3 Systems - One Solution: When Planning, Time Recording, and Billing in the Contact Center Finally Come Together Through Workforce Management
In a contact center, many things happen simultaneously: different employees, different working time models, part-time staff, shift work, and flexible availability. Clear processes are needed to ensure that everything works together smoothly and does not end in chaos.
The problem is not a lack of will, but rather that the necessary interfaces between the systems are not in place. Planning often takes place separately from time recording, which in turn has nothing to do with payroll accounting. This is exactly where a WFM solution comes in, making life a lot easier for the planning team, team leaders, HR departments, and, last but not least, the employees themselves.
Content:
↓ Definition: What Are Workforce Management Solutions?
↓ Why Are Contact Centers Especially Dependent On Workforce Management Solutions?
↓ Who In The Company Specifically Benefits From Workforce Management Solutions? And How?
↓ What Does The Implementation Of Workforce Management Software Look Like In Practice?
↓ What Changes For Companies In The Long Term? And What Should Still Be Considered?/a>
Definition: What Are Workforce Management Solutions?
When you hear that “planning, time recording, and payroll accounting are linked,” it sounds like an advertising slogan at first. In practice, however, there is a concrete idea behind it: instead of using three tools that don’t communicate with each other – shift scheduling, time recording, payroll accounting and everything works together in a single solution. A Workforce management software.
When a shift schedule is created, the software automatically recognizes which surcharges apply, for example, for evening hours. When an employee signs in for shift, the software compares the actual times with the schedule and transfers the relevant information directly to payroll. This eliminates manual intermediate steps, time-consuming Excel spreadsheets, and subsequent queries when salaries are paid.
The concept is as clear as it is effective: a continuous flow of data that saves time, creates transparency, and avoids errors. Especially in contact centers with several hundred employees and a large number of shifts per week, such a solution is not a gimmick, but a real success factor.
Why Are Contact Centers Especially Dependent On Workforce Management Solutions?
Compared to other industries, contact centers are extremely dynamic – in the truest sense of the word. Daily call peaks, sudden campaign launches, or unexpected absences require spontaneous adjustments to shift schedules. At the same time, many contact centers work with part-time employees, students, temporary staff, or flexible models where not every week looks the same.
And this is where the drama begins: a last-minute shift change may be noted in the planning tool, but does the information also reach the time recording system?
Is it considered in the payroll accounting? Is the night shift bonus deducted correctly? Or does the complaint end up back with the team leader because “something is wrong with the payroll”?
Workforce management software takes the fear out of this scenario. Changes to the shift schedule are directly incorporated into the time recording system—including the associated rules for breaks, surcharges, and maximum working hours. And when the going gets tough, it is also possible to document who worked for how long, i.e., in a way that is audit-proof, traceable, and in real time. This not only means fewer queries for the HR team, but also greater trust among employees. After all, nothing undermines motivation as much as an incorrect payroll.
Who In The Company Specifically Benefits From Workforce Management Solutions? And How?
The planning team. Often caught between operational chaos and staff shortages, they are the ones who benefit the most. Why? Because planners not only create shift schedules, they are also responsible for absences, reassignments, and compliance with break regulations. If the shift schedule is not in sync with reality, frustration is inevitable. With workforce management software, they can see in real time whether someone is absent, whether the schedule still matches capacity, and whether changes affect bonuses or legal requirements. No manual recalculations necessary.
Team leaders, in turn, no longer have to switch between three systems when it comes to attendance, absences, or overtime. Instead, they have a single interface with all the relevant information, from planned assignments to actual attendance. This simplifies communication and escalations.
And then there is the human resources department, which often has to serve as a “correction center” for planning and recording errors. With plano WFM, you get accurate, complete, and up-to-date data and can focus on what really matters: people, not manual error correction.
Last but not least: the employees themselves. They benefit from transparent information, accurate payroll accounting, and traceable time accounts. An app (myplano) shows them when they are working, what is planned, whether changes have been made, and how this affects their payroll. When people can understand why they earn what they do, they feel taken seriously.
What Does The Implementation Of Workforce Management Software Look Like In Practice
A system change is often portrayed as a simple “walk in the park” – after all, there are modern software solutions designed to automate and simplify many processes. But the reality is often different. What many people underestimate is that the biggest lever for a successful changeover is not the technical implementation itself, but careful preparation and planning.
This is because workforce management software affects numerous processes: from shift scheduling and time recording to payroll accounting. It is therefore crucial to understand the existing processes in detail, clearly define requirements, and involve all stakeholders at an early stage. This is the only way to avoid stumbling blocks, create acceptance, and ensure a smooth transition.
Honest assessment:
- How is planning and billing currently handled?
- Who records times and makes decisions?
- What special regulations (surcharges, breaks, collective agreement exceptions) exist?
- How many manual corrections and exceptions are there?
Clarify requirements:
- How flexible does the planning need to be?
- What roles and access rights are required?
- What data flows between systems should remain—or be eliminated because everything is consolidated in one system?
Implementation in close cooperation with specialist departments:
- Technical setup and adaptation to operational/collective agreement rules.
- Interfaces to HR, payroll, and other systems.
Training and test phase:
- Conduct user and admin training.
- Parallel operation: Test billing and planning, fix errors, and adjust processes.
Go-live and follow-up:
- Go live only after successful testing.
- Monitoring of the first cycles, lessons learned, and continuous optimization.
Result:
- Patience pays off: fewer control loops, less stress, and clearer billing.
Was verändert sich langfristig und was bleibt zu beachten?
Mit einer integrierten Lösung wie plano WFM verändert sich mehr als nur der Workflow. Es verändert sich die Haltung gegenüber Zeit und Arbeit. Planung wird nicht länger als „lästiger Pflichtteil“ betrachtet, sondern als strategisches Steuerungsinstrument. Abrechnung wird nicht mehr zum Korrektur-Marathon, sondern zum automatisierten Ergebnis sinnvoller Planung und korrekter Erfassung.
Natürlich: Auch mit plano WFM ist kein Unternehmen vor menschlichen Fehlern gefeit. Aber die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass etwas durchrutscht, sinkt drastisch. Und was passiert, ist nachvollziehbar. Die große Stärke liegt im Vertrauen, das entsteht, weil alle Beteiligten sehen, dass ihre Daten korrekt und fair verarbeitet werden.
Zu beachten bleibt dabei immer: Systeme sind nur so gut wie die Regeln, mit denen sie gefüttert werden. Wenn tarifliche Sonderfälle oder betriebliche Vereinbarungen nicht korrekt hinterlegt sind, hilft auch die beste Software nichts. Hier ist Sorgfalt gefragt, aber genau darin unterstützt plano ebenfalls mit jahrelanger Erfahrung.
Fazit
Nicht noch ein Tool, sondern endlich eine Lösung
Contact Center brauchen keine weiteren Tools, keine halbgaren Schnittstellen und keine weiteren Dateninseln. Sie brauchen eine Lösung, die Planung, Zeiterfassung und Lohnabrechnung, als versteht, was sie sind: Teile eines zusammenhängenden Systems.
Denn letztlich geht es nicht um Technik, sondern um Vertrauen: zwischen Mitarbeitenden und Arbeitgeber, zwischen Planung und Abrechnung, zwischen Aufwand und Ergebnis. Und dieses Vertrauen wächst am besten dort, wo die Systeme miteinander sprechen.
Wir zeigen Ihnen wie Planung, Zeit und Lohnabrechnung endlich zusammenwachsen.
Unsere erfolgreich umgesetzten Projekte finden Sie hier: https://plano-wfm.com/at-de/referenzen/
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