Many IT organizations are adopting IT Service Management (ITSM) initiatives to improve the overall quality of their service delivery and support, striving to achieve the coveted 3 “E’s” (Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Economy) in everything they do, while ultimately working towards true business partnership.

With a host of methodologies, frameworks and best practices available, the road may not often be clear. In this interactive session, we will move beyond details and specifics and explore things from a high-level ITSM perspective, from a Service Desk/Service Support viewpoint.

In this half-day session, you will:

• Develop an understanding of what ITSM means to customers and the service desk, and what resources are involved
• Explore how ITSM applies to organizations, and more specifically to the service desk
• Discover the potential value to be realized by adopting the principles of ITSM, for the business and the service desk
• Learn about the tools, best practices, and frameworks available to help with the ITSM journey, and understand where to start
• Be able to realize the ITSM vision—what does success look like?

Key Takeaways:

• Reference sheets containing definitions and key terms
• Lists of resource sites and references for further information
• A flow chart for the ITSM journey
• Documents outlining the benefits and value to the business, IT support, and stakeholders

Explore the following principles:

• Knowledge must be captured in the customer context.
• Knowledge must be structured to prmote consistency, findability, and useability.
• Knowledge is dynamic.
• Knowledge has a life-cycle.
• Perfection is neither required nor desirable.

Gain a practical understanding of how to properly integrate the capture, structure, and reuse of knowledge into the incident management process so as to improve service effectiveness and efficiency. Discuss the challenges of implementing knowledge management and how you can successfully get others to support this initiative. Discover how to manage knowledge as the product of the support center.

Key Takeaways:

• The KCS Model
• Sample knowledge templates
• Exercises to promote dynamic knowledge

Have you ever felt like you spend the entire day running around with a roll of duct tape fixing everything? If so, welcome to incident management. ITIL defines incident management as, “Restoring normal service as quickly as possible, with minimum disruption to the business.” Have you ever wondered, “What is normal service?” Have your customers told you that your “quickly as possible” is not quick enough? How can you determine business impact and priority to “minimize disruption to the business”?

This high-energy, hands-on session is filled with practical guidance, templates, quick wins, and tricks for successfully implementing ITIL best practice methodologies for incident management, service requests, and problem management.

In part I of this comprehensive program, we will look at incident management and service requests. Learn how to utilize templates and tools to help the restoration process, as well as define key performance indicators (KPIs). Discover why incident management is foundational to improving your support center’s performance. You will learn how to design and implement the ITIL incident management and service request processes.

Key Takeaways:

• Identify your customers and services
• Establish urgency, impact, and priority
• Implement a service request process
• Develop and manage knowledge
• Agree on notifications and escalations
• Improve incident assignment accuracy

Throughout this session you will receive experience-based guidance, plus numerous tips and tricks, templates, and examples.

Once a service has been designed, it is important that it be built, tested, and released into the live environment as successfully as possible. This means developing processes to manage and assess the change, standardized processes for the build test and release, and preparing the organization to use and support the new service. All of these processes rely on the accuracy of the Configuration Management system. This session evaluates how to integrate these three core Service Transition processes into your organization. This session will explore:

• The Service Transition phase of the life-cycle
• Change Management Overview
• Release and Deployment Overview
• Configuration Management Overview
• Implementing Change, Release and Deployment, and Configuration

Pre-requisite: Session 202

In Part I, the focus was reactive—fix it fast. You learned how to design and implement the ITIL incident management and service request processes. Now it’s time to put away the duct tape and stop putting out fires. In Part II, we transition to a proactive approach, conducting a root cause analysis and correcting issues before the customer is impacted. You will learn how to design and implement the ITIL problem management process. Leverage incident management, data, and problem management methodologies to take your support center performance to a higher level. Please note that it is required that you attend workshop 202 prior to participating in this session.

Key Takeaways:

• Identify trends that initiate proactive problem management
• Determine when to open a problem record
• Conduct a root cause analysis
• Develop and manage work-arounds
• Identify and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for the restoration processes: incident management, service requests, and problem management

In this workshop you will receive experience-based guidance, plus numerous tips, tricks, templates, and examples.

