Use the Staffing Requirement Calculation feature in Workforce Management (WFM) to ensure you have the right number of agents to meet your service goals.
This section describes the key factors that affect staffing levels and helps you plan more effectively.
ASA and SLA Sensitivity
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ASA (Average Speed of Answer): The average time it takes for a contact to be answered.
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SLA (Service Level Agreement): The percentage of contacts answered within a defined threshold.
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Stricter targets → More staff needed.
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Relaxed targets → Fewer staff needed.
For example:
|
Service Target |
Required fte |
|---|---|
| SLA=80% in 20 sec, ASA=30 sec | 100 |
| SLA=90% in 15 sec, ASA=20 sec | 120 |
Note: The values shown above are for illustration only. Actual values may vary in real time.
If your staffing spikes unexpectedly, check whether the service targets were recently tightened.
Understaffing and Overstaffing Impact
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Understaffing: Too few agents → Poor SL and ASA, higher occupancy.
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Overstaffing: Too many agents → Better SL/ASA but low occupancy and higher costs.
For example:
|
Staffing level |
sl (%) |
asa (SEC) |
Occupancy (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| -15% Staffing | 70 | 50 | 95 |
| Optimal Staffing | 85 | 30 | 85 |
| +15% Staffing | 92 | 20 | 70 |
Note: The values shown above are for illustration only. Actual values may vary in real time.
Always review occupancy together with Staffing Level (SL) to help prevent overstaffing.
Single vs Multiple Service Target Calculations
You can run staffing based on:
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Single target: SLA, ASA, or Max Occupancy alone.
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Multiple targets: A combination (e.g., SLA + ASA + Max Occupancy + Shrinkage).
For example:
|
Target combination |
required fte |
|---|---|
| SLA Only | 100 |
| SLA+ASA | 105 |
| SLA+ASA+Max Occupancy+Shrinkage | 110 |
Note: The values shown above are for illustration only. Actual values may vary in real time.
If staffing seems too high, check which combination of targets is active. The most restrictive target determines the result.
Shrinkage Sensitivity
Shrinkage accounts for time agents are unavailable due to breaks, meetings, training, or leave.
Example Calculation: Final Staffing = Base FTE / (1- Shrinkage)
|
Shrinkage (%) |
Base fte |
Final FTE |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 100 | 125 |
| 30 | 100 | 143 |
Note: The values shown above are for illustration only. Actual values may vary in real time.
Plan your shrinkage realistically. If it's too low, you may end up under-resourced.
Forecast Volume Sensitivity
Staffing scales with forecasted contact volumes.
More contacts → More staff.
Fewer contacts → Fewer staff.
For example:
|
Forecast Volume |
Required fte |
|---|---|
| 10,000 contacts | 100 |
| 15,000 contacts | 150 |
Note: The values shown above are for illustration only. Actual values may vary in real time.
Always ensure forecasts are up to date before running staffing.
Combined Factors Impact
Often, several factors change at the same time—for example, increased volume, tighter service level agreements (SLAs), and higher shrinkage.
The staffing engine calculates requirements based on all active parameters.
For example,
If volume rises by 20%, SLA is tightened, and shrinkage increases:
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Required staffing can increase significantly (For example, from 100 FTE to 140 FTE).
Change one parameter at a time to clearly see its impact.
Glossary
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ASA (Average Speed of Answer): Average time to answer a contact.
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SLA (Service Level Agreement): Target percentage of contacts answered within a set time.
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FTE (Full-Time Equivalent): Number of full-time staff required.
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Shrinkage: Percentage of time agents are unavailable.
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Occupancy: Percentage of logged-in time agents spend handling contacts.
Summary Table - How Each Factor Affects Staffing
|
Factors |
higher value effect |
Lower value effect |
|---|---|---|
| SLA / ASA | More FTE | Fewer FTE |
| Shrinkage | More FTE | Fewer FTE |
| Forecast Volume | More FTE | Fewer FTE |
| Skill Priority | More FTE to that skill | Less FTE to that skill |
| Occupancy Target | Fewer FTE | More FTE |