Methodology for Optimizing Help Desk & Customer Service/Call Center Staffing to Save Money

If you want to strike the balance between having sufficient staffing to react as needed and doing so economically, this white paper will be helpful. Industry studies indicate that 80% of a typical help desk budget is salary, so staffing appropriately has a major impact on the bottom line.

The common Erlang formulas from queuing theory fall short because of the wide diversity of help desk entry points (call, fax, email, web, walk-ins, and pages).

Using the detailed formulas and methodology presented in this paper, you will be able to calculate the relationship between staffing levels and customer support levels. First, the paper looks at call center flow models to see how the organizational structure affects costs and program performance. Secondly, call volume, time to process a call, and time to resolve a call are used to determine the average number of staff required for a given call volume. A 70% utilization rate is a good starting point, since the inflow of random calls requires some slack capacity.

This is an outline of the White Paper:

Call Flow Design - Understanding the Different Strategies

• Gate Keeper Model
• Call Sorting Model
• Tiered Structure: Specialist Model
• Tiered Structure: Generalist Model

Financial Impact of the Various Models

How Many Help Desk Staff Are Required For Your Call Volume?

• Determining Direct Labor Requirements
• Determining the Number of Potential Direct Labor Hours Available
• Utilization Rate
• Sample Formulas

Appendix A: Cost Calculations for Typical Call Flow Support Models

Appendix B: Gross Staffing Level Calculation Worksheet