subject: Bpo Management Furthers Progress [print this page] The team is as good as the captainThe team is as good as the captain. Normally you would say that the captain is as good as the team because its the team which plays and wins matches. That is not really the case with BPO. Here, the call center manager has to be the one who leads his team to success and growth. The management of an answering service unit is entrusted with the responsibility of not just managing the workforce. They also have to ensure the proper utilization of resources. They have to ensure that the resources are being optimized for the development of the business process outsourcing firm. Here we will take up a magnifying glass and examine how the management can work wonders for the business outsourcing outfit.
The primary aim of the BPO managers is to keep an eye on the agents. Call center agents are a talented lot. This also means that they are mavericks. They need to be guided to perform better. Because they do such stressful jobs, answering service agents need to be monitored. In a pressure cooker situation, there may be lapses in procedures that they are not very conversant with. The call center services managers and supervisors have to keep a tab on that. They must listen to the calls that they make, the conversation that they have and whisper suggestions when needed.
A note of caution needs to be sounded here. Keeping a tab on the call center agents does not mean breathing down their necks all the time! They need their space and as a BPO manager you have to respect that. Monitor performances, not the performer. Check if the outbound call center agent or the answering service agent is meeting required targets. They need those coffee breaks. Dont grudge them that! The inbound call center agents are always working with a headphone over their ears. The small breaks allow them to reorganize their thoughts and gain their focus back. If you tick their minds off, they will find it hard to concentrate. Keep this hard fact in mind that the prime reason for attrition in business process outsourcing is bad management.
Other than manpower management, BPO managers have to be good in resource planning. Cost cut is a USP of a call center. Every business partner would want that benefit. Without a proper budget plan, you can be assured of letting too much money pass through your fingers. Make plans for unforeseen expenditures as well. Once your answering service unit signs on the dotted line for the project, you cannot add expenditures on the client. The managerial process also decides whether the client will want to do business with you again. If the clients run into trouble with the management, they will be wary about doing business with you again. Whats worse, negative news floats faster in the industry. Before you know what hit you, you will find yourself a black-listed company that no one wants on board. The inverse can happen with a cracking management team!
