How do you meet demand and supply gaps?

1 Understand your demand drivers

The first step is to identify and analyze the factors that influence your customer demand and service expectations. These can include historical trends, seasonal patterns, customer behavior, marketing campaigns, product launches, competitor actions, or external events. You need to collect and organize data from various sources, such as sales reports, customer feedback, web analytics, or industry research. You can use tools like spreadsheets, dashboards, or WFM software to visualize and monitor your demand drivers and their impact on your service levels.

2 Forecast your demand and supply

The next step is to use your demand drivers and historical data to estimate your future demand and supply needs. You can use different methods, such as time series analysis, regression analysis, or machine learning, to project your customer demand and service requirements for different time periods, such as hours, days, weeks, or months. You also need to forecast your supply availability, which depends on your current and expected workforce size, skills, availability, preferences, and performance. You can use tools like WFM software, human resource management systems, or employee surveys to track and forecast your supply capacity and constraints.

3 Plan your workforce strategy

The third step is to develop a workforce strategy that aligns your demand and supply forecasts with your business goals and objectives. You need to define your target service levels, such as customer satisfaction, response time, quality, or revenue, and determine the optimal workforce size, mix, and allocation to achieve them. You also need to consider your budget, policies, and regulations that affect your workforce planning. You can use tools like WFM software, scenario analysis, or optimization models to compare different workforce scenarios and evaluate their costs and benefits.

4 Schedule your workforce activities

The fourth step is to create and communicate a detailed schedule that assigns your workforce activities to specific employees, teams, or locations. You need to balance your demand and supply forecasts with your employee preferences, skills, and availability, and ensure that you have enough staff to cover your peak and off-peak periods. You also need to account for contingencies, such as absences, changes, or emergencies, and adjust your schedule accordingly. You can use tools like WFM software, scheduling algorithms, or mobile apps to automate and streamline your scheduling process and notify your employees.

5 Optimize your workforce performance

The final step is to monitor and improve your workforce performance and outcomes. You need to measure and analyze your key performance indicators (KPIs), such as service level, productivity, quality, or profitability, and compare them with your targets and benchmarks. You also need to collect and act on feedback from your customers and employees, and identify and address any issues or gaps in your service delivery or workforce satisfaction. You can use tools like WFM software, dashboards, or surveys to track and report your performance results and insights.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?