The modern marketplace is a fast-changing place.

In a world where information is available at the touch of a screen - not even a button anymore - companies have to work hard to manage their workforces and keep pace at the same time.

Efficiency is the key to being successful in this modern world, and that goes double for contact centers, where time is of the essence on every call. And for many of those contact centers, the best way to manage these heightened expectations is with the latest in workforce management software.

Workforce management software (or WMS) can increase productivity, allow for better time and attendance tracking, and save time and money, but WMS is a moving target; the technology is changing all the time. So we’ve broken down some of the recent developments in WMS below to help clear away some of the confusion and help your contact center focus on the right things.

What does workforce management do?

In contact centers, WMS tools are typically used by managers for forecasting purposes, monitoring and forecasting inbound and outbound call volumes, and then scheduling the right number of agents to make sure that the center can respond to whatever level of calls are going to be coming in.

Over time, this software became one of the most important tools used in a contact center. By the end of 2017, many experts on the industry were recommending that any contact center with more than 25 employees use some sort of workplace management software application.

Workforce management in the cloud

One of the most recent, and important, trends in WMS is cloud compatibility. This makes the systems easier to use and easier to update.

Now that many WFS programs are can be use in the cloud, contact center managers can try out a new application, and if it doesn’t work with their particular center, they can cancel their contract and give something else a try.

Cloud-compatible WMS systems have dramatically changed the landscape because they’re more accessible, affordable and flexible than on-site systems.

Changes in workforce demographics

Changes in the makeup of our workforce are also increasing the need for WFS solutions. As younger, Millennial workers enter the contact center workforce, they are altering the well-established workplace structure.

There’s also a workforce change that the scheduling aspects of WMS have helped with: Millennials are a bigger part of the workforce than ever before, and this generation of around 75 million people is quite different from the Baby Boomers or Generation X.

Millennials have much different opinions regarding their work/life balance, and they’re no longer as willing to work flexible, perhaps unpredictable schedules. Because of this, workforce management software has become an important tool that allows contact centers to help this new wave of employees find a balance between workplace performance and their personal lives.

The flipside of this equation is that if your software doesn’t include updated scheduling programs, it’s time for an upgrade or your contact center could get left out in the cold by a massive potential workforce when they’re considering where to find a job. For more on purchasing a workforce management tool, read our post “Must-Haves When Buying a Workforce Management Solution.”