Using data to set goals: Lessons from Klaus Bang, the Danish Viking and WFM ninja

Klaus Bang, fondly known as the Danish WFM Ninja, has spent years honing his skills in Workforce Management (WFM). As Senior Workforce Manager at Alm. Brand Group, Denmark’s second-largest non-life insurance company, Klaus has a knack for using data to set precise goals and enhance contact centre operations. His experience spans decades, and his expertise with tools like Calabrio WFM has helped Alm. Brand unify its practices and improve its overall performance.

In a recent interview with Calabrio’s Dave Hoekstra, Klaus shared his approach to determining service level targets, managing customer patience, and the importance of accurate forecasting. Along the way, he shared valuable lessons from his career and the ever-evolving role of WFM in today’s business landscape.

Klaus began by highlighting the historical roots of WFM, tracing them back to Danish mathematician Agner Krarup Erlang. Born in 1878, Erlang is often regarded as the godfather of WFM, thanks to his pioneering work in traffic engineering and queueing theory, which remain crucial to modern contact centres.

“Erlang is the Elvis of the WFM world—some might even call him a prophet,” Klaus joked. Erlang developed the ‘Erlang C’ formula, a key tool for calculating the number of agents needed to meet service demands.

Klaus summed it up: “Erlang gave us a formula that lets us measure customer patience—how long they’ll wait before hanging up. That’s the key to determining staffing needs at all times.” His work continues to influence today’s WFM practices, forming the backbone of tools like Calabrio, which optimise workforce management and service levels based on these timeless principles.

A major part of Klaus’s role is defining service level targets, and Klaus’s approach is deeply rooted in data. He highlights how many organisations accept inherited service level targets without questioning their relevance to current customer needs.

It is well known that most WFM planners often don’t consider where their organisations’ service level targets came from and are often just something they inherit. “Your service level should reflect your customers’ patience, not history,” Klaus explained. He recalled a moment at Alm. Brand when they analysed how many calls were being answered within 60 seconds and discovered that their target could be fine-tuned. By setting a new target of answering 45% of calls within 60 seconds, they adjusted expectations and improved both staffing and customer satisfaction.

This data-driven shift was made possible with the use of Calabrio WFM, which allowed Klaus to establish new service levels that were precise and aligned with customer behaviour.

Since going live with Calabrio WFM, Klaus has seen a significant impact on Alm. Brand’s ability to manage staffing and budgets. “We can now be extremely precise in our staffing forecasts,” Klaus explained. “We had a lot of agent absences a few years ago and were always playing catch-up. Now, we can look at our service levels, customer patience, and shrinkage to better control our average handling times and staffing needs.”

By improving accuracy in forecasting, Klaus has helped Alm. Brand predict staffing needs up to a year in advance, allowing the company to be more proactive in its hiring and budgeting.

When Alm. Brand recently acquired two new companies, Klaus was tasked with merging their contact centre practices. Each company had its own unique way of using Calabrio WFM, one had automated everything, while the other maintained a more manual approach. This experience taught Klaus the importance of balancing technology with company culture.

When they rolled out automated absence management, some managers were initially concerned about having too many employees off at once. However, Klaus reassured them that as long as the forecasts were accurate, the system would balance itself.

In the end, the move saved significant administrative time and boosted employee satisfaction. Agents could request changes more easily, and managers had more control over absence management.

Looking back on his career, Klaus reflects on how the priorities in WFM have shifted. “When I started, it was all about being productive and saving time by tweaking small parameters,” he said. “But now, we realise that happier employees lead to better outcomes – lower attrition rates, faster handling times and even higher sales.”

Klaus is a firm believer in empowering employees through WFM. By making processes more efficient and transparent, he has seen firsthand how improving the work environment can lead to better overall performance.

When asked about his favourite KPI, Klaus quickly responded: “Occupancy and adherence.” These metrics allow him to see how well his workforce is aligned with demand, helping him make informed decisions about staffing and scheduling.

One of his favourite moments in WFM is when agents ask for time off, and he can easily check the schedule and approve it. “Knowing you can say, ‘Yes, of course you can,’ makes all the difference,” Klaus said.

Klaus’s biggest piece of advice for those in WFM is to always ensure accuracy in your analysis. “Make sure your data is right,” he emphasised. He also draws inspiration from a Viking, Ragnar Lodbrok of whom he has a poster of in his office. Quoting Ragnar, Klaus said, “Don’t look back; you’re not going that way.” But in the world of WFM, Klaus believes in turning that around: “Spend time looking back so you can learn from it and use that knowledge to improve the future.”

For Klaus Bang, the future of WFM is clear: data is key, employees should be empowered, and precision is everything. By following these principles, businesses can set better service level goals, enhance customer satisfaction, and build a more productive workforce.