WFM SCHEDULING

WHAT IS SCHEDULING

Scheduling refers to the process of creating and managing staff schedules to ensure
that the right number of employees with the right skills are available to handle the
expected workload at specific times. It is crucial for optimizing productivity, reducing
labor costs, and maintaining service levels, especially in environments like call centers,
retail, healthcare, and other service industries.

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 KEY ELEMENTS OF WFM SCHEDULING

➢ Forecasting: Predicting the demand for labor based on historical data, seasonal trends, and business needs. This helps
determine the number of employees required during different shifts.

➢ Shift Planning: Creating shift schedules based on the forecasted demand. This involves assigning employees to specific
shifts, ensuring coverage during peak hours, and minimizing overstaffing during slower periods.

➢ Skill Matching: Ensuring that employees with the necessary skills are scheduled to work when those skills are needed,
particularly in environments where specialized expertise is required.

➢ Adherence: Monitoring whether employees are following their scheduled shifts. It involves checking if they clock in and out
on time, take breaks as planned, and meet their assigned shift hours.

➢ Flexibility: Allowing room for adjustments in case of unexpected changes such as employee absences, sudden changes in
demand, or urgent business needs.

➢ Compliance: Ensuring that the schedules adhere to labor laws, union rules, and company policies, including rest breaks,
overtime limits, and working hour regulations.

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 KPI’S OF SCHEDULING

➢ Schedule Adherence
➢ Schedule Efficiency
➢ Employee Utilization
➢ Forecast Accuracy
➢ Schedule Attainment
➢ Overtime Percentage
➢ Employee Satisfaction with Scheduling
➢ Absenteeism Rate
➢ Shift Coverage
➢ Labor Cost per Scheduled Hour

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 WHAT IS SCHEDULED OPTIMIZED

refers to the process of creating a staffing schedule that ensures the

right number of employees with the right skills are available at the right times to meet
operational demands, while minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency.The goal of schedule
optimization is to align staffing levels with forecasted workloads (like call volume or task
volume) while also considering factors like employee availability, labor laws, and performance
targets (e.g., service levels).

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 HEADCOUNT & FTE’S
: Headcount is the total number of employees, regardless of their working hours. Each individual employee is counted as one, whether they are full-time, part-
time, or temporary.

: Headcount gives a simple count of how many people are employed, but it does not account for how much work each person is doing.

: If a company has 10 employees, 6 of whom work full-time and 4 part-time, the headcount is 10.

: FTE is a measure that standardizes employees’ hours into equivalent full-time work. It represents the total labor hours worked compared
to what a full-time employee would work.

: FTE allows companies to compare the labor contribution of part-time and full-time employees in a uniform way, helping in financial planning, capacity analysis, and labor cost
management.

: FTE = Total hours worked by all employees / Full-time hours per employee

The standard full-time hours are typically 40 hours per week (or 8 hours per day, depending on the organization), but this may vary by company, region, or industry.

: Assume the company has: 6 full-time employees working 40 hours per week each. & 4 part-time employees working 20 hours per week each.

The total hours worked by all employees is:

(6×40)+(4×20)=240+80=320 hours/week

If full-time hours per employee are 40 hours per week, the FTE is: FTE = 320 hours 40 hours = 8 FTEs

So, although the headcount is 10, the FTE is only 8, because part-time employees contribute less than a full-time equivalent in terms of hours worked.

Why Use Both?

• Headcount is used to understand how many people are employed.
• is used for budgeting, workforce planning, and understanding the total work contribution in terms of full-time hours.

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 HOW DO YOU H A N D L E LAST- M I N U T E C H A N G E S OR S C H E D U L I N G
CONFLICTS?

Last-minute changes are inevitable, but I manage them by building flexibility into the schedule. I ensure that there is some
buffer for unplanned absences or peak workload hours. If a conflict arises, I first try to resolve it by adjusting shifts, offering
overtime, or using part-time or temporary staff.

WHAT M E T R I C S DO YOU USE TO EVALUATE THE E F F E C T I V E N E S S OF YOUR

SCHEDULING ?

I evaluate the effectiveness of scheduling using several key metrics, including adherence to schedule, service level
achievement, occupancy rates, and employee satisfaction. Monitoring metrics like absenteeism rates and overtime usage also
gives me insight into how well the schedule is working and where adjustments are needed. A successful schedule should meet
business needs while minimizing employee burnout.

HOW DO YOU E N S U RE S C H E D U L E A C C U R A CY AND O P TI M IZ A TI O N ?

I start by analyzing historical data and call volume forecasts to predict staffing needs accurately. I also take into account factors
such as time-off requests, shrinkage, peak hours, and service level agreements. Once the schedule is created, I monitor its
performance in real time, making adjustments as needed. Regular communication with team leaders and employees helps me
stay on top of any changes or concerns that may arise.

Sanjeev
 SCHEDULE INFLEXIBILITY (INFLEX)

Definition:

Schedule Inflexibility refers to how rigid or inflexible a schedule is when compared to forecasted demand or workload.A higher
inflexibility value indicates a rigid schedule that may not accommodate changes in demand, impacting service levels and efficiency.

Formula:

Sum of Positive Variance from Staffing Requirement

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 100
Total Scheduled Hours

: Difference between scheduled hours and required hours when scheduled hours exceed the required hours.
Total Scheduled Hours:Total hours scheduled for the workforce.

