Winning Over Executives: Articulating the Value of WFM Teams
Are you an operational leader in a growing organisation that recognizes the value of a WFM (Workforce Management) team and wants to communicate this value to leadership? Here are some key points that your leadership team may consider when investing in a WFM team:
1. What are the major challenges the business is facing that WFM teams can help solve? Some key areas to explore are:
a. Right-sizing the department through a long-term capacity plan.
b. Translating capacity plans into business cases that model financial projections.
c. Optimising schedules based on demand patterns.
d. Providing productivity insights to drive efficiency and cost savings.
2. Financial Return on Implementing a WFM Team:
- Conduct an analysis to determine the required investment.
- Create estimates for conservative, baseline, and aggressive return on investment.
- Present the figures as follows: "Invest 'x' WFM FTEs, and I will deliver 'x+y' FTEs worth of cost savings or efficiency gains."
3. Timeline for Delivering Results:
- Develop a high-level milestone schedule.
- Focus on delivering quick wins with short durations at the beginning to provide immediate value and build momentum.
4. Requirements from the Leadership Team for Success:
- Recognize that the success of WFM depends on the buy-in of the operations team.
- Assess this honestly to gain clarity on the financial return and timelines.
- Be prepared for a transparent conversation if upper management wants to alter the turnaround time or return on investment.
5. Probability of Success:
- Consider the factors that can affect the success of the WFM team, such as headwinds and tailwinds.
- Calculate their impact and devise a plan to mitigate risks and amplify tailwinds.
Operational leaders aiming to convey the value of a WFM team to executives should address key questions related to challenges, financial returns, timelines, leadership requirements, and the probability of success. Good luck on winning over the executives!