When I think of contact center planning, this definition from the International Customer Management Institute, ICMI, is the first thing that comes to mind.

Contact center management is the art of having the right number of properly skilled people and supporting resources in place at the right times to handle an accurately forecasted workload at service level and with quality.

I love this because it so succinctly identifies the major aspects of leading and managing a contact center. Get the right resources in the right places at the right times, doing the right things. Now, fulfilling the promise in this definition requires an effective planning process that includes nine specific steps.

This video from my LinkedIn Learning course “Contact Center Leadership” introduces the contact center planning and management process. When your planning and management process is on the mark, you can be proactive instead of reactive. Rather than living in chaos, you can focus on your customers.

Strengthening resource planning and management from Contact Center Leadership by Brad Cleveland