We're starting our research and information gathering for our May Workforce Management article, and we thought we'd post some questions and past articles for our readers to ponder. We encourage all of our readers -- call center agents and managers, vendors, and anyone else with an opinion or a question -- to e-mail us.

Here are a few of our preliminary questions:

1. What is WFM? Is WFM software more than just fancy scheduling software?
   
2. Who needs it?
   
3. What's new in WFM? Any trends? What are clients/users/managers asking for?
   
4. Can WFM systems work with remote agents and virtual call centers?
   
5. How different are small-center entry level workforce management tools from those at the high end?
   
6. How well integrated are workforce management tools with other agent-based applications, like training delivery and quality assurance systems? Should they be integrated?
   
7. How does WFM software address turnover and agent morale?

One of the best experiences of going to a conference is meeting people. At Call Center Demo and Conference in Austin, I was fortunate to chat with a number of call center managers. One chat with a call center manager from Las Vegas was particularly memorable.

The manager shared observations about the effects of the June 2005 merger of two casino companies, Harrah's and Caesars, on their respective call centers. She pointed out that agents who used to answer calls for individual hotels now assist callers on behalf of multiple hotels that are part of the combined company, now known as Harrah's.

The ongoing consolidation of operations within the Harrah's franchise is well-documented in the business press. What intrigues me most about this kind of consolidation, whether it results from a merger or from a company's decision to centralize its call centers, is that agents' job responsibilities undergo significant expansions in scope.