“85% of organizations cite improving the customer experience as the top driver for investing in workforce management“
As modern organizations look to gain market share based on a differentiated customer experience, many are realizing they need to invest in solutions and processes that enable them to go beyond simple cost-cutting measures and find ways to better manage and empower their workforce.
Case studies in industries from retail to distribution to manufacturing have proven that extending the productivity of every employee and synchronizing staffing levels with peaks in demand often results in improved customer loyalty and increased revenue, as well as improved margins and profitability.
In addition, where companies once attempted to optimize labor within separate areas of their business, many are now evaluating their ability to influence the workforce at the enterprise level. Boardroom discussions now factor in how staffing and productivity improvements can impact everything — from the way products are sourced and shipped, to the way they are supported after the sale is complete.
New Realities—Balancing Producitivity & Profits
Most businesses have been attempting to walk the tightrope of investing in the customer experience while at the same time looking to better manage labor costs. In order to realize these seemingly opposing goals, leading companies are focusing on driving productivity to improve return on invested labor.
From manufacturing plants to distribution centers to retail sales floors, leading organizations are improving productivity by investing in tools and processes that provide greater visibility and deeper intelligence into customer timelines, preferences, activities and histories and then aligning that visibility and intelligence with new demand signals.
![[chart] Retail’s Top 4 Strategic Workforce Management Actions](https://i0.wp.com/www.commerceinmotion.com/img/4-stages/workforce-actions.gif)
However, transforming an organization to align talent and strategy is often a delicate balancing act. Some of the new realities companies must account for as they look to optimize this critical people component of the Commerce in Motion Framework include:
- Aligning talent and strategy, both from matching staffing to demand, as well as hiring and training for new skill sets;
- Developing agile scheduling systems that allow organizations to address shifts in demand/production and also serve an increasingly empowered workforce who are looking for increased flexibility in their schedules;
- Serving an increasingly global customer base, with an equally dispersed workforce;
- Managing compliance and labor laws on a regional level around the globe;
This article comes cuortesy of Commerce In Motion. Read the entire article The 4 P’s of Commerce at Commerce In Motion.
Related articles
- Why Pay Attention To Your Customer Service? Because It Will Impact Your Revenue (customerthink.com)
- Modeling Project and Technology Investments (workforceexpert.typepad.com)
Automation for the People 