Module 1 - The cost control
challenge
The Call Center Learning Center is proud to present a tutorial series
focused on cost reduction planning in your call center. This tutorial series will pull from Prosci's research-based toolkits and best practices reports. This module
addresses the cost control challenge that all call center managers face.
Module 2 will discuss how to identify potential cost reduction
activities. Module 3 will focus
on prioritizing and selecting activities for your call center.
Doing more with less
Controlling costs in call center operations is at the
forefront of business initiatives across the globe. Call center managers are facing
constant pressure to do more with less; to improve service
while cutting costs. Moreover, peak
calling periods and seasonal variations also require call center managers to find
ways to handle these peaks without "blowing the budget" by
just adding more staff. |
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Interested in learning more
about
controlling costs
in your call center?
The Call Center Learning Center will be conducting a FREE
webinar on this topic on Wednesday, August 3.
Registration for this
webinar
is now available. |
The cost control challenge
This "cost control challenge" is something that
all call center managers face. According to Prosci's
latest best practices study with 240 companies from around the world,
participants reported that the number one
challenge they will face over the next two years is "dealing
with budget constraints." This includes handling an increased call
volume with the same staff (hiring freezes), the closing and
consolidation of call center locations, or meeting a greater demand for
services with the same resources.
Despite the commonality of this problem, cutting costs proves elusive
for many call centers. Why? There are
two common mistakes that call centers often make that
contribute to the challenge of controlling costs of call center
operations. They include:
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Call centers are not using a comprehensive
model for cost reduction.
"Band-aid" approaches, or makeshift efforts intended
to be quick fixes for an expense or budget problem, are not the
key to long-lasting and effective cost control in your call
center.
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Call centers are taking only a short-term
approach to controlling costs.
Although some cost control initiatives will be short-term
operations and process changes, call center managers should also
consider the mid-term and long-term changes and strategies that
can result in future cost savings and more efficient call center
operations.
Cost reduction planning
The solution to these common mistakes is cost reduction
planning. Cost reduction planning is a
systematic approach that
provides a comprehensive framework for reducing the cost of your
call center operations over time. The outcome of this planning
is a set of identified and prioritized
cost saving initiatives that are most suited for your
situation.
The cost reduction planning process has two primary
activities:
Step 1 - Identify potential
cost reduction activities.
Step 2 - Prioritize and
select the activities for your call center.
Each step will be addressed in-depth
in the remaining tutorials in this series. The next
tutorial from the Call Center Learning Center will focus on the
first step of identifying potential cost reduction initiatives.
The final tutorial in this series will show how to take the
identified activities and prioritize the initiatives for action
in your call center.
To get started immediately with cost reduction planning in your center, Prosci's Controlling
the Cost of Call Center Operations Toolkit is a comprehensive guide for reducing call center costs. This operations model presents more
than 50 initiatives to cut costs in your call center, and includes worksheets and
templates for prioritizing these cost saving initiatives.
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