It is a fact that workforce management is a complicated procedure. Whether it is contact center workforce management or warehouse workforce management, managing the needs of the employees, managers, and customers can be pretty exhausting. To solve this issue, a Technology framework has been developed that can assist in making things less complex.
What Is the People, Process, and Technology Framework?
The classic workforce management framework known as the People, Process, and Technology or PPT framework was initially developed in 1964 by Dr. Harold Leavitt as the Leavitt’s Diamond Model. There were four main aspects of this model namely; people, tasks, structure, and technology. Over time this model was modified into the renowned PPT model. But what is a PPT model? It is a process to reshape the business model to create agile workforces that are flexible, adaptable, and responsive according to the industry’s needs.
Components of the PPT Framework
The PP Technology framework for workforce management supports business process management as a method of executing organizational changes, bringing improvements, and reengineering. The three components of the model can be thought of as three legs of a stool. Even if a single component is unequal, the entire framework will fail. Therefore, each component must be implemented properly. Let’s understand the three factors in detail.
People
These are your organization’s employees and are the most important factor out of the three. A business simply cannot function without its employees. For an organization to work, it is essential to first train the people according to the organization’s requirements. Employees are central to a business and are the dominant difference between a well-performing and a struggling business. The right individuals working collectively under one roof to achieve a common goal is ideal for an organization’s success.
For an organization to prosper, it must take into account the necessary skills and knowledge required for the job. There are three key aspects businesses must consider while creating an efficient workforce.
Skillset: A business needs individuals that have the adequate skills, experience, and talent to work on all company tasks.
Collaboration: Without effective collaboration across the team, there can be no success story. Organizations need to hire people who have good communication skills, and those who are not afraid of sharing their ideas and opinions.
Relationship Building: The best employees are those that are interested in creating and sustaining relationships with the team and customers so the company can perform better as a whole.
It’s important to hire the right people. Companies need to determine their employees with relevant, experience, skills and attitude. Look for people with values that align with your company’s culture.
Process
The process is another important component of the PP Technology framework that emphasizes the steps to reach a specific company objective. The process aspect answers how people attain company goals and how technology is utilized by employees to reach their goals. Without proper processes, people won’t know where to begin and what they are expected to do. It is not simple to execute company processes. A good amount of planning as well as managing takes place before processes are implemented. Let’s have a look at some tricks to use when executing a new process(s) in your company:
- Ensure employees understand their roles and what is expected of them
- Determine the roadmap that the team will take to attain the set objectives
- Give clear and precise instructions to everyone
- Develop a review process that will help the employees to comprehend what outcomes are required
- Decide on evaluation metrics to be used for determining the completion and success of a task
It is important to mention that processes need to be modified with time due to the changing demands and needs.
Technology
Technology is the tool used by people to implement processes. With the right technology, you can automate the process can be automated making it easier for people to perform them. There is new technology popping up right, left, and center. However, technology itself cannot do anything unless it is paired with the right people and integrated into appropriate processes. Some businesses spend hefty amounts on technology intending to improve their performance without considering the people and processes. This is not how it should be done. To gain the maximum advantage of technology in business, it is important to first hire the right people, develop the right processes and then invest in the relevant technological tools.
Conclusion
It is crucial to implement all three aspects of the PP Technology framework to prosper in the execution of workforce management. All three components are equally important and have their place. When executed together, a business can efficiently reach its potential.