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A key challenge for any resource planning team is the ability to create workforce management long-term forecasting techniques that provide accurate capacity and workforce planning. Based on 100 contact centre workforce planners, the top 5 forecasting challenges are: Need to forecast for multiple skill sets Changing business needs negate usefulness of historical volume data Volume driven by external events, not controlled by the company Volume is seasonal and can vary greatly Volume patterns change frequently, making projections difficult Workforce Management...

Call Recording software enables you to record telephone conversations either over a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) or VoIP (Voice over IP) in a digital audio file format. It also provides you with the ability to retrieve, playback, store and share call recordings. Call Recording software should not be confused with call monitoring technology such as call logging (gathering, evaluating and reporting technical and statistical facts about calls) and call tracking (recording information about incoming calls). Its sole purpose is...

Why is Workforce Management Scheduling & Planning Important? In order to meet customer demands, workforce planners need to ensure that their Workforce Management scheduling & planning is up to scratch. With the number of customer contact channels continuously increasing, workforce planning and scheduling can be an extremely complex and labour intensive job. Accuracy can quickly get compromised when variables such as agent training, absenteeism, holidays and staff work-time preferences are added into the equation. Accurate shift patterns are the key...

How to record mobile phone calls There are many different options available to choose from when deciding how to record mobile phone calls. Which solution you choose to go with is dependent upon different factors including user requirements and budget. Here we list a few options for you to consider when deciding how to record mobile phone calls. To find out more about Mobile Call Recording, check out our article:The Evolution of Mobile Call Recording In Network Recording Network based mobile...

What is Call Quality Monitoring?  Call Quality Monitoring is when an individual or organisation takes the time to listen to and evaluate the phone conversations taking place between staff and customers in order to improve call handling, customer service, loyalty and revenue.  If an organisation has a call recording system in place these interactions can be reviewed by playing back the recorded calls. Where there is no call recording in an organisation, calls can be listened to and evaluated manually through live...

"Calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes" - It's a phrase we've all heard when calling a company or organisation, but do you know what it entails, and what these recorded calls are used for?   Call Recording is something most people are aware of, however, not many are familiar with why organisations record those calls and what happens with those recordings after they are captured. 6 Reasons Why Organisations Record Calls Staff Training and Development It's a competitive world...

Workforce Management (WFM) in its simplest form is about assigning the right person with the right skill at the right time, ensuring that staff are optimally positioned in order to meet demand.  Advancements in Workforce Management tools now provide the ability to enhance an employee’s work–life balance, using features such as gamification, shift trading and mobile apps with the capability for employees to view upcoming schedules and request changes. The goal behind these tools is to reduce attrition and absence,...

Business Call Recording Laws and Regulations in the UK *Please note - You will be subjected to different Call Recording regulations depending on whether you are a business or an individual.  1.  Is it legal to record phone calls, and what are the laws in the UK?  The interception, recording and monitoring of telephone calls is governed by a number of different pieces of UK legislation. The main being:  Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 ("RIPA")  Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice)...

The City Regulator has been tough on issuing fines for compliance recording in the last few years. In fact, they have issued fines for several reasons ranging from compliance recording, misreporting of transactions and anti-money laundering failings. It’s a volatile world out there, and the failure to manage risk appropriately for many financial institutions has been costly. Let’s set the scene. According to the Guardian, the City regulator imposed more fines on companies in the first half of 2019 than...

Global markets are advancing at an overwhelming pace and rapid developments in technology have contributed to this growth and change.  However, much of the technology that organisations are focusing on today are for optimising the workforce and improving the customer experience in the front office.  So why are organisations missing a trick when it comes to technology in the back-office when the tangible benefits are far reaching? The analyst firm Gartner characterises the front office as the systems that improve...

Operational complexity, increasingly stringent regulations and a competitive marketplace are driving operating costs higher every year, so what can you do to get ahead of the curve?  Productivity in the insurance sector according to research has barely moved in the last 10 years, so it’s time to take a strategic look at how you can boost productivity and cut operating costs, ensuring your business won’t eventually flatline. So, let’s look at the over arching business goal of boosting productivity and...

Data integrity refers to the accuracy and consistency (validity) of data over its lifecycle. Maintaining data integrity should be a core focus for all organisations, particularly with call recordings; compromised data can not be used and they may result in significant costs if they are needed for regulatory compliance. Call recording data is no different. Its integrity can be compromised in a number of ways; from data replication, updates, transfers or even simply being accessed by staff. There are two important...