Devoted to the call center industry, the agents on the phones, and their managers

It is important that a call center manager has in his possession a tool that will aid him to run the site as efficient as possible.  I’ve always relied on data and calculations when doing analysis on call monitoring or training effectiveness.  This is the same for operations and workforce management.

Call Center Mathematics, a scientific method for understanding and improving contact centers is authored by Ger Koole.  Topics include staffing levels, call forecasting, the Erlang C formula, abandonment of calls, workforce planning and more.  You can download the book for free and utilize different calculators such as call blending, multiple intervals plus a simulation tool for two skill sets.

The OBP research group has dedicated a site that discusses the quantitative management of call centers.  It is a great resource for research and experimentation.