Cookie Preference Centre

Your Privacy
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Performance Cookies
Functional Cookies
Targeting Cookies

Your Privacy

When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences, your device or used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually identify you directly, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. You can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, you should know that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on the site and the services we are able to offer.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site may not work then.

Cookies used

ContactCenterWorld.com

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies, we will not know when you have visited our site.

Cookies used

Google Analytics

Functional Cookies

These cookies allow the provision of enhance functionality and personalization, such as videos and live chats. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then some or all of these functionalities may not function properly.

Cookies used

Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant ads on other sites. They work by uniquely identifying your browser and device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will not experience our targeted advertising across different websites.

Cookies used

LinkedIn

This site uses cookies and other tracking technologies to assist with navigation and your ability to provide feedback, analyse your use of our products and services, assist with our promotional and marketing efforts, and provide content from third parties

OK
[HIDE]

Here are some suggested Connections for you! - Log in to start networking.

EXECUTIVE MEMBER
Ikhwal Sidiq
Assistant Manager Trade and Remittance Services
408
MEMBER
Andres Barrios
Cloud Campus Regional Director
2
MEMBER
Thamer Noori
Director of Industrial Security and Safety Dept.
13
MEMBER
David Chacon
Global Growth & New Operating Models Director
50
MEMBER
Jason Taylor
Officer of County 311 Services
0

Article : Nationwide Building Society Implements Planning Software

Challenge:
Nationwide Building Society is a mortgage lender, saving and lending organisation by asset size.

The company provides its 9 million members with a broad range of retail financial services, including: Mortgages, Savings, Current Accounts, Life Assurance and Investment Products, Personal Loans and Household Insurance. In September 1999, Nationwide first implemented Blue Pumpkin's resource planning software to schedule its 450 agents at sites based in both its call centres in Swindon and Northampton.

In 2001 the number of agents increased to 700 and were split into two main areas, telephone and Internet operations agents responsible for email enquiries. In offering the choice of channel to communicate with the call centres, Nationwide chose to keep these skills separate to ensure a consistent quality of service to its customers. The company, at this stage, does not have a requirement to forecast email agents, however Blue Pumpkin's Director - Enterprise is being used to record information on non-phone activity. This has proved invaluable during peak campaigns and highlights any shortfalls on additional staff needed in the call centre.

Nationwide use Blue Pumpkin's Director - with Agent Adherence. To manage the 700 agents there are two team Senior Analysts: the Resourcing team works with 3 analysts who process approximately 200 agents each and the Co-ordinating team manages the process on an ongoing basis. They are responsible for overseeing the Meridian switch, observing the call centre 'floor' and for managing the overall service picture.

In addition to the main areas of products to purchase, there are over 15 savings products. In all there are over 20 different skill sets required on the database – 8 into sales and 12 into service. They have been responding to customers via email through the Internet Banking service for 3 years. The service was relaunched in June 1999 with its first Internet focus on products and in May 2000 Nationwide improved two major areas: firstly they addressed the needs of existing customers by offering them a personalised service over the Internet and secondly focused on headline rates to encourage new business.

This emphasis to prompt customers to call 'Nationwide Direct', coupled with Nationwide's recent change on stance regarding mortgages and the competitiveness of personal loan products, has led to a 65% increase in enquiries in 10 months, and through the combined sales & service divisions, inbound agents receive over 95,000 calls in a typical week.

With this new demand placed on their call centres, Nationwide needed to know they had the correct number of agents with the right skills to be able to react, this scenario was perfect to put Blue Pumpkin to the test.

Solution:
"In 1999 Nationwide went through a comprehensive analysis of workforce providers in their search for a workforce planning system. Andrew Miller, Nationwide's Planning & Support Manager, confirms: "The company was seeking a sophisticated product, which would be simple to use and flexible. We needed a system that gave the user ultimate control of the forecasts, and the ability to change the configuration easily, when we changed our business model. Of all the WFM companies approached, Blue Pumpkin best suited our requirements. It is a comprehensive product, which enables our centralised resource planning team to forecast and schedule for the multi-site operations. The simplicity of Director - Enterprise was a major factor when seeking operational management buy-in, supporting the installation of the software on their desktops. This has provided them with real-time information on forecast accuracy and service delivery. As part of the decision making process it was important that the IT department supported our choice of supplier, and as Blue Pumpkin did not have a proprietary database, this was a major factor in IT supporting the decision, as well as the fact that it was Windows NT."

"Since the implementation, we have been able to take on additional responsibilities as the software has saved us time in the routine scheduling jobs. Director - Enterprise has become a data source for many people who are not actively involved in the forecasting and scheduling for the call centres. A specific area highlighted is scheduled breaks that used to be an ad hoc manual process by the team, which was not able to reflect the skills of the agents. We are now able to monitor service level and schedules across the two sites which is crucial to a virtual operation to support decision being made dynamically, as is ensuring that both sites feel they have a sense of fair play – ie: one site doesn't always do the 'unsociable' shifts – both sites are working together to achieve the same goals."

"In light of the recent expansion from 450 to 700 agents, Blue Pumpkin has proved to be a 'God-send'. Feedback from the Senior Analysts constantly assures me that the information we put in pays for itself many times over for the time it saves in forecasting and scheduling versus a manual operation. The key areas that benefit Nationwide are in exploiting the data – it's more than just a scheduling system – our challenge is to get even more from the software and maximise the information available."

Results:

  • Flexibility to factor in above baseline activity easily, eg: marketing campaigns

  • Accurate forecasting & scheduling takes 45% less time than before

  • Targets areas required for more training

  • Advises when recruiting needs to take place.


About Nationwide Building Society:
They offer a broad range of retail financial services. Mortgages, savings, current accounts, life assurance and investment products, personal loans and household insurance are all available from the Nationwide Group. Nationwide has mutual (as opposed to Public Limited Company) status, which means that it is owned by its members and is run day-to-day by an executive management team overseen by an elected board of directors.

About Blue Pumpkin
Blue Pumpkin is at the forefront of a new wave of enterprise software applications and services for businesses that want to achieve higher levels of employee and customer satisfaction resulting in increased revenue. Blue Pumpkin's multi-channel workforce optimisation software helps businesses plan, execute, and evaluate strategies that focus on the quality of personal interactions by helping them make the most of their most critical resource: their people.

Today's Tip of the Day - Utilize Time & Money Saving Tools

Read today's tip or listen to it on podcast.

Published: Friday, November 22, 2002

Printer Friendly Version Printer friendly version

About us - in 60 seconds!

Join Our Team

Industry Champion Award Leaderboard

Most active award (top 10) entrants in the past 48 hours! - Vote for Others / About Program
Submit Event

Upcoming Events

The 19th AMERICAS Annual Best Practices Conferences are here! Meeting Point for the World's Best Contact Center & CX Companies Read More...
 31813 
Showing 1 - 1 of 3 items

Newsletter Registration

Please check to agree to be placed on the eNewsletter mailing list.
both ids empty
session userid =
session UserTempID =
session adminlevel =
session blnTempHelpChatShow =
CMS =
session cookie set = True
session page-view-total = 1
session page-view-total = 1
applicaiton blnAwardsClosed =
session blnCompletedAwardInterestPopup =
session blnCheckNewsletterInterestPopup =
session blnCompletedNewsletterInterestPopup =