Forecast and Staffing Generation

The Generate Forecast feature allows you to predict future interaction volumes and handling times for selected skills, based on historical data. This forecast forms the foundation for planning and scheduling resources effectively.

In the WFM product, there are two types of forecasts:

  • Forecast

    • Purpose: Short to medium-term operational planning.

    • Forecast Range Options: 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year.

    • Staffing Generation: After the forecast is created, you can generate staffing requirements to meet your service goals. Staffing generation uses forecasted volumes and handling times, combined with configurable parameters such as SLA, ASA, shrinkage, and occupancy, to calculate the number of agents needed for each interval and skill.

  • Long Term Forecast

    • Purpose: Strategic planning for future growth and resource needs over an extended horizon.

    • Forecast Range Options: 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, or 5 years.

    • Staffing Generation: Long term forecasts are for Enhanced Strategic Planning and do not include staffing generation. They are intended to identify long-term trends and guide budgeting, hiring strategies, and capacity planning.

Staffing Generation Overview

When staffing generation is performed (available only for the Forecast option), the system:

  • Calculates required agents per interval and skill based on forecasted volume and AHT.

  • Applies business parameters like SLA, ASA, shrinkage, occupancy, and concurrency (for digital channels).

  • Uses a simulation engine to mimic real-world ACD behavior, ensuring SLA adherence and distributing staffing across Scheduling Units where needed.

Use Forecast for short-to-medium term operational scheduling and Long Term Forecast for strategic capacity planning.

In this page, you can:

  • See all the generated forecast jobs. You can view or edit a job by clicking on it.

  • Generate a new job by clicking Generate Forecast. With every forecast job, you can generate a staffing plan.

  • Create a new job with imported forecast data by clicking Add Imported Forecast Data.

More WFM Forecasting features:

  • Create Forecasting Profiles to configure default KPIs for skills. Profiles can save time generating a forecast, especially when you want to set different KPIs for different skills.

  • Import historical data using a CSV file. You can import historical data when you don't have enough ACD data, or when your contact center doesn't collect ACD data.

  • Mark special days in your forecast or historical data. Use special days for days that don't or won't suit your staffing needs, such as holidays or training days.

If you don't have historical data, you can still import your own staffing plan in the Scheduling section of WFM.