Simply Business is one of the UK’s largest business insurance providers, specialising in public liability insurance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With over 600,000 small businesses and landlords across Britain relying on their services, Simply Business is committed to delivering outstanding customer experiences. The company operates with just over 200 agents based in Northampton, working tirelessly to meet the needs of their clients.

Background: The Need for Improved Workforce Management

Before partnering with Puzzel, Simply Business faced significant challenges in managing their workforce effectively. They lacked visibility into their consultants’ workloads and found it difficult to target and manage their time efficiently. This lack of insight made it challenging to optimise schedules, resulting in inefficient staffing and inconsistent service levels.

The estimated adherence rate to schedules was around 50%, indicating that consultants were often not following their planned shifts closely. Recognising the need for a robust Workforce Management (WFM) solution, Simply Business aimed to improve operational efficiency, enhance customer service, and better support their agents. 

Solution: Implementing Puzzel's Workforce Management System

After conducting a comprehensive market assessment, Simply Business selected Puzzel’s Workforce Management (WFM) solution for its multi-skill, multi-media scheduling capabilities. The decision was based on the system’s ease of use, quick setup time, and intuitive design, which were particularly appealing to a team new to WFM systems.

Puzzel’s Workforce Management solution offered a range of features, including drag-and-drop forecasting tools that allowed Simply Business to easily manage their agents’ schedules and anticipate workload demands. This functionality enabled them to create more accurate and flexible schedules, tailored to the varying needs of their business throughout the day.

Implementation: Fast Results and Immediate Impact

The implementation of Puzzel’s Workforce Management (WFM) system was smooth and efficient, with Simply Business starting to see positive results within just two weeks. The real-time visibility provided by the solution allowed them to identify inefficiencies in staffing, such as times of day when they were overstaffed or understaffed.

With these insights, Simply Business was able to proactively adjust shifts and conduct thorough rota reviews. This not only improved staffing levels but also enhanced the overall working environment for their agents. By aligning their workforce more closely with customer demand, they were able to increase agent engagement and customer satisfaction.

Results: Improved Adherence, Efficiency, and Agent Experience

The benefits of implementing Puzzel’s Workforce Management (WFM) solution were quickly apparent. Simply Business achieved a significant improvement in schedule adherence, increasing from 50% to 80% within a few weeks. This improvement meant that agents were more consistently working their planned shifts, leading to more reliable service for customers and a more balanced workload for staff.

Moreover, the enhanced visibility into agents’ activities allowed Simply Business to make informed decisions about staffing and resource allocation. They could see what each consultant was doing in real-time, enabling them to optimise shifts, improve service levels, and reduce operational costs.

Additionally, Simply Business has also been able to improve its agent experience by designing more effective schedules and identifying the best times of day to engage with staff and hold team-building exercises.