Case Study: Telecom

CUSTOMER PROFILE

01 THE BEFORE

Before EEM: Too Many Steps

Skilled workforce management (WFM) staff at the telecom company spent a disproportionate amount of time processing schedule change requests. Agents lacked self-service, automation-assisted schedule trading tools, so relied on offline negotiations and emails to WFM staff. And when the company wanted to offer intraday opportunities for overtime or voluntary time off (VTO), those processes also leaned heavily on all-hands emails and WFM staff manual intervention.

02 DESIRE TO CHANGE

Complications threaten to become mistakes

These intraday delays and complications were more than simply inefficient. At times, WFM staff needed longer to process schedule change requests relating to a call volume surge than the duration of the surge itself. This meant that some schedule changes were being approved retroactively, putting payroll accuracy at risk. To avoid this outcome and honor the terms of its detailed labor contract, They wanted a solution that would integrate cleanly with its existing environment and significantly improve both speed and accuracy of intraday schedule changes.

03 THE SOLUTION

From hours to minutes

The company needed a solution that could accommodate its large pool of agents and complex work rules, streamlining the process for both agents and WFM specialists to implement schedule change requests. And they wanted a drop-in, vendor-supported solution rather than a bespoke solution which might become brittle as the business grows and evolves.

As an early adopter of NICE EEM, the company worked closely with the EEM product design team to shave unnecessary steps and delays from the change process. Notifications for overtime and VTO can now be targeted at specific agent pools or sent to the general population, without waiting for email delivery. Agents know that their request will be handled practically in real-time, instead of facing a multi-hour wait to learn if a request will be approved.

04 THE RESULTS

Years of proven results

The telecom has multiple years of experience with EEM demonstrating the long-term advantages of the solution. EEM serves the average agent with over two dozen schedule changes each year, representing over 140,000 rescheduled hours and 75,000 surplus scheduled hours saved. The fast, accurate solution supports the company’s goal for superior employee engagement, and has reduced the risk of labor contract issues related to payroll precision.

Agents have responded not only by taking advantage of the intraday changes but by making more efficient and immediate peer-to-peer schedule trades. Today, intraday VTO and overtime requests are sometimes snapped up so quickly that even agents with quick reflexes are crowded out: a level of demand that creates room for improvement but shows that the tools are earning their keep and achieving the company’s goals.

The NICE Customer Success team meets regularly with the telecom to review opportunities to refine EEM workflow and to discuss staffing and contact volume trends. This keeps the company aware of untapped efficiencies and gives the NICE team a greater understanding of seasonal and event-driven variations in the company’s operations.

05 THE FUTURE

Refinements and opportunities await

The telecom plans to focus on opportunities created by EEM’s speed and accuracy in the next round of labor negotiations with the approximately 3,000 agents using the solution today. As both the company and the agent union explore prospects for more labor flexibility and reduced complexity, EEM will likely play a larger role. The company is also exploring the prospects for EEM in other labor markets.

Based on their success with EEM and advancement through close collaboration with the product team, the telecom is continuing this improvement pathway with NICE Value Realization Services (VRS). In part, the company is looking at ways to improve their WFM configuration and processes to further optimize both WFM and EEM. They have also added NICE VRS Managed Services to support WFM system administration tasks with NICE experts.