Patent ID: 8046254

Claim:
A method of determining a least cost hiring or termination plan for a call center, the method comprising: providing a first staffing level for a first time period; providing a call volume forecast for a series of time periods subsequent to the first time period; providing an average handle time forecast for the series of time periods; providing a call center operational performance value goal; displaying a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including a first input field for receiving user input of a first new hire effectiveness rating for a second time period, the second time period beginning at a date when one or more new hires start work and the first new hire effectiveness rating indicating a work output of a new hire customer service representative as a percentage of a work output of a non-new hire customer service representative during the second time period; receiving the first new hire effectiveness rating through user input into the first input field; and determining, by at least one computer processor, a least cost hiring or termination plan over the series of time periods that provides the call center with a quantity of staff to achieve the operational performance value goal, based on the first staffing level, the call volume forecast, the average handle time forecast, and the operational performance value goal, and transforming a number of new hire customer service representatives into an equivalent number of non-new hire customer service representatives by applying the first new hire effectiveness rating to the number of new hires for the second time period, wherein displaying the graphical user interface comprises displaying a graphical user interface that includes the first input field for receiving user input of the first new hire effectiveness rating for the second time period and a second input field for receiving user input of a second new hire effectiveness rating for a third time period, the third time period beginning at a date corresponding to the end of the second time period and the second effectiveness rating indicating a work output of a new hire customer service representative as a percentage of a work output of a non-new hire customer service representative during the third time period, and further comprising receiving the second new hire effectiveness rating through user input into the second input field.