The Impact of Workforce Management Systems on Productivity and Quality: A Case Study in the Information and Communication Technology Service Industry

Abstract

Workforce management (WFM) systems potentially enable the optimisation of the management of the workforce (WF) of a service provider (SP) in order to maximise both service quality and efficiency. Although the extent research literature provides characterizations of the various typologies of WFM systems, the effects of these systems on productivity and quality have not been investigated very extensively.This paper proposes a classification of WFMs that enables an SP to select the most suitable WFM, on the basis of both SP operating characteristics and SP efficiency objectives. The aim of this classification is to offer guidelines to SPs intending to implement a WFM system for the first time in order to improve productivity and quality. A case study of two departments of an important European telecommunications services company is then presented in order to examine the implications of our research for WF management. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.