Advanced Contact Centre Solutions

Using the Call Management Process of Load Balancing to Create a Virtual Centre

A mega centre environment can be created by pooling resources from multiple sites into a virtual centre.  This process of call management is called load balancing. The goal of load balancing is to create productivity gains that are inherited in larger centres with cost controls and flexibility that are found in smaller centres.  This strategy provides for call centres to plan for combined workload while utilizing multiple resource pools.  A multiple centre business model provides business contingency, local presence and a larger talent pool to recruit from.

When would an organization want to implement a load balancing strategy with their call centre operations?

The benefit of developing a call load balancing process can be measured by reduced operating cost, improved customer satisfaction and the opportunity for increase revenue.  Staff cost will be realized due to a shorter call handle time along with a reduction in  workload and a decrease in abandoned calls.  Less abandoned calls will reduce customer call backs and the longer talk time to handle these calls.  With fewer and more efficiently handled calls, the number of workstations, incoming lines, long-distance cost and telephony requirements is reduced.  Annual maintenance which is equated to facility requirements may also be reduced.  Increased in customer satisfaction created by shorter wait times and an increase in first call resolution creates a customer loyalty which leads to increase revenue opportunities.

The goal of load balancing varies based on operational needs, organizational structure, resources and technology tools.  There are a number of scenarios that enable these goals to be achieved in utilizing a load balancing strategy.  It is therefore important to identify the required result and the metrics used to measure success. 

A centre can utilize load balancing options when there stated goal is to:

1. Provide immediate response to a caller’s request.  In this scenario, skill sets and value of the call in multiple queues is generic.  Product or service information is uncomplicated while call flow process is static and routine.  Success for immediate response is measured using performance metrics such as percentage abandoned and average speed of answer.  

2. Provide most appropriate agent for caller’s request.  In this scenario, skill sets per agent groups along with value of the call does vary.  As product and service information becomes more complicated, skill sets along with the ability to leverage the caller contact time is more important than just speed of answer.  In this scenario, the key metric of percentage first contact resolution is balanced with overall performance metric of percentage abandoned
3. Provide improved use of resources to create efficiency gains.  In this scenario, skill sets per agent groups along with call value is similar.  With similar product and service information, skill sets between agents along with the value of the call is equivalent.  The key metrics within this scenario is agent utilization along with the metrics from the two previous scenarios.

4. Provide call type distribution for training, coaching and career growth.  This final scenario uses call load balancing as a tool to provide specific call types and workload.  This controlled process will create a positive environment to allow staff to exceed within the centre.  Within this scenario, call balancing does not need to occur for all agent groups, therefore the metric for success will be that the controlled agent groups provide the same or better service standards as targeted.

With the goal stated, the next step in implementing a successful load balancing process is establishing a cross functional team.  The role of this team would be to identify the appropriate people skills, call flow process and technology tools that create the foundation for success.  Implementation of a new process represents a period that an organization requires support and commitment to ensure that the change meets operational goals.  Therefore it is vital to communicate, train and have a process to make staff aware of changes that impact customer contact experience.  

Business rules need to be created to balance the impact of multi skilled agents versus queue priorities.  When agents are multi queued and a greater volume of calls are offered over an extended period, lower priority calls would be offered unreasonable service standards.  Load balancing based on best available agent need to provide maximum wait time for agent groups and queues.  When this maximum wait time is exceeded, alternative agent groups, in a set priority, need to be queued to provide more opportunities for call answering. 

The two call flow methodologies for load balancing are centralized and decentralized.  A centralized approach captures calls in one central location where real time productivity measurements from all call centres is analyzed.  Based on the business rules and technology used, a call can be queued to a single or multi agent group.  A key requirement of success is that agent groups are designed by skill sets and can be located in multi centres. 

In a decentralized approach calls are offered to a centre (i.e.: based on geography) and real time productivity measurements are shared between all centres.  This data is analyzed and based on common business rules the call is transfer or remains in the receiving centre. 

In both a centralized and decentralized approach there is a critical need to establish common business rules.   These rules determine if a call is to be transferred or remains in the receiving centre.  Based on the operational goal for load balancing, the call will be handled in the centre that can provide the best service at that time. 

A centralized approach allows for a single point for decision making.  Provided that a common communication format is available to capture the business rules elements, individual call centres technology tools may differ.  With business rules being maintained in a single site, updates, along with trouble shooting is a simpler task. 

A major limitation of a centralized approach is the single point of failure.  Failure with a centralized approach has a greater impact on all call centres.  If an incident occurs at the centralized point, no call centres will be transferred calls.  If a single call centre looses communication with the centralized point, this centre’s agent groups remain idle while the other centres are offered a higher workload.

A decentralized approach allows for workload to remain in the centre the call was first offered to.  In this scenario, an agent group is always utilized but potentially not to their full capacity.  Maintaining a decentralized approach is more complicated due to each centres need to communicate real time to all centres along with ensuring consistent between centres business rules.

In either a centralized or decentralized approach, it is vital to plan for failure using network facilities.  All toll free carriers provide service options to route calls using network features.  Calls can be distributed based on overall workload, call type (provided that a unique DID is used per call type), geography, time of day and percentage allocation.  It is highly recommended that a centre utilizes these network features within their contingency plan.

The final step in any change process is to measure the impact.  Based on the goal that was initially defined, specific performance metrics for success are tracked pre and post implementation.  Change within the performance metrics need to be tracked on a daily basis to create a trend curve that can be used for future planning purposes.  Performance improvements need not be identified per period but a reasonable ramp up period needs to be defined with a final targeted result.

The load balancing processes will need to be modified to continue providing ongoing success.  To create the environment for continuous success, results need to be reviewed on a daily or weekly basis.  This will refine the knowledge and understanding of the load balancing process.    Success of load balancing occurs when the operational goal is defined, a plan is created than implemented and results are measured. 

Louie Gazzola has over fifteen years of progressive customer service management experience and ten years of planning & implementing technology-based solutions.  He founded Advanced Contact Centre Solutions (ACCS) to provide an independent objective perspective on contact centre technology and workforce management issues.  You can reach him at 604.765.2276 or at  louie.gazzola@accs-consulting.com goal is defined, a plan is created than implemented and results are measured. 

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