Leading Retailer Streamlines Workforce Management, Saving 96% of Scheduling Time

Scheduling time reduced by 96%.

25 to 1 hour a week in scheduling time

Background

This leading retailer has grown from humble beginnings as a small family business into a globally recognized brand with both a strong digital presence and a network of retail locations. Known for its commitment to quality products and modern design, the company has expanded its portfolio to include multiple sub-brands that serve a variety of customer needs and style preferences.

As the organization expanded, so did the need for greater flexibility and agility, particularly within a large part-time, flexible workforce. Their organization required a workforce management solution capable of keeping pace with its evolving operations and supporting its dynamic business model.

Challenge

This leading retailer operates with a large team of part-time, flex employees. While this model offers flexibility, it also creates unique workforce management challenges. Before Calabrio, the team struggled with limited scheduling flexibility and manual processes that required over 25 hours per month just to refine agent schedules. Adjusting to fluctuating call volumes was difficult, and last-minute changes often created roadblocks.

The team was struggling to customize scale within their scheduling system, which not only failed to meet their business needs but also caused delays. Although scheduling didn’t initially seem like the biggest pain point, it quickly became clear that it was a critical area of opportunity. In addition, the retailer wasn’t fully leveraging available automation features like vacation planning and overtime management. Forecasting and scheduling weren’t closely aligned, and the manual nature of their processes introduced inefficiencies and a lack of visibility for both managers and agents.

Solution

This organization partnered with Calabrio’s Professional Services team to transform their scheduling and forecasting operations. Acting as an extension of their internal team, Calabrio’s Professional Services provided dedicated project managers, engineers, and consultants, offering hands-on expertise to align technology with the retailer’s unique business goals.

Rather than simply implementing standard features, Calabrio’s consultants took a deeper dive into evaluating current processes, uncovering opportunities, and helping the organization unlock bold new benefits from Calabrio WFM to drive long-term success.

Together, they rebuilt the entire scheduling structure, moving toward a more flexible, streamlined system. This transformation dramatically reduced scheduling effort, from more than 25 hours per month to just one hour, freeing up valuable time for higher-impact work.

The retailer also implemented automated vacation and overtime scheduling, eliminating manual processes and boosting accuracy. Forecasting was realigned to better match staffing needs, improving service levels and ensuring stronger coverage during peak periods. Thanks to Calabrio’s mobile app, agents gained greater transparency and control over their schedules, creating a more engaged, empowered workforce.

Through a powerful combination of Calabrio WFM and Professional Services, the retailer didn’t just modernize their operations. They elevated their people, processes, and customer experience.

Result

The impact of Calabrio WFM has been transformational for within this organization. What once took over 25 hours each month now takes just one hour: an estimated 96% time savings in scheduling efforts. Automation has replaced manual tasks, freeing up time for strategic planning and improving operational agility. Forecasting accuracy has significantly improved, thanks to the tailored alignment between staffing data and schedule needs.

Most importantly, the shift to a modern workforce management approach has elevated both the employee and customer experience. Agents now have greater control over their schedules, and leadership has better visibility and control across their operations. Even BPO partners are now integrated into the automated scheduling process, eliminating the need for manual builds and streamlining operations across the board.

This retailer’s journey with Calabrio demonstrates how thoughtful workforce management can deliver measurable efficiency gains, better agent experiences, and smarter, more agile service delivery.

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