How the Skill table parameters work

The parameters in the Skill table in the Forecasts module are important to understand when finalizing the forecast. In this topic we clarify the parameters that might need some extra explanation.

Which parameters that are shown in the Skill table vary with the type of skill selected and depending on if you are looking at the table on intraday level or on, for example, the day level.

Minimum and maximum occupancy

The calculated Minimum occupancy and Maximum occupancy are shown on intraday level for telephony and chat skills. They are indications of how busy the agents will be. It is a predicted occupancy based on the number of forecasted agents in relation to the forecasted work to be done.

Efficiency is not considered when calculating occupancy.

Use the Agent Metrics report and Team Metrics report to see the actual occupancy.

Hours and agents incoming

When you plan for back office or email skills, the tasks or emails arrive at one point in time but can normally wait longer than a call to be handled. The Handled within target defines within what time frame the tasks or emails must be handled.

This is visualized by parameters in the Skill table.

  • Hours inc (Hours incoming) indicates the forecasted hours of work required to handle the emails or tasks that arrive on a day (or in a week or month). This does not necessarily mean that we need to schedule that many hours that day.
  • Agents inc (Agents incoming) is shown on intraday level. It is the number of agents needed to handle the emails or tasks that arrive that interval. It can be compared with Agents, which is the number of agents that are forecasted to work that interval based on the Handled within target.
EXAMPLE   

A back office skill has all incoming volume within the first interval. The Handled within target is defined as 4 h. The interval length is 1 h.

Time 09:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:00 PM

Agents incoming

4:00

0:00

0:00

0:00

Agents

1:00

1:00

1:00

1:00

Agents

The Agent row in the Skill table intraday view shows the number of agents that are forecasted to work that interval.

NOTE   If you compare the Agents value in the Forecasts module with the Forecasted agents value in the Schedules module for an email or back office skill, the numbers might not match. This is because the Forecasted agents value in the Schedules module is updated when agents are scheduled for this skill. See Understand the result table parameters for more information.