Call centre managers are finding that they can reduce operating costs, maximise resources and improve customer service levels by using automated forecasting and scheduling software.

A new partnership has made forecasting and scheduling software even more valuable. Rostrvm Solutions, which designs, develops and supports software applications for the call centre and back office process management and reporting, has teamed up with Open Wave, a leading provider of workforce management solutions, specialising in forecasting and staff scheduling. Information will be passed between the two systems to support better staff planning in inbound, outbound and blended call centres.

The partnership between Rostrvm and Open Wave will link Rostrvm's ACD platform with Open Wave's workforce management solution ShiftTrack, providing a seamless process for scheduling staff and creating forecasts using the historical data provided by the Rostrvm interface.

Grant Custance, Managing Director at Open Wave, said, "The partnership will allow ShiftTrack to seamlessly integrate with Rostrvm's ACD platform to receive historical and real-time data, to accurately forecast then optimise the contact centre staff's schedules to meet demand, as well as track performance in real-time. In addition, the Shift Track solution has a staff self-service module allowing agents to perform shift swaps, submit leave requests and preferred working times, ensuring an end-to-end resource management process."

In this post-recession environment, forecasting and scheduling has never been so critical to ensure companies are efficient.