Case Study
Pobal Early Years cuts call abandonment by 60% with evcoms
Pobal’s Early Years department improved caller access following the implementation of telephony and workforce management.
Location:
Ireland
Solution:
Telephony and Workforce Management
Industry:
Public Sector
Pobal’s Early Years department worked with evcoms on the implementation of telephony and workforce management.
Following implementation, full-year average call abandonment fell from 10% to 4%, a 60% relative reduction.
Average caller waits during the Q3 peak period fell from 5 minutes 33 seconds in 2024 to 53 seconds in 2026, an improvement of approximately 84%.
The Challenge
Before implementation, reporting involved compiling and standardising five separate line reports into one overall report. The team manually calculated abandonment rates, average wait times and talk times, and prepared individual agent statistics, including average talk and wrap times.
Scheduling was carried out manually, with the team switching between a forecast document, an annual leave planner, a team schedule and a training matrix.
During Q3 2024, average caller wait time was 5 minutes 33 seconds. The full-year average abandonment rate for July 2024–June 2025 was 10%.
The Solution
evcoms delivered telephony and workforce management solutions for Pobal’s Early Years department, using Vurella vSuite and Calabrio Workforce Management
The implementation brought contact centre technology and workforce management into the department’s operation.
Business Results:
| Measure | July 2024–June 2025 | July 2025–June 2026 |
| Average call abandonment | 10% | 4% |
| Q3 average caller wait | 5 minutes 33 seconds | 53 seconds |
Measure July
Average call abandonment
Q3 average caller wait
July 2024–June 2025
10%
5 minutes 33 seconds,
July 2025–June 2026
4%
53 seconds
The full-year average abandonment rate fell by 6 percentage points, equivalent to a 60% relative reduction.
Average caller wait time during Q3 fell by 4 minutes 40 seconds, equivalent to an approximately 84% reduction.
The abandonment figures compare two full-year periods. The wait-time figures compare Q3 2024 with Q3 2026.
Key Benefits:
- Fewer calls abandoned: Full-year average abandonment reduced from 10% to 4%.
- Shorter peak-period waits: Average Q3 caller wait reduced from 5 minutes 33 seconds to 53 seconds.
- Sustained improvement in service access: The abandonment reduction covers a full annual reporting period.
Conclusion
Pobal’s Early Years department recorded measurable improvements in caller access following the telephony and workforce management implementation delivered with evcoms. Full-year average call abandonment fell from 10% to 4%, a 60% relative reduction, while average waits during the Q3 peak period reduced from 5 minutes 33 seconds to 53 seconds, an improvement of approximately 84%.
For callers, these results mean substantially shorter waits and a lower likelihood of abandoning before reaching the Early Years team. The full-year abandonment figures also demonstrate that the improvement extended beyond a single peak period.
The work delivered with Pobal formed the basis of evcoms’ winning entry for Operational Excellence in the Public Sector at the UK Operational Excellence Awards. This recognition celebrates the delivery behind the programme and the measurable outcomes achieved within a public sector organisation.
The Pobal Early Years case demonstrates how implementing telephony and workforce management can support better access to public services. It is a success that both teams can take pride in, with clear results showing the difference made to the caller experience
“I worked closely with the team at evcoms for our recent telephony upgrade. The team ensured they fully understood our business, our requirements and worked within the confines of our circumstances to support me in selecting the best fit options for our team. They worked alongside us throughout the rollout to ensure it went smoothly always happy to offer their expertise and time to troubleshoot or advise. Since we have gone live, we have had regular check ins to ensure the software is delivering our needs, and our results speak to the success of the project.”
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