00:45: Introduction of speakers Xavier Kelma and Geoffroy dâArgenlieu
02:00: What is Workforce Management?
03:20: What is activity management?
04:25: What is the difference between Workforce Management and activity management?
06:10: Combining the HR vision with the operational vision
09:00: The HR, Finance & Operations triptych
11:20: What is expected from Workforce and operational tools?
18:15: What are the indicators for starting a Workforce / activity management project?
25:00: Tools supporting employee working conditions and management
AlthĂ©a is launching its new podcast titled “Simply”, a series that aims to demystify complex topics related to organization, business transformation, and operational performance. The concept? Experts engage in educational discussions, free of unnecessary jargon, to offer professionals accessible insights into sometimes technical business issues.
For this very first episode, we brought together Xavier Kelma, Expert GTA Manager at AlthĂ©a, and Geoffroy dâArgenlieu, president and co-founder of Timeskipper, a key AlthĂ©a partner and platform specializing in activity management. Together, they decipher two central concepts: Workforce Management and Activity Management.
Understanding the fundamentals: Workforce Management vs. Activity Management
- Workforce Management aims to plan human resources according to operational needs.
- Activity management, on the other hand, consists of adapting the workload based on objectives, field conditions, and daily contingencies.
“One manages the who, the other manages the what,” summarizes Geoffroy dâArgenlieu.
The complementarity of the two approaches becomes evident. One without the other risks unbalancing teams, losing efficiency, or exposing employees to degraded working conditions.
Finding the balance between HR, finance, and operations
A strong theme of the episode is the HR â Finance â Operations triptych and the need to create an integrated vision between these three dimensions.
“When one of the three takes precedence, the imbalance becomes visible: overload, disengagement, inefficiency,” warns Xavier Kelma.
Workforce management here becomes a strategic tool serving a holistic vision of the company: it structures the organization, provides visibility, and enables both management and managers to make balanced decisions.
Tools serving people and performance
Beyond algorithms and data, these tools are primarily managerial levers.
“The major challenge is certainly not to make people rush,” Geoffroy reminds us.
“It’s about performing tasks under normal, calm conditions, while preserving teams in the long term.”
It is even recommended to plan for some flexibility, with approximately 5 to 8% of unplanned time, to absorb contingencies â absences, activity peaks, technical incidentsâŠ
The goal is not overperformance, but balanced occupancy, sustainability of effort, and quality of service rendered.
“It’s not about going faster, but about better utilizing people during their working hours.”
When to start a Workforce Management project coupled with activity management?
Among the signals that should alert a company:
- an unstable organization,
- recurrent absenteeism,
- a high turnover rate (up to 30% in some sectors like retail),
- imbalances between HR, finance, or operational departments,
- or quite simply, the need to improve the working environment.
“A good project can emerge when the company starts asking itself: how can we do better?”
The current context â post-Covid, labor shortages, digital transformation â pushes us to revisit the fundamentals of work organization. Workforce management becomes a driver of economic and social performance, helping to better reconcile employee expectations and business imperatives.
Managing differently: tools for fairer management
Our two experts finally emphasize the managerial role: planning, daily steering, adjusting according to events, explaining prioritiesâŠ
“These are managerial times that need to be managed,” summarizes Geoffroy dâArgenlieu.
“And these tools support this steering posture in service of the collective.”
Workforce management thus becomes a tool for equity and anticipation, allowing managers to avoid becoming hostages of their teams or spending their time limiting damage.
đ§ An episode to listen to for simple understanding
