Workforce Management

The skilled workforce of a service provider is one of its biggest assets. The optimum use of this workforce is becoming critical as mobile operators migrate to 3G networks and wireline operators become converged services providers. Workforce management plays a central role during new network deployments, but it is also fundamental to ongoing operations. As service providers struggle to handle large numbers of dispatchers and field engineers, avoid operational delays, and prevent churn by improving the customer experience, the need for workforce management solutions has never been more urgent

NetCracker’s Workforce Management module — released in Version 8.0 of the NetCracker product suite — delivers exceptional value to service providers by providing full-fledged, telco-specific support for service provider and partner field forces. Seamlessly integrated with NetCracker’s OSS platform, this telco-aware, integrated workforce product automatically manages resource skill sets and dispatch capabilities.

Using NetCracker’s industry-leading Framework capabilities, the Workforce Management module provides a full spectrum of out-of-the-box functionality including workforce inventory, work order handling, task scheduling and optimization, and partner chain management. Key features and capabilities include:

• Single storage of all workforce resources distributed among company locations and partners
• Intelligent decision-support mechanism that balances automatic work order assignment and dispatcher experience
• Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) with time metrics and KPI analysis
• User interface integration with customer care and corporate portals

The Workforce Management module enables service providers to manage field operations as part of the service fulfillment lifecycle. This elevates the visibility of resource capacity and allows for business process orchestration and performance optimization. Ultimately, this improves operations efficiency and reduces TCO. Specific benefits to service providers include:

• Reduced OpEx through optimized workforce management
• End-to-end visibility across telecom operations
• Improved customer satisfaction with fast, reliable service, and the elimination of redundant customer visits
• Optimized planning with reliable forcasts and actionable, just-in-time information
• Controlled workforce performance through the monitoring of work order lifecycle KPIs