Background
This client is one of the world's largest internationally networked media and communications service providers. It employs in excess of 60,000 people in over 270 subsidiaries across 35 countries worldwide and has annual revenues of approximately €4.8bn. The business has grown by over 40% in the last three years.
The company annually handles in excess of 200 million phone calls through its network of contact centres and onsite client facilities. Additional communications channels which it manages on behalf of clients include social media, web chat, e-mail and SMS/MMS. The company connects to client applications, providing off-the-shelf or bespoke contact management solutions, data centres, VoIP and MPLS network technology, predictive and preview diallers, and simple or complex IVR solutions.
Contract history
Randstad started supplying one of the company's sites with staff in September 2003, on an ad hoc basis as one of an unstructured roster of twelve suppliers. Over the ensuing 30 months, Randstad significantly outperformed other agencies: fulfilment rates were higher, and sickness, lateness, attrition and absence rates were lower. In May 2006, Randstad was invited to design and implement an onsite, sole supplier model for the company's contingent labour management which commanded a £1.5m spend.
Onsite solution
Randstad Inhouse Services moved onsite with a three-strong full-time team. The facility required 70 regular temporary workers (on average) per week, with seasonal/demand-led peaks of up to 200. To meet peak demand, up to 130 additional staff had to be recruited within a 14 day time frame. 15% of personnel worked on inbound calls, 25% on non-phone work, and 60% on outbound calls.
Randstad Inhouse Services set Key Performance Indicators at the outset of the contract. The KPIs focused on absenteeism, attrition, cost savings, fulfillment, and process improvement. A Management Information system was set up, configured to the client's specfic requirements.
Outcome - reduced cost, reduced absenteeism
Randstad Inhouse Services undertook a Costs and Processes Assessement to work out ways in which the company could save money and improve its ability to hit performance targets. The team implemented a programme to streamline recruitment, training, pool management, shift allocation, timesheeting, payroll processing and MI delivery. This resulted (in year one) in direct cost savings of £125,000 and indirect cost savings of the same order. Absenteeism dropped from 13% to 5%, and attrition fell from 10% to 6% monthly.
Randstad's inhouse solution provided the client with a single point of contact and a single invoice; it reduced the hours which the company's HR/Managers needed to spend on contingent staffing/recruitment/planning by 75%; it devolved responsibility for a complex management task to a specialist, practiced team, which was able to use its expertise to optimise the efficiency of a complex contact centre operation.