Part I – ITSM Overview

Many support center managers express frustration as they attempt to rein in the chaos and expense associated with their IT support organization but find little in the way of prescriptive guidance. ITSM has become a familiar acronym associated with process improvement initiatives targeting service support and delivery, but a challenge faced by many organizations is the lack of pragmatic guidance available, meaning the leadership team is often left with an unclear understanding of how to approach an ITSM improvement program.

This interactive workshop will explore a phased approach to the fundamentals of IT Service Management (ITSM) implementation, focusing on the core aspects of service support, specifically the service desk, Incident Management, Request Fulfillment, Problem Management, and certain elements of Change Management. We will leverage widespread ITSM best practices as the foundation for this workshop.

This hands-on session will explore a structured approach to tactical and operational elements of the ITSM program, which include developing the project, successful management of the implementation, and subsequent maintenance, with a heavy focus on the critical building blocks of communication, behavioral change, sustainability, and continuous improvement.

Regardless of your industry, your level of maturity, or framework of choice, you will find this workshop incredibly enlightening and prescriptive, exploring a systematic, practical approach that fosters an integrative approach to ITSM, focusing on the tactical and operational aspects of the program, from a support management perspective.

Agenda (Part I): Project Initiation – Vision, the “Sell Job,” Marketing, and Awareness

• Defining the need for ITSM
• High-level business case – ROI
• Goals and objectives
• The vision horizon
• Setting realistic maturity targets and milestones
• The importance of marketing and branding
• Kick-off launch
• Communication strategy

Tools and Templates:

• PowerPoint template for project kick-off
• Questionnaires to assist with current state assessment
• Service desk
• Incident Management/Request Fulfillment
• Problem Management
• Change Management
• Project flow chart
• Project plan skeleton
• Document outlining the core processes and their relationships to each other
• Communication and marketing strategy

Mapping processes involves much more than understanding how to create a workflow. This session will look at the basics of process-mapping and the variety of techniques that focus on service improvement. We will look at how to develop cross-functional processes that define process activities, roles and responsibilities, metrics, and all customer interaction points. We will evaluate actual process flows in detail and we will discuss how to create them for your own support environment.

Key Takeaways:

• Process design overview
• Process flow diagrams
  • Top-Down
  • Cross-Functional (Micro and Macro)
  • Value Stream
  • Customer Experience Maps
• Identify all key support processes
• Functional flow diagram
• Mapping out actual processes

Part II – Project Implementation and Management

Session 402 (Part I) is not a pre-requisite, but it is recommended.

Many support center managers express frustration as they attempt to rein in the chaos and expense associated with their IT support organization but find little in the way of prescriptive guidance. ITSM has become a familiar acronym associated with process improvement initiatives targeting service support and delivery, but a challenge faced by many organizations is the lack of pragmatic guidance available, meaning the leadership team is often left with an unclear understanding of how to approach an ITSM improvement program.

This interactive workshop will explore a phased approach to the fundamentals of IT Service Management (ITSM) implementation, focusing on the core aspects of service support, specifically the service desk, Incident Management, Request Fulfillment, Problem Management, and certain elements of Change Management. We will leverage widespread ITSM best practices as the foundation for this workshop.

This hands-on session will explore a structured approach to tactical and operational elements of the ITSM program, which include developing the project, successful management of the implementation, and subsequent maintenance, with a heavy focus on the critical building blocks of communication, behavioral change, sustainability, and continuous improvement.

Regardless of your industry, your level of maturity, or framework of choice, you will find this workshop incredibly enlightening and prescriptive, exploring a systematic, practical approach that fosters an integrative approach to ITSM, focusing on the tactical and operational aspects of the program, from a support management perspective.

Agenda (Part II): Project Execution – Implementation, Management, and Sustainability

• Current state
• The line in the sand
• Baselining
• The road map for Service Support Improvement
• Project plan
• The importance of process integration
• Resource leveling and considerations
• Quick wins, milestones and other aspects of the plan
• The look of done
• Measurements, metrics
• Sustainability: Keeping it on the rails
• Health check
• Keeping the momentum
• According to Deming...the importance of continuous improvement
• What next? Where do you go from here?

Tools and Templates:

• PowerPoint template for project kick-off
• Service desk
• Incident Management/Request Fulfillment
• Problem Management
• Change Management

Project flow chart

Project plan skeleton

Document outlining the core processes and their relationships to each other

Communication and marketing strategy

The Continual Service Improvement (CSI) workshop will focus on the importance of looking for ways to improve the services that you offer to your customers (regardless of whether those customers are external or internal). We will explore various approaches to a Continual Service Improvement program and how best to align your program with a variety of quality programs that exist in the marketplace.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the key elements of a Continual Service Improvement program
• Simple approaches to beginning a program of your own
• Lessons learned from others failed programs (names changed to protect the not so innocent…)
• Aligning with a formal “quality” program (Six Sigma, TQM, TPS, etc.)
• Gathering the voice of your customer
• Measuring the results of your program

Tools and Templates:

• Service Candidate Selection template
• Service-specific VOC sample survey
• Various CSI templates

Looking for ways to make your company culture a better place to work and play? If your work environment causes you to deal constantly with issues like disengagement, cynicism, sarcasm, negativity, burnout, toxicity, and apathy—and if sometimes you are even experiencing these yourself—this workshop is for you! You know your workplace can feel better, do better, and be better than it is right now. Learn how you can take your organization to higher ground!

You’ll leave this session with a very clear understanding of what workplace culture is and how to make it better by positively and powerfully influencing it with proven cultural best practices. Some of the principles we will practice include establishing traditions, the deliberate use of stories, more meaningful recognition, inspiring versus requiring, “readership leadership,” creating a question-ABLE culture, and becoming a positively contagious leader.

Key Takeaways:

• You’ll leave this session with a 52-week plan for improving your culture and workplace. Included in that plan will be several proven, published, and practical best practices for building culture.
• You’ll leave with a list of resources to keep you energized and focused on your journey.
• You will know exactly what to do at your very next team meeting to motivate and inspire them!

This is no “butts in seats” workshop—be prepared to move, groove, go and grow! Learning is better when learning is fun!

Tired of customers not understanding the importance of the support center? Want to increase your value to the business? Take control and manage their perceptions!

Increasing your value to the business begins with building relationships and learning your customer’s expectations, business requirements, and current perceptions. Once you partner with the business and internal IT groups, you will better know how to communicate your value on an ongoing basis. In this session, you will learn how to understand the perception of your performance and develop methods for improving it, increasing your team’s value within the organization.

During this interactive session, you will:

• Discover how to mold perceptions by first identifying the current perceptions, determining the influences, setting targets, and creating a plan of action
• Learn ways to assess current communication methods and implement communication plans
• Gain insights for building valuable relationships within your organization
• Collect ideas for promoting your value through communicating business-focused results to upper management
• Understand how to market your accomplishments on an ongoing basis
• Learn tips for successfully using dashboards

Key Takeaways:

• Marketing Plan Template
• Communication Plan Template
• Dashboard example
• Workshop booklet with samples of each template
• Activities that teach participants how to implement these tools

Today’s businesses and CIOs are demanding that IT managers increase their business, financial, and accounting acumen and sharpen their focus on valued contributions to the business. It’s time to make an investment in your career by developing essential financial and accounting skills to better position yourself for critical roles in the success of the business. This half-day workshop covers the essentials of finance, accounting, budgeting, reporting, and business case justification required by all support managers looking to operate their support organization more like a business. The session curriculum includes business, accounting, and financial competencies that are critical to all support managers who are looking to provide cost-effective stewardship to business stakeholders.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the current business motivations for adopting the finance and accounting skills that are necessary to survive and thrive in today’s environment
• The relevancy of the IT Maturity and Governance Models in setting up IT for long-term value creation
• Accounting terminology critical to costing IT services and impacting the IT Service Catalog
• The IT budgeting basics and what all support managers need to know to manage their budget judiciously
• The financial metrics that matter to the business case and any support investment
• You will realize how important an understanding of the business, finance, and accounting concepts are in defining the role the support center plays in supporting the company’s business drivers
• You will clearly understand the necessary financial and business skill sets needed in today’s business environment, what your approach should be to acquire those skill sets, and how to effectively leverage those skill sets to position your support team as a value-add partner to the business

Tools and Templates:

• A business case template
• A glossary of key finance and accounting terminology
• Support cost models for understanding the cost of ownership and reducing the cost per resolution

Your success, whether it’s meeting organizational goals or building teams that are productive, motivated, and valued, is dependent on the environment you create for your employees. In this workshop, you will learn proven methods for developing your people management skills in the areas of coaching, mentoring, and building and delivering successful performance reviews. This half-day workshop will help you to assess your current skills. Additionally, you will participate in discussions and focused activities that will help you grow your skills and build an environment for fostering successful, productive, happy teams.

During this interactive session, you will:

• Gain insights for growing your confidence and improving your success in the areas of coaching, mentoring, and delivering performance reviews
• Learn the difference between coaching and mentoring
• Understand why and how to coach your employees
• Assess your own coaching approach and learn how to grow your personal coaching skills
• Understand the benefits of mentoring and learn how to implement mentoring in your environment
• Learn how to eliminate “surprises” in performance reviews by building the necessary foundation for successfully setting expectations, and accomplishing individual and team goals

Tools and Templates:

• Coaching plan template
• Sample mentoring plan
• Tips on creating SMART performance objectives
• Performance review examples
• Sample phrases and questions used during coaching sessions and performance reviews
• Workshop booklet with tips and steps for growing your skills
• Activities that teach participants how to implement these tools

The 21st century Support Center is being called on to do more than ever before – with an ever leaner staff headcount. Hiring managers need to optimize their recruitment, evaluation, and retention programs to keep the best and brightest on board. But with technology changing so rapidly and demographics often working against you, how do you train your staff, identify future leaders and advance their career? Learn proven strategies for identifying, motivating, and cultivating top performers – and keeping them at your company.

Key Takeaways:

• Identifying outstanding support center staff starts with recruitment. Learn some common challenges that support center hiring managers face as they try to optimize their staff’s performance, and learn how to overcome these obstacles.
• Learn how to reduce staff turnover, improve retention, recognize the “shrink factor,” and keep your staff motivated. Participate in a discussion of the scientific justification for increased head count –it starts with the metrics.
• How to integrate training and skills enhancement into your staff development. (Hint: Don’t forget the soft skills.)
• Discover why it’s so important to have a well-defined succession plan in place, to promote organizational best practices, improve knowledge management, motivate staff, and reduce turnover.
• Learn why an analysis of alternative staffing arrangements (part-time, outsourced, and nontraditional) might be the wave of the future, and what you need to know now to prepare for it.
• Discover why metrics are so essential to process improvement, and how the best methods of tracking elements like customer and employee satisfaction levels can improve your staff’s performance. Learn how using metrics can motivate, rather than demoralize, your staff.

Tools and templates:

• Best practices call monitoring exercise
• “The Secret Formula” Cost Justification of New Staff handout
• Effective Retention Programs: Handout based on 2008 Robert Half Technology survey of 1,400 CIOs

Operational metrics are critical for the success of a support center, and there is an endless list of possible metrics to chose from, so which metrics should every support center measure? This session will identify and explain which measurements are important, why they are important, and how to use them to improve performance within the organization. The workshop will also identify the difference between measurements and metrics, and how to understand which you should use in your organization.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand which operational metrics are typically utilized in support centers
• Examine sample reports of support center performance and identify how to use the reported results
• Learn the difference between qualitative and quantitative metrics
• Compare your performance to other similar organizations (through use of the HDI Practices & Salary Survey)
• Understand better which metrics should be reported to management

Tools and Templates:

• Sample reports of support center performance
• Glossary of support center metrics and how to calculate them

Service metrics should measure the ability of the IT service assets to support the specific business processes. Customers care about the value that IT services provide to the organization, not the performance of each individual group in satisfying its operational level agreement. Customers want to know the value (utility and warranty) of the service and how it addresses the business need. Learn how to define the appropriate service metrics so that your customers can better understand the value that IT brings to the organization in meeting its goals.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the difference between operational and service metrics
• Understand the difference between utility and warranty
• Learn the five components of the SERVQUAL methodology
• Learn how to determine if customers expectations are being met (perceptions) and how to calculate the ‘Zone of Tolerance’
• Learn how SERVQUAL aligns with IT Service Management Frameworks (e.g., ITIL, Six Sigma, CMMI, etc.)
• Understand how to measure “gaps” in service quality
• Learn how to measure the gap between perceptions and expectations, and understand how to address that gap
• Learn to develop a service quality reporting framework that alights with ITSM frameworks

To determine where to focus process improvement initiates, the IT organization must know how it is doing through the customer’s eyes. The support organization should be surveying their customers to gather this important information. But conducting an effective survey is more than asking questions. It is understanding how to develop a survey that gets you the answers to the questions that are truly valuable to the IT organization as a whole.

This workshop will provide an introduction to the basic concepts involved in building and conducting customer surveys. We will discuss the steps involved in performing a survey, determining your goal, determining the sample, determining the survey method you are going to use, the importance of pre-test validation, and conducting the survey. We will also discuss the importance of reliability and validity. What makes a question “good” or “bad”? We will also do several “hands-on” exercises. This will provide an opportunity for attendees to experience the survey development process first hand.

Key Takeaways

• An understanding of the fundamentals of survey design
• An understanding of why we survey our customers
• An understanding of the concepts related to drawing a random sample from a population
• An understanding of the various types of surveys available and criteria for selecting the best survey for a given situation
• An example of a survey developed in the workshop

Tools and Templates:

• A list of references for survey design
• A template that can be used in future survey design
• An example of a survey developed in the workshop

Measuring services is the third step in strategy generation and the ITIL v 3 Service Portfolio Management process. After defining and valuing your services, you have to measure them to know where to improve. ITIL v 3 offers some intriguing new insights into the measurement of quality, gap analysis, and establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and other metrics. Join us to uncover what to measure, how to measure, and why to measure.

Key Takeaways:

• Realize that measuring IT service quality requires a very different approach than what you might think
• Understand how quality is truly in the eye (and perception) of the customer, and how to capture that perception
• Learn how to measure IT service quality the only way that matters, and then use those measurements to improve
• Practice gap analysis in class and leave the program knowing exactly how to measure your own services
• Take home reusable templates so that you can measure services and establish appropriate KPIs as required
• Determine how to improve your services based on your KPIs

Tools and Templates:

• Workbook with step-by-step directions for measuring IT services and choosing KPIs
• Easy-to-understand, repeatable methodologies for measuring IT services and performing gap analysis for improvement

Continuous Service Improvement requires that quality be assessed and then corrective action taken. This session will evaluate the components of the quality monitoring process and will examine how valuable feedback can be used to improve skills. Discuss with your peers what is to be defined as quality and how it impacts a call with customer, the information in a ticket, the knowledge that is captured, or an e-mail sent to a customer. We will explore the following principles:

• Quality requirements must be documented and communicated.
• Quality can be measured, trended, and evaluated.
• Quality does not just happen; it requires a skilled staff.
• Quality goals can and should be established.
• Monitoring without coaching is not fruitful.

Key Takeaways:

• Sample monitoring forms
• Sample reporting forms

Defining services is one of the first steps in ITIL v 3 strategy generation, as well as the first step in the service portfolio process. You simply cannot adopt ITIL or IT Service Management without defining your services. The problem is that ITIL does not tell you how to define your services. There is a hint, however, in the complementary guidance buried deep within ITIL. Join us as we uncover the secrets to IT service definition and learn how to define IT services in hours instead of weeks.

Key Takeaways:

• Figure out where to start IT service definition (it’s probably not where you thought)
• Understand how to define IT services in business terms
• Learn the secrets of IT service definition, including customer- and resource-facing services and resources
• Practice defining your own services in class and leave the program with service definitions you can use immediately
• Take home reusable templates so you can define services anywhere, anytime
• Get going with service catalog development and service portfolio management in just a few hours

Part I of this workshop will focus on defining what an actionable Service Catalog truly is and why it is important for you to have one. We will also explore where the Service Catalog fits relative to other processes and how to best position the catalog for success in your organization. Participants will also discuss a variety of common barriers to success and how to overcome them.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the key elements of an actionable Service Catalog
• Where to start with your Service Catalog program
• What tools can be used to develop a Service Catalog
• How to overcome common barriers to a successful implementation
• Understanding the Service Catalog
• Understanding the Service Catalog Management process and the other processes it relies upon for success

Tools and Templates:

• Service Definition Worksheets
• Service Catalog Hierarchy Worksheets
• Service Definition Exercises

Valuing services is the second step in strategy generation and the ITIL v 3 Service Portfolio Management process. After you define your services, you have to value them to know which service requires your attention first. ITIL offers lots of information about service valuation, if you can get through it all. However, there is an easy-to-understand method for valuing services that also improves business IT alignment. Join us to uncover the secrets of IT service valuation. Stop arguing and value your services in the only way that matters, in business terms.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand where IT service value originates (it may not be where you think)
• Understand how to value IT services in business terms
• Learn the secret of IT value creation (business value at risk and the marketplace)
• Practice valuing services in class and leave the program knowing exactly how to value your own services
• Take home reusable templates so that you can value services and teach others how to do it too
• Determine how to prioritize your IT activities based on service value

Tools and Templates:

• Workbook with step-by-step directions for valuing IT services
• Easy-to-understand, repeatable methodologies for valuing IT services

Part II of this workshop will focus on the building of an actionable Service Catalog and its related processes. Participants will take part in exercises intended to create the building blocks of an actionable Service Catalog. These exercises will be used in the creation of a working demo of a Service Catalog, to be demonstrated at the end of the workshop.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the key elements of an actionable Service Catalog
• Service attributes for “requestable” service offerings
• Understanding services versus service requests
• Understanding what makes a good service
• Service offerings from the customer’s point-of-view
• The role of the Service Portfolio and the Service Catalog

Tools and Templates:

• Service Definition worksheets
• Service Catalog Hierarchy worksheets
• Service Definition exercises

Have you ever felt like you are running an IT Buffet? Are your customers asking for “more, more, more,” while constantly complaining about the price and quality? You’ve heard all of the buzz about the importance of Service Level Management. Maybe you’ve read the ITIL books, but still don’t know where to start. This high-energy, hands-on session is filled with practical guidance, templates, quick wins, and tips and tricks for successfully implementing ITIL best practice methodologies for Service Level Management.

Part I of this workshop will focus on an overview of Service Level Management:

• Why we need Service Level Management
• Identifying your customers
• Determining what your customers need/want
• Defining your IT services
• Developing underpinning contracts (UCs), operating level agreements (OLAs), and service level agreements (SLAs)

Key Takeaways:

You will learn how to use the Service Level Management process to ensure that your IT services and costs are aligned with the needs of the business.

To meet this objective, you will learn how to:

• Identify your customers
• Determine your customer’s needs
• Define your IT services
• Develop underpinning contracts (UCs)
• Develop operational level agreements (OLAs)
• Develop service level agreements (SLAs)

Throughout this session we will provide experience based guidance, plus numerous tips, tricks, templates and examples.

Session 404 is not a pre-requisite, but is recommended.

Have you ever felt like you are running an IT Buffet? Are your customers asking for “more, more, more,” while constantly complaining about the price and quality? You’ve heard all of the buzz about the importance of Service Level Management. Maybe you’ve read the ITIL books, but still don’t know where to start. This high-energy, hands-on session is filled with practical guidance, templates, quick wins, and tips and tricks for successfully implementing ITIL best practice methodologies for Service Level Management.

In part II of this workshop, we will focus on:

• Pricing your services
• Identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) based on your customer’s needs
• Conducting SLM performance reviews
• Developing a Service Improvement Plan

Key Takeaways:

You will learn how to use the Service Level Management process to ensure that your IT services and costs are aligned with the needs of the business.

To meet this objective, you will learn how to:

• Price your IT services
• Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) based on your customer’s needs
• Conduct SLM performance reviews
• Develop a Service Improvement Plan

Throughout this session we will provide experience based guidance, plus numerous tips, tricks, templates, and examples.

The ultimate goal of effective workforce management is to deliver on rising customer expectations – delivering the right services at the right times – through a highly-engaged workforce. But today’s workforce is increasingly mobile, multi-generational, and virtual, and successful managers are changing their approach. This highly interactive session will examine the cycle of “impact performance,” and show you how to evolve your support center into a high-performance organization. We'll investigate the needs of "Generation Why" employees and how to engage them for maximum success.

Key Takeaways:

• Explore how today’s workforce is fundamentally changing
• Identify tried-and-true practices for managing and motivating today’s workforce
• Be equipped to create a common focus on objectives that matter most, and learn how to measure success
• Learn how to create higher levels of employee engagement
• Excellence — how do we define it and how do we deliver it
• What is the role of Dilbert in reducing productivity
• Exceed customer expectations one interaction at a time

Tools and Templates:

• The cycle of performance methodology, in step-by-step format
• A list of practices essential for success in managing and motivating today’s workforce

Unlock the secrets of effective planning and management in a customer contact environment, in this acclaimed workshop. You’ll learn the driving forces in the customer contact environment, the planning steps necessary to get “the right people in the right places at the right times doing the right things,” and the fundamental principles of quality and value. You’ll discover how to achieve service level and response time objectives with quality, and identify the tradeoffs between service level, staff requirements, occupancy, longest wait, and other dynamics. The session will enable you to plan and manage with confidence in today’s ever-changing environment.

Key Takeaways:

• Identify the three driving forces in customer contact environments
• Learn the nine planning steps essential for effective management
• Identify the metrics you need and those you can do without
• Learn tips on how to communicate your support center’s needs and value
• Discover how, in step-by-step fashion, to meet your most important objectives for service and quality

Tools and Templates:

• Software that enables you to calculate staff required, occupancy, service level, caller delay, and other variables
• A glossary of key terms and acronyms

If you don't have effective workforce management processes in place, you could be missing out on tremendous efficiencies. But making far-reaching changes in the ways people are scheduled and managed should not be undertaken lightly. We'll offer a balanced perspective in this session, with Lesley Vereen advocating for careful attention to the people issues and Marilyn Saulnier focusing on the operational opportunities. Together, they'll show you the way to implement people-centric workforce management in your center—an effective approach that you can apply to your unique environment.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the art and science behind effective workforce management
• Learn the tradeoffs between overly-invasive schedules and insufficient focus on timing and adherence
• Understand the cultural and queue-related mathematical principles at work
• Identify perspectives others have—scheduler, forecaster, agent, manager—and how they can and must be reconciled
• Develop a staffing model and approach that’s right for you

Tools and Templates:

• A plan/checklist you can customize for your center
• A staffing model template you can use to accurately determine resource requirements

At its heart, workforce management involves getting the right people in the right places at the right times, doing the right things. This session focuses on doing the right things. The primary tenet of this course is that quality monitoring is a heck of a lot more than a reporting activity—it is a way to understand your customers, improve the proficiency of your workforce, and leverage customer knowledge across the organization. A strategic quality monitoring program is an ongoing journey of development and improvement that requires continuous leadership commitment, and this session will show you the way.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the full role of quality monitoring in effective workforce management
• Learn how to assess the maturity level of your quality monitoring program
• Determine how to assess and enhance customer satisfaction and employee performance
• Identify ways to reduce costs and (potentially) increase revenue for your business
• Develop a specific plan for improving your quality program

Tools and Templates:

• An action plan for improving your quality monitoring program
• A list of ways this aspect of workforce management can help you understand customers, boost the capabilities of your workforce, and leverage knowledge across the organization

Finding, hiring, and keeping the people you need is a fundamental enabler to success. Join employee retention guru Dick Finnegan for a highly-practical session that will include insights on hiring workers who stay. A hiring tool should answer three questions: Can they do the job? Will they do the job? Will they stay? Most tools answer the first question, few answer the second, and hardly any answer the third. This workshop will provide solutions for sourcing, interviewing, and other tools for retention from his RetentionMapSM model. Stop focusing on the wreck in the rear-view mirror and start paying attention to the steps you can take now to measurably improve recruiting, hiring, and retention.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the best practices in hiring and retention
• Ensure that your recruiting, hiring, and retention practices are in alignment
• Learn the connection between age and retention
• Learn the single best way to recruit workers who stay
• Discover fresh ways to build a retention culture
• Instill a systematic approach to finding and keeping the people you need

Tools and Templates:

• Tools for hiring workers who stay that you can take back to your center and apply immediately
• A comprehensive employee retention solution that impacts executives, supervisors, and people-management processes