Introduction
Workforce Management (WFM) is a critical component of operational efficiency, impacting everything from forecasting and scheduling to workforce optimization and strategic planning. ICMI’s Advanced Workforce Management training program is designed for professionals who already have a foundational understanding of WFM and want to enhance their expertise by learning strategic forecasting, data-driven scheduling, trend analysis, and advanced workforce planning techniques.
This program will improve decision-making processes, optimize staffing strategies, and enhance the alignment of workforce management with business goals. It will also cover scheduling and forecasting for non-phone workloads, helping participants drive efficiency and performance across diverse operational environments.
Course Objectives
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Apply advanced forecasting techniques to predict workforce demand more accurately.
- Develop strategies for handling scheduling complexities and special scenarios.
- Improve workforce planning processes using trend analysis and scenario modeling.
- Utilize key workforce metrics to drive behavioral change and efficiency.
- Enhance collaboration between WFM teams and operations management.
- Optimize multi-channel workload scheduling beyond phone-based tasks.
- Implement data-driven decision-making to refine workforce management strategies.
Target Audience
This course is designed for professionals with prior WFM experience who want to refine and elevate their skills, including:
- Workforce Management Analysts and Managers handling forecasting and scheduling.
- Contact Center & Operations Managers seeking to improve workforce efficiency.
- Business Analysts working with workforce data and performance trends.
- HR Professionals responsible for resource allocation and workforce planning.
- IT and Data Specialists supporting workforce analytics and automation.
Training Program Outline
Day 1: Advanced Forecasting Techniques & Trend Analysis
- Review of Workforce Management fundamentals and industry trends.
- Advanced data-driven forecasting methods (time series, regression models, AI).
- Trend analysis techniques for long-term workforce planning.
- Forecasting challenges: handling seasonality, business cycles, and anomalies.
- Hands-on session: Applying trend analysis to real-world workforce data.
Day 2: Strategic Scheduling & Handling Special Scenarios
- Balancing operational flexibility and cost efficiency in scheduling.
- Strategies for managing high-variance demand and fluctuating workloads.
- Non-phone workload scheduling: Chat, email, back-office, and social media.
- Managing scheduling complexities: multi-skill, multi-site, and remote teams.
- Case study: Building an optimized workforce schedule for a dynamic environment.
Day 3: Workforce Planning & Optimization Strategies
- Capacity planning techniques for long-term staffing needs.
- Identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies in workforce allocation.
- Workforce optimization: balancing productivity, compliance, and service levels.
- Using automation and AI-driven tools for workforce management.
- Practical workshop: Developing a workforce planning model for a real scenario.
Day 4: Metrics-Driven Workforce Management
- The role of key performance metrics (KPIs) in workforce management.
- Linking workforce analytics to business outcomes.
- Driving employee engagement and performance improvements using data.
- Case study: How top organizations use workforce metrics to optimize operations.
- Hands-on exercise: Developing an action plan to improve WFM effectiveness.
Day 5: Effective Communication & Partnering with Operations
- Aligning workforce planning with business strategy.
- Best practices for partnering with operations teams to enhance efficiency.
- Managing change and resistance in workforce planning processes.
- Implementing a continuous improvement framework for WFM.
- Final workshop: Developing a strategic workforce management roadmap.
