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If you’ve been relying on spreadsheets and manual scheduling to do your workforce planning, chances are good your process could use Workforce Management (WFM) software.
Does this sound familiar?
Workforce Management (WFM) software can help solve all those challenges and more. But how do you find the right vendor and choose a solution that’ll work for you—now and in the long-term?
In the WFM ecosystem, there are big legacy solutions, more niche specialized solutions, and just about everything in between. If you aren’t sure where to even begin your search, you aren’t alone.
Below, we’ve put together the go-to guide for how to evaluate and choose a WFM software vendor. First, we explain the main benefits of WFM platforms, then dive into the 6-step process you can use to evaluate and implement the solution of your dreams.
Here’s the bottom line: the right WFM solution saves you time while making your workforce planning more accurate and efficient. If you’re switching from a manual workforce planning process based heavily in spreadsheets, a quality WFM platform comes with a ton of benefits.
Now that we’re on the same page about how valuable WFM solutions are, let’s talk about how to find the right one for you. We’ve boiled the evaluation and purchasing process down to 6 easy-to-follow steps that will take you from determining your needs right through onboarding and maintenance.
The first step is to determine your evaluation criteria. For most software purchases, this likely comes down to features, support, and pricing. The latter two criteria are easy: figure out your budget and keep top notch support in mind.
When it comes to features, things get a little more in-depth. You’ll want to create two lists: one for must-have features and another for nice-to-haves.
If you’re coming from the world of spreadsheets, you may not know exactly what core features you’re looking for. In this case, it’s best to do some additional research on what WFM platforms can do. If you’re switching from an existing tool, your must-have list should include—at a minimum—the features your existing solution offers. These features are what you need from any solution you consider.
Some common must-haves for WFM include:
As for your list of nice-to-haves, think about features that would make your workforce planning process that much faster, easier, or more accurate. Think of these as your wants. This list likely varies more from team to team, but it may include features like:
Now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to look into vendors that meet your needs. Create a list of at least a handful of options, then reach out to each of them with a request for proposal (or RFP).
To find other WFM software vendors, you can search for “workforce management software” in Google.
Tip: to narrow in on WFM providers who specialize in your industry, search for “workforce management software”+”[your industry]”. For example, “workforce management software”+”ecommerce”.
There are also a number of reputable third-party websites—including G2, Capterra, Gartner PeerInsights, and TrustRadius—where you can find vendors, along with details on pricing, features, and customer reviews.
When you’re ready to ask for an RFP, be sure to clearly outline the business needs you pulled together in step 1.
Beyond those needs, you’ll want to learn a lot more about your potential vendor. Consider asking questions like:
Once you get RFPs back from several vendors, you should be able to whittle down your list. When you’re down to a few options, it’s time to schedule live demos so you can get to know the product and how it may work for your use case.
This is the time to get a feel for the product and ask any questions you have about it. We recommend coming to the table with a list of questions ready, and be sure to ask any follow-ups or new questions that pop up during the demo.
Here’s a quick list of some of the questions you may want to ask during your demo.
Software and feature questions:
Scalability and pricing questions:
Implementation and support questions:
A note on personalized vs. “canned” demos: while a personalized demo will likely require you to share some of your actual data, it allows the vendor to build a much more realistic sample of how their tool will work for you.
In our view, once you’ve narrowed down on secure WFM platforms, it’s well worth sharing some data to get something deeper than a generic, high-level demo.
Have a top contender? Great. Time to negotiate the specifics of the deal, secure buy-in (and budget!) from your leadership, and make the purchase.
As you negotiate with your new vendor, there are a few key things to think about and potentially negotiate on.
When it comes to negotiating, we recommend keeping things simple and straightforward. Tell the vendor what you’re looking for and keep an open dialogue about how best to get what you need and stay within your budget.
This is the stage of the buying journey when you’ll likely need to loop in people from outside your workforce team. That may include a procurement or purchasing team, legal department, finance team, company leadership, and more.
With all the information you gathered in steps 1–3, you’re in a good spot to advocate for the investment. Here are a few tips for securing buy-in from higher-ups:
You made it! You’ve successfully evaluated and bought the WFM platform that’s right for your team. Now’s the time to work together with your new vendor to lay out a thorough plan for implementing the platform and onboarding both yourself and the rest of the team.
This process starts on day 1, when you actually set up the software and hook up any required integrations with other tools in your stack.
Once that’s done, you’re ready to train the rest of the workforce team, then onboard your agents. It may seem simple, but a well thought out plan for onboarding and training can make or break your WFM process. Plus, it can ensure you get value from the tool as quickly as possible.
Agents who aren’t used to interacting with a WFM tool or seeing reports on their behavior and productivity may find the switch jarring. The last thing you need is for the change to decrease morale or lead to higher agent turnover. That’s why it’s important to proactively tackle concerns around what the platform will track and report on, as well as why you’re implementing it.
Your new WFM platform will save you a ton of time and hassle, all while making your workforce planning more accurate and cost-efficient.
But it isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing—at least not if you want to continue getting as much value as possible from your investment.
On an ongoing basis, you’ll want to:
When you first implement the solution, weekly checks can help you stay on top of any issues. Once you’ve settled in, you can switch to monthly or even quarterly check-ins.
If you remember nothing else…
If you’re looking for a modern workforce management solution built to save you time while helping you better serve your own customers, we humbly suggest you add Assembled to your evaluation list.
Assembled offers demand forecasts driven by your data, seriously accurate required staffing predictions, a seamless scheduling workflow, and powerful real-time reporting and visibility.
Request a demo now to learn more →
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Writer credit: Kiera Abbamonte