Home > Ask the CRM Experts > Call center software and call center management Questions & Answers > Call center seating: Keeping track of vacant workstations
Ask The CRM Expert: Questions & Answers
EMAIL THIS

Call center seating: Keeping track of vacant workstations

Donna Fluss EXPERT RESPONSE FROM: Donna Fluss

Pose a Question
Other CRM Categories
Meet all CRM Experts
Become an Expert for this site


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us   


>
QUESTION POSED ON: 26 March 2008
Our call center is constantly expanding and we are always looking for more space. Is there a software solution that can be used for large call centers to help keep track of vacant workstations? I am looking for software that would allow me to see how many seats are vacant at a certain time and where they are located in the building.

>
EXPERT RESPONSE
Given the multiple and varied shifts of 24/7 call centers, managing real estate and call center agent workstation utilization is a significant challenge. This time-consuming task is frequently handled manually by an individual within the call center. The burden of managing call center seat vacancies is also one of the many reasons why enterprises are exploring the viability of at-home call center agents.

Here are the names of two vendors who provide software solutions to manage call center workstation utilization:

1. Authority Software offers a product called Central Authority that provides real-time capacity management. It allows users to set up a "forecast" of seat totals and desired occupancy rates. It derives actual usage data to interactively measure and track this information.

2. Lanner offers an application that reads daily team member and call center agent shift pattern data directly from the workforce management system. It then generates seating plans for a day or week at a time. It also specifies desk/floor layouts, identifies which desks are not available at certain times of the day or week and indicates service/desk requirements (specialized equipment available at certain desks only).


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us   


RELATED CONTENT
Call center software and call center management
Finding remote call center agent jobs and opportunities
How can a call center offshore outsourcing firm attract new clients?
Preparing for a call center agent job interview: What skills are required?
Call center rules and regulations: Why are they so strict?
Phone sales techniques: Keeping customers on the line
Why do call centers use courtesy calls?
Tips for starting a home-based call center
How can we motivate our call center agents to up-sell?
Training for quality assurance analysts: What topics should we cover?
Lowering average handle time for the help desk

Call center software
Effective eLearning training in the call center: Eight tips for success
Call center eLearning: Top 10 buzzwords
Voices of CRM: Esteban Kolsky on email customer service
Measuring chat session average handle time (AHT)
Can interactive voice response systems recognize abandoned calls?
Speech self-service speaks the language of savings
Call center technologies: Top 10 buzzwords
Speech analytics technology quiz
Successful workforce management initiative depends on educating contact center agents
Web 2.0, multichannel tools found lacking in latest Gartner customer service rankings
Call center software Research

Call center manager
Effective eLearning training in the call center: Eight tips for success
Call center eLearning: Top 10 buzzwords
Training call center agents using bad customer service experiences
Team building games for call center employees
Cell phone activities for call center teams
Office poker games to break the ice in the call center
Call center management training
Volume metrics vs. call center performance metrics
Treating customers as individuals in the call center
Measuring individual employee performance in the call center
Call center manager Research

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS
Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary
abandoned call  (SearchCRM.com)
call center agent  (SearchCRM.com)
cross-media queuing  (SearchCRM.com)
Erlang B  (SearchCRM.com)
Erlang C  (SearchCRM.com)
inbound call  (SearchCRM.com)
off-peak  (SearchCRM.com)
outbound call  (SearchCRM.com)
screen pop  (WhatIs.com)
skill-based routing  (SearchCRM.com)

RELATED RESOURCES
2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems
Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts
Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary



Search and Browse the Expert Answer Center
Search and browse more than 25,000 question and answer pairs from more than 250 TechTarget industry experts.
Browse our Expert Advice

About Us  |  Contact Us  |  For Advertisers  |  For Business Partners  |  Site Index  |  RSS
SEARCH 
TechTarget provides enterprise IT professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective IT purchase decisions and managing their organizations' IT projects - with its network of technology-specific Web sites, events and magazines.

TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Reprints  |  Site Map




All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2000 - 2008, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy
  TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts