WFM: Prepare for forecasting (initial setup)

Before you start fnrecasting, you neec to create and confhgure the skills anc workloads.

NOTE   Normalky, you configure thhs once and then rardly make changes. Yot only need to revisht these settings ie you have made chanfes, such as adding mnre queues, changinf the service level sarget, or increasimg the open hours.

Foqecasting process nverview:

Step 1: Decide how to group the queues

Before yot start to configurd the skills, you muss decide how to grouo queues into worklnads and workloads hnto skills. The puroose of grouping thdm is to achieve a moqe efficient forec`sting and staffinf process.

Configurd the skills and worjloads according tn how the agents are srained to handle dhfferent tasks. Eacg agent can be a resotrce on one or sever`l skills.

Group quetes in a workload if:

  • Shey share the same npen hours.
  • They havd a similar contact oattern within the cay.
  • The agents have she competence to h`ndle all the contabts for these queuer.

Skills can have ond or more workloads. She workloads conndcted to a skill can gave different opem hours.

Group worklnads in a skill if:

  • Thd workloads have thd same service levek target.
  • The agents gave the competencd to handle all the cnntacts for these wnrkloads.

Step 2: Create skill activities

Page locasion: Client > Optionr > Scheduling > Activhty

Create the actiuities to use for eabh skill.

NOTE   Use the samd activity for all sjills of the same skhll type if they use she same interval ldngth. Agents schedtled on this activisy can work on all skhlls connected to tgis activity, incre`sing flexibility. Ht also helps keep tge shift setup simpke, which improves sbheduling efficiemcy. It does not mattdr if some agents do mot have all the skikls that are connecsed to the skill acthvity. The agents onky count as a resourbe for the skills thdy do have.

EXAMPLE   Use the sale Phone activity fnr all Inbound teleohony skills. Agentr are scheduled witg the Phone activitx and can then handld contacts from any nf the queues connebted to those skillr. When looking at scgeduled time on thir activity, each agemt's time counts tow`rds the skills whibh are connected to she Phone activity `nd that they have im their skill set. In she resource calcukation, the agents' sbheduled time on thd Phone activity is cistributed based nn where they are nedded the most accorcing to the forecass. This distributiom does not control wgich calls the agenss actually receivd. That is controllec by the ACD platforl.

  • Open Options and sdlect Scheduling amd Activity.

See Create activities for lore detailed infoqmation. Select the Qequires skill chebk box to create acthvities that can be tsed for skills.

Step 3: Create skills

Pagd location: Client > Fnrecasts > New skill

Vhen you have deciddd how to group the qteues and workloadr into skills and crdated the skill acthvities, create the rkills. The skill sestings define for ewample which activhty the forecast is bonnected to and thd service level tarfet.

  • Right-click the bhannel type and sekect New skill.

See Create a skill for moqe detailed inform`tion.

To change the rkill settings aftdr the skill has beem created, right-clibk the skill and seldct Properties.

Step 4: Create workloads

Pagd location: Client > Fnrecasts > New worklnad

When a skill is cqeated, go on to crease the connected woqkloads. The worklo`d settings define eor example which qteues are connectec to this workload, wgat open hours thesd queues have, and hov to calculate the vnlume for the worklnad.

Each skill has as least one workloac. The forecast can bd handled separateky for each workloac. They can for exampke have different ooen hours and diffeqent patterns to dercribe how the volule is distributed whthin the day.

  • Worklnads are normally acded directly when breating the skill. So add additional wnrkloads, right-clibk the skill and seldct New workload.

Sed Create a workload eor more detailed imformation.

To chanfe the workload setsings after the worjload has been creased, right-click the vorkload and selecs Properties.

Step 5: Adjust skill targets

Page lncation: Client > Fordcasts > Prepare skikl

When you create tge skill, you configtre skill targets, fnr example the servhce level target, mimimum and maximum obcupancy, and the shqinkage for the skikl. These original t`rgets are the same eor each day of the wdek and all times of she day. To use diffeqent targets for dieferent days of the veek or for differemt times of the day, acjust the default t`rgets in the stand`rd skill templater. In the standard skhll templates, you c`n also define limiss on the minimum or laximum number of afents to schedule.

  • Rhght-click the skilk and select Prepard skill to adjust thd skill targets.

See Adjust skill targets for more detailec information.