Insights from the Society for Workforce Planning Professionals Conference
Last week, I had the opportunity of speaking at an annual conference in Nashville known as the Society for Workforce Planning Professionals. During this event, several key points emerged that resonated with the audience and I want to share them with you!
One insight is the importance of keeping the team involved in launching a Workforce Management (WFM) system small and decision-maker centric. A larger team composed tends to create bottlenecks and slow down progress. The primary aim should be to launch a minimally viable product quickly and then refine it through iterations. Attempting to foresee every possible scenario is impossible, as issues will inevitably arise. Prolonging the launch not only creates inertia but also places undue pressure on the team to deliver a perfect solution.
A good point that was discussed was finding the right balance between speedy execution and thorough collaboration. A team that's too small might overlook valuable insights from unrepresented parties. To mitigate this scenario, team members should actively communicate progress and gather crucial feedback from their respective groups to inform the project team.
Another conversation revolved around the challenge of leaders who fail to recognize the value of a WFM system. Tactics to address this included:
- Aligning the conversation with the leader's incentives and objectives to highlight the WFM system's relevance.
- Persisting in dialogue, recognizing that convincing may require multiple discussions.
- Leveraging advocates who have a strong rapport with the leader to support the system's benefits.
Last interesting discussion point was around as contact centers evolve, so does the importance of data management within WFM systems. The traditional method of manually generating reports is becoming outdated. A modern approach involves leveraging API endpoints for data extraction, employing scripts for data manipulation, and automatically delivering key performance indicators to leaders. This is an opportune time to explore these techniques, with tools like generative AI models offering guidance on utilizing API endpoints effectively. Give it a try!
For those that were interested in the lessons I have learned from launch a WFM system, here is the link.
Thomas Kim
Finally, I believe the need for more conferences dedicated to Workforce Management professionals is evident. The conference in Nashville was valuable, offering multiple days of networking and knowledge exchanges. Hosting more events in various locations could greatly benefit the WFM community!