Finalize the staffing forecast

The forecast must be finalized before you can start scheduling for this period.

Apply the previously created standard workload day templates to add the intraday arrival pattern for each day of the week. The intraday arrival pattern defines the distribution within the day and the volume is defined by the long-term forecast.

If you work with preferences, you must apply the workload day templates before opening the preference period. This is important to verify the open hours for each day.

Handle any deviations from the standard volume or intraday arrival pattern.

EXAMPLE

The workload is closed on a bank holiday—Create and apply a special workload day template that is set as closed.
The workload has reduced open hours on a bank holiday—Create and apply a special workload day template with reduced open hours and an adjusted intraday pattern.
A television commercial is planned and will likely cause higher call volumes—Add a campaign percentage for calls for the affected period.
An up-sell campaign is planned and will likely cause a longer average talk time—Add a campaign percentage for talk time for the affected period.
You want to use a higher shrinkage percentage for January when the level of sick leave is higher—Create a special skill template and apply it for January.

Continue to revise the forecast as new information is available. This can be done also when the period is scheduled, and the schedule published.

NOTE To automatically adjust the shrinkage values for the near future, use dynamic shrinkage. See Manage dynamic shrinkage for more information

Prerequisites

This feature is available to Calabrio GovSuite users.

You have the Forecasts permission.
The skill and workloads are created.
Standard workload day templates for the workloads are created.

NOTE If there are seasonal variations, create long-term forecasts for the workloads for the period and scenario you want to work with. Although, they are not required. Volumes can be defined by the workload day templates.

Page location

Client > Forecasts > Open forecast

Procedures

Interpret the workload table

Workload table term	Description
Calls/chats/emails/tasks	Forecasted volume for the month, week, or day interval depending on the view selected in the ribbon bar.
Campaign calls/chats/emails/tasks %	Enter a positive or negative percentage to adjust the forecasted volume up or down for the entire month, week, day, or specific interval depending on the view selected in the ribbon bar.
Talk time/chat time/handling time	The average talk time/chat time/handling time, in seconds, for the month, week, day, interval depending on the view selected in the ribbon bar.
Campaign talk time/chat time/handling time %	Enter a positive or negative percentage to adjust the forecasted talk time/chat time/handling time up or down for the entire month, week, day, or specific interval depending on the view selected in the ribbon bar.
ACW/AEW/ATW	The average after call/chat/email/task work (wrap up), in seconds, for the month, week, or day interval depending on the view selected in the ribbon bar.
Campaign ACW/AEW/ATW %	Enter a positive or negative percentage to adjust the forecasted after call/chat/email/task work (wrap up) up or down for the entire month, week, day, or specific interval depending on the view selected in the ribbon bar.
Total calls/chats/emails/tasks	Calls/chats/emails/tasks + (Calls/chats/emails/tasks *campaign calls/chats/emails/tasks %)
Total talk time/chat time/handling time	Talk time + (talktime*campaign talk time %)
Total ACW/AEW/ATW	After call/chat/email/task work (wrap up) + (After call/chat/email/task work (wrap up)*campaign after call/chat/email/task work (wrap up)%)
Template	Apply the appropriate template for the intraday volume arrival pattern. <LONGTERM> = an intraday arrival pattern is not applied. The total volume is distributed equally among all intervals within the open hours. GREEN = the most up-to-date intraday pattern was applied. BLUE = there is a new pattern available to apply. RED = the template was applied by some other method, for example, an external forecast was imported.
Calculated calls/chats/emails/tasks	The actual calls/chats/emails/tasks volume received for the month, week, or day interval depending on the view selected in the ribbon bar. The value is reflective of the calculations configured in the workload properties. For further information, see Calculate workload volume. The data is only available after the actual date has occurred.
Abandoned calls	View the actual number of abandoned calls.
Answered calls	View the actual number of answered calls.
Talk time/chat time/handling time	View the actual average talk time/chat time/handling time in seconds.
ACW/AEW/ATW	View the actual average after call/chat/email/task work (wrap up) in seconds.

Interpret the skill table

Skill table term	Description
Total calls/chats/emails/tasks	Calls/chats/emails/tasks + (calls/chats/emails/tasks*campaign call/chats/emails/tasks %)
Total talk time/chat time/handling time	Talk time + (talk time*campaign talk time %)
Total ACW/AEW/ATW	After call/chat/email/task work (wrap up) + (after call/chat/email/task work (wrap up)*campaign after call/chat/email/task work (wrap up)%)
Service level (%) - only available on intraday view	The service level percentage for the interval
Service level(s) - only available on intraday view	The service level seconds for the interval
Minimum occupancy - only available on intraday view	The occupancy is the percentage of the scheduled time on the skill activity that the agent is actively handling contacts. The resource calculation might result in a too high resource need for skills with low volume. Use the minimum occupancy setting to define an acceptable occupancy level and keep the forecasted need lower. This might affect the service level, since it reduces the staffing margins.
Maximum occupancy - only available on intraday view	In some cases, the resource calculation results in an extremely high occupancy level for skills with a high volume. Use the maximum occupancy setting to define a manageable occupancy level for the agents and increase the forecasted need.
Minimum agents - only available on intraday view	Use this setting to highlight the need for more resources than what the volume on the skill indicates. You must only use this setting when necessary.
Maximum agents - only available on intraday view	Use this setting to highlight the need for less resources than what the volume on the skill indicates. You must only use this setting when necessary.
Agents (manual override) - only available on intraday view	Use this setting to override the forecasted agents and use your defined target instead.
Shrinkage - only available on intraday view	Shrinkage is the loss of resources because of unplanned absences, such as sick leave. You can use shrinkage to calculate the total number of agents to schedule, including the number of agents required to cover for unplanned absences. To automatically adjust the shrinkage values for the near future, use dynamic shrinkage. For more information, see Dynamic shrinkage.
Efficiency - only available on intraday view	The efficiency is the percentage of the scheduled skill time that the agents are available to handle contacts. This setting adjusts for the fact that the agents might need to leave their desk, for example, to ask a question. You must define a realistic efficiency level.
Calculated occupancy % - only available on Intraday view	The estimated occupancy for the interval.
Agents - only available on intraday view	The number of agents required for the interval (excluding shrinkage) with the skill table parameters taken into consideration.
Agents with shrinkage - only available on intraday view	The number of agents required for the interval including shrinkage with the skill table parameters taken into consideration
Hours inc	Hours inc is an abbreviation for hours incoming. You can use this setting for email and back office skills to describe the forecasted hours of work required to handle the tasks or emails that arrive on a day.
Hours inc shrinkage	Hours needed including shrinkage.
Template (only available on day view)	GREEN = most up to date skill template is applied. BLUE = there is a new template available. RED = the values were determined elsewhere, such as an external forecast import or when manually changing a value on a particular interval. GREY = dynamic shrinkage is applied. BLACK = a custom skill template was applied.