CUSTOMER PROFILE
THE GOAL
The client is a long-time NICE Workforce Management (WFM) customer serviced through a NICE business partner. The bank’s legacy WFM configuration carried a great deal of residual data and was not optimally configured—slowing the system down. They also weren’t taking full advantage of NICE WFM’s expansive feature set and were due for an upgrade. In preparation for a bank-wide digitalisation initiative, the bank also wanted to advance beyond existing capabilities and be well-positioned for digital transformation. NICE’s service partner recommended our mutual client upgrade their NICE WFM solution and participate in related training—which would be provided by NICE Value Realisation Services (VRS).
During the initial meeting, VRS quickly realized the bank was pursuing a complete system rebuild. The client didn’t need to learn what buttons to push in a new system—they needed to know how to set up their system better. They needed insight into what works well for other customers. The bank would require some training, yes, but what they really needed was WFM entity design guidance—help understanding what they were and were not doing correctly and how they should configure the solution for greatest effectiveness.
More specifically, the client’s objectives were to:
- Clean up the WFM system
- Improve WFM entity design
- Fully understand functionality and best practices
- Learn how to apply upgraded features to their business
VRS modified the scope of the training engagement to meet the client’s objectives and matched the consultancy to the client’s configuration schedule. By thinking creatively, VRS helped the bank get the training and consultancy they needed without incurring additional costs.
ON THE NICE SOLUTION
“VRS kept the ball rolling on WFM and made it really easy to understand along the way. We vigorously examined all the data and presentations. Everything was extremely well presented and straight to the point. VRS kept us on track and really made a difference in our lives.”
Operations Director
THE SOLUTION
Consultancy Gets to the Heart of the Matter
The consultancy targeted utilisation efficiencies, WFM entity design and what the client could do to improve forecasting and scheduling.
To refresh and enhance the client’s system knowledge before embarking on a system cleanup and reconfiguration, VRS first had to establish a baseline. This was done through an Operational Assessment, during which the client team demonstrated their considerable skill. They were also aware of their gaps and helped identify those very quickly.
As part of the assessment, the client also shared their goals related to the WFM upgrade and how it tied to future initiatives. Work was done to fix certain configuration elements and guide system clean-up efforts, which improved speed in the new structure and corrected forecasting totals.
“The upgrade lent itself to a necessary clean-up exercise,” says the bank’s Operations Director. “We carried over only the absolute minimum. The operation is slicker and response times are much faster when loading large amounts of data.”
To ensure the client had as much experience as possible, VRS reviewed distribution rules, daily rules, service level settings, and parameters for forecasting totals. VRS also addressed business operations covering topics such as adoption and governance.
“We have a lot of projects, and we were back and forth between them,” says the bank’s Operations Director, “so we’re thankful that VRS kept the ball rolling on WFM and made it easy to understand along the way. We vigorously examined all the data and presentations. Everything was extremely well presented and straight to the point. VRS kept us on track and really made a difference in our lives.”
Training Grows Competency & Confidence
VRS customized training to build on the client’s existing knowledge and incorporated need-toknow materials related to the WFM upgrade and how it would impact the bank’s current practices. The bespoke training accommodated the varying levels of experience on the client’s team. Everybody learned something new—even those with more experience.
“VRS grew our competency levels— that’s the biggest win.” The Operations Director explains, “There’s ‘knowing’ how something works from a theoretical perspective, but also ‘knowing’ from a practical perspective. Knowing the rules and what was going to happen once a change was made brought up everyone’s confidence levels.”
Operations Director
The confidence and competency gains contributed to time savings. The bank’s WFM experts are now able to focus their attention on other projects and those who work with WFM regularly—either to do forecasting and scheduling or to access reports— are more efficient and independent.
“I spend less of my day with somebody at my desk asking me how to do something, so that’s an efficiency straight away, but that’s also an efficiency for our team. Productivity has increased. It’s hard to put a specific measurement on it, but it’s definitely given us back a few hours every day in some form or another.”
Remote Training Facilitates Deeper Understanding
The training was delivered remotely and in shorter increments over time to match the client’s configuration progress.
“Remote training worked well for us,” the Operations Director says. “We could see our system live on one screen and be able to interact on the other. It also allowed my team to put into practise what they learned and come back to the next session with questions. When you’re sitting for hours in training, information gets lost, so this incremental training really helped with information retention.”
THE RESULTS
Efficiency & Productivity Gains
The bank has achieved considerable time savings and reduced forecasting time by 75% as a result of VRS recommendations.
“Our team would spend most of Friday forecasting, and now it’s done in two hours. It’s a massive improvement for us, but it’s purely down to forecasting fewer call types,” the Operations Director shares.
The bank reduced the number of call types by 69%. The time saved has translated to hard-dollar savings as there’s been no need to fill the vacancies created when team members moved to new roles.
Going Forward
The client is on the cusp of a significant digital transformation and the team would like to see this mirrored in the bank’s call centre. They are planning to add solutions like NICE’s Employee Engagement Manager to ensure the employee experience is as fantastic as the customer experience.
