Rusty Livock, Deputy Chief Executive Connect Assist
How to work out the real cost of your service
www.connectassist.co.uk
Assessing your costs in tough times
• There is a pressure on most charitable organisations to find solutions to the current funding crisis by doing more with less
• They will need to justify how they are spending to stakeholders and beneficiaries
2Rusty Livock, Webcast March 2011
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Think about what goes into supporting each desk.
Staffing Availability
• How many holidays to they have• When will breaks be taken• Sickness • Training• Are they going to work evening /
weekend shifts
3Rusty Livock, Webcast March 2011
Take all these factors into consideration and add in a buffer ensure true availability
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What are the set up cost for each desk?
Desk• Computer with software• Lighting, heating e.t.c• Resources, possibly a knowledge
base in which your staff can access information and guidance
Telephony• Installation• Call cost• Line rental• Headsets• Running costs• Licence basis• Deprecation
4Rusty Livock, Webcast March 2011
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What intangible items are needed to run your service?
Training
You will have to factor in the time taken for training and how much that training actually costs, making sure that the training is run along side your service
People• Pension• National insurance• Insurance • Professional body membership
5Rusty Livock, Webcast March 2011
www.connectassist.co.uk
What intangible items are needed to run your service?
Support
What support will your staff require?
• Will they need a Employee assistance programme?
• Will they need a Team leader to answer enquires?
6Rusty Livock, Webcast March 2011
www.connectassist.co.uk
Establishing the exact costs
Why is this useful?
• Where is your money going
• Establish where cost savings can be made
• Establish where your break even point is
Can you afford to have a in house service or would it be
beneficial to work with a partner?
7Rusty Livock, Webcast March 2011
www.connectassist.co.uk
Why not cost share with a private company?
Splitting costs through collaboration
Sharing costs and making use of a multi-channel approach where all agents are multi-skilled to answer queries will mean that desks are not left empty.
Using a 24/7 helpline will ensure you meet demand throughout the day and night.
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“The third sector will be much better for consolidation where back-office cost can be cut.”David Robinson, Co-founder of community links
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jan/05/self-indulgent-charities-must-change
www.connectassist.co.uk 9Rusty Livock, Webcast March 2011
Resources
Discussion paper• Are you ready to respond? Rethinking third
sector funding
• http://www.connectassist.co.uk/rethinking-third-sector-funding
Blogs• Charities could be wasting up to 30% of wha
t they spend on service delivery
• Have you ever calculated your call centre costs and do you know how much each desk costs?
Contact me• [email protected]
• Tel: 01443 827600
www.connectassist.co.uk
www.connectassist.co.uk
10Service delivery in a cost constrained environment