What is Workforce management (WFM) software? - Definition from Whatis.com

Definition

Workforce management (WFM) software

Workforce management (WFM) software is an umbrella term for desktop and mobile programs that help a business manage staff scheduling. The term originated in contact centers and other service businesses that employ a large number of workers who are paid on an hourly basis.

The goal of WFM software is to gain visibility into business metrics, such as the fewest number of agents needed at a particular time of day or the amount of time it takes to produce a particular product.

According to the research firm Gartner Inc., workforce management software has five corefunctions:

Labor scheduling: to help manage employees’ skills and compliance requirements more effectively.

Time and work data collection: to capture and report highly-detailed information about labor use.

Leave management: to process paid time-off requests with visibility into the staffing and liability implications.

Task and activity management: to deliver a more detailed view of labor management requirements to help with the sophisticated decision making required for activity-based management.

Time and attendance: to receive input from the other modules and apply rules against the reported times, based on the company’s requirements.

See Also: enterprise resource management, employee self-service, call center schedule adherence

Related glossary terms: Web self-service
This was last updated in March 2011
Editorial Director: Margaret Rouse

Email Alerts

Register now to receive SearchCRM.com-related news, tips and more, delivered to your inbox.
By submitting you agree to receive email from TechTarget and its partners. If you reside outside of the United States, you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Privacy

Dig Deeper

Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know.

Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com

Join the conversationComment

Share
Comments

    Results

    Contribute to the conversation

    All fields are required. Comments will appear at the bottom of the article.