allows you to easily and effectively react to changing conditions.

c. Intraday Analytics:

NICE WFM provides users with automated intraday re-forecasting, accurate net staffing analysis by queue, schedule re-simulation and optimization, and skill- aware change management. These features allow NICE customers to easily and effectively read and react to changing conditions.

What are NICE WFM Differentiators?

NICE WFM is the most comprehensive and configurable WFM solution on the market. Key differentiators include:

a. Forecasting with Artificial Intelligence:

NICE WFM presents the most advanced forecasting solution on the market: 46 algorithms, supported by artificial intelligence, allow NICE WFM to calculate extremely accurate resource requirements to build the most efficient schedules possible.

b. Machine-Learning Multi-Skill Simulation:

Only NICE WFM simulates exact ACD routing, employee skills, skill levels, and schedules with its patented formula; machine-learning algorithms create improving efficiencies.

c. Multi-Channel Support:

Ability to forecast, schedule, and manage all customer contacts and back office work, enabling organizations to be highly productive.

Employee Engagement Manager (EEM):

The EEM solution is a NICE-exclusive staffing optimization
tool that provides intelligent, automated staffing management via proactive rules-based schedule adjustments and employee self-service via its mobile app.

EEM helps you engage your employees, optimize schedules, and automatically manage performance, resulting in reduced costs, improved service levels, and increased employee satisfaction.

EEM's Dynamic Workforce Optimization, Automated Intelligent Self-Scheduling, and Gamified Surge Scheduling are patented and exclusive to NICE.

System-initiated schedule changes: NICE Employee Engagement Manager and the Intraday Management feature create unparalleled solutions for managing the organization after schedules have been built, including system-initiated schedule change recommendations.

Analyzes intraday data across contact types to proactively uncover staffing gaps caused by changes in customer demand and/or agent availability.

Identifies the optimal courses of action via its intelligent decision engine, which applies user-definable business rules to current staffing conditions.

Targets specific agents for extra hours, OT, or VTO based on employee preferences, total work hours, performance, and agent attributes.

Recommends business rules to help reduce manual tracking of agent, staffing, and performance data.

Alerts agents, supervisors, and administrators to relevant information so they’re empowered to take the right action at the right time.

Enhanced Strategic Planner (ESP):

Leveraging AI from NICE WFM, NICE ESP helps you intelligently plan for the future by predicting how anticipated or potential staffing scenarios will impact your contact center’s ability to meet performance goals. Powered by AI, it takes into account the needs of your staff, channels, and business rules to make precise predictions. Armed with NICE ESP’s powerful tools, you can consider all variables relevant to your contact center and make decisions based on its unique anticipated staffing needs.

NICE ESP helps you control costs, develop better hiring plans, and improve customer service with these advanced features:

Solution Components

WFM Software Bundle (foundational component)

EEM Software Bundle

NICE is the clear choice for the following reasons:

Value Realization Services (VRS) maximize the value of your investment in NICE products through all stages of solution maturity. Customers buy NICE solutions to drive business impact–the faster, the better. The VRS approach focuses on four key areas:

These activities begin in the initial sales engagement, run parallel to the technical implementation, and continue post “go-live” to ensure stability, value realization, and customer success.

WFM Operational Assessment—Analyze current state (WFM processes, systems in use, functions, organizational structure), conduct KPI baseline measurements (idle time, occupancy, AHT, forecast accuracy, etc.) to build a roadmap and execution plan for engagement model and quick wins.

Functional Design/Configuration—WFM setup and configuration assistance for the customer-specific environment based on recommendations from Operational Assessment.

Application and End User Training—Full core applications training.

Go-Live Support—Expert access (remote) during go-live date to answer any operational/application question (1 day).

Change Management Best Practices—Managing movement from old/manual WFM processes or systems (excel spreadsheets or Aspect) to leveraging NICE WFM features. Define rollout strategy and supporting business readiness activities to accept the WFM solution and drive adoption (communication plan, user enablement).

Solution Adoption—Checking, measuring, and ensuring WFM features are being used as planned. Ensure complete migration from old processes to NICE best practice recommendations. Examples include features such as shift bids, forecasting, vacation bidding, and automatic schedule requests are being leveraged, and agents are using WebStation successfully.

Optimization Workshop—Deeper scenario-based embedding through targeted sessions to improve customer application usage in different areas of the solution. These include forecasting, scheduling, shift bidding, intraday management, etc.

Health Check—Review database to identify unused entities, review KPIs, and compare results against previous baselines, business readiness, and change management progress based on initial recommendations.

Refresher/Upgrade Training—On-demand refresher training, new resource ramp-up, or upgrade training (1 day).

ROI Measurement—Calculating and measuring ROI achieved for customer’s KPIs through our solution. Provide insights on areas of opportunity, including projections and improvement recommendations.

WFM Expert Access—Ongoing access to WFM experts to address just-in-time questions or clarify different WFM-related topics.

Solution Redesign/Business Objectives Alignment—Upgrade planning for feature adoption.

Representative Project Resources

Apple Resources

NICE Resources