Example:
Forecasted requirement: 1000 hours
Scheduled hours: 1100 hours (100 hours overstaffed)
Total scheduled hours: 1100
Inflexibility =100 / 1100×100=9.09

This indicates that 9.09% of the total scheduled hours are overstaffed, showing a lack of flexibility in adapting to workload requirements.

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 SCHEDULE EFFICIENCY

Definition:

Schedule Efficiency measures how well the scheduled hours align with the forecasted demand. Higher efficiency indicates optimal resource
utilization, meaning employees are scheduled closer to the actual demand.

Formula:
Total Scheduled Hours within Tolerance
------------------------------------------------- 100
Total Scheduled Hours

: Hours where scheduled staff aligns within an acceptable range of the forecasted demand.

Example:
Forecasted requirement : 1000 hours
Scheduled hours: 1050 hours
Tolerance : 5% of forecast (950–1050 hours)
Scheduled hours within tolerance: 1050
Efficiency = 1050 / 1050×100=100%
This indicates that the schedule is fully efficient, as all scheduled hours align with the required demand within the tolerance range.

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 SUMMARY OF DIFFERENCES

Metric Definition Formula

Scheduled Conformance Measures total time worked compared to the schedule Actual Hours Worked / Scheduled Hours × 100

Measures how well agents follow their schedule

Schedule Adherence Time Adhering to Schedule / Total Scheduled Time × 100
throughout the day

Line Adherence Measures adherence to specific tasks in real-time Time on Expected Activity / Total Scheduled Time × 100

➢ Key Takeaways:

o Scheduled Conformance: Measures total hours worked versus the scheduled time (overall presence).

o Adherence: Measures whether an agent is following the assigned activities (breaks, work blocks) at the right times throughout the shift.

o Line Adherence: Tracks real-time adherence to specific tasks, ensuring agents are working on the correct tasks during the scheduled period.

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 SHRINKAGE & TYPES OF SHRINKAGE

refers to the time that agents are paid to work but are not available to handle calls or perform productive tasks. It includes
activities like breaks, training, meetings, absenteeism, vacations, and other factors that reduce the time agents spend handling customer
interactions.
Shrinkage is crucial in WFM because it directly impacts the number of agents required to meet the forecasted workload. If shrinkage is
not accounted for, it can lead to understaffing, missed service levels, and customer dissatisfaction.

Types of Shrinkage
Shrinkage can be classified into two categories:
:This includes activities that happen within the working environment and during the scheduled shift.
1. Breaks (meal breaks, short breaks)
2. Training (product updates, skill development)
3. Meetings (team huddles, performance reviews)
4. Coaching sessions (one-on-one feedback)
:This includes activities or events that take the agent away from the working environment or prevent them from being available during
their scheduled time.
1. Absenteeism (sick leave, unplanned absences)
2. Paid time off (PTO) (vacations, holidays)
3. Medical or maternity leaves
4. Late arrivals/early departures

Formula to Calculate Shrinkage

Shrinkage is calculated as the percentage of time that agents are unavailable compared to the total scheduled time.
Shrinkage (%) = Non-Productive Time / Total Time Available ×100

• Non-Productive Time: Time spent on breaks, training, meetings, absenteeism, etc.

• Total Time Available: The total time an agent is scheduled to work (including productive and non-productive time).
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 LINEAR CALCULATION

is a simplified approach to calculating staffing needs. It assumes that the relationship between workload and staffing is
directly proportional.This method works well for rough estimates but doesn't account for the complexity of queuing, variable call arrival
patterns, or service level targets. It’s mainly used in non-call center environments or for back-office tasks where workload distribution is
more linear and predictable.

✓ Key Features of Linear Calculation:

➢ Assumes a straight-line relationship between workload and staffing.
➢ Doesn’t account for queueing or random arrival of work.
➢ Best suited for environments where tasks are evenly distributed and arrival times are predictable.

✓ Formula (Linear Calculation):

FTE Requirement = Total Workload (in hours) / Available Working Hours (per agent per day)

Where:
➢ Total Workload = Number of tasks or volume × Average Handle Time (AHT in hours)
➢ = Total time agents are available for work (minus breaks, shrinkage, etc.)

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 ERLANG B VS. ERLANG C

Aspect Erlang B Erlang C

Use Case Telephone systems without queuing Call centers with queuing
Queue No queuing allowed Queuing allowed
Call Outcome Call is blocked or lost Call waits in queue
Metric Calculated Blocking probability Probability of delay, average wait time
Assumption Limited resources, no waiting Unlimited queue capacity, callers wait

Practical Application Designing trunk lines for telecom systems Staffing and service level calculation for contact centers

Example Scenario

✓ Erlang B:
A telecom company wants to know how many phone lines they need to handle 50 simultaneous calls with a blocking probability of 1%. If they only have 45 lines, some calls
will be blocked, and Erlang B helps calculate that probability.

✓ Erlang C:
A contact center receives 100 calls per hour with an average handling time of 5 minutes. Erlang C helps determine how many agents are needed to meet a service level of
answering 80% of calls within 20 seconds.

✓ Erlang B is ideal for systems without queuing, focusing on minimizing call blocking.
✓ Erlang C is essential for contact centers, focusing on staffing to meet service levels and reduce wait times.

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 COMPARISON AND KEY DIFFERENCES

Aspect Erlang Calculation Linear Calculation

High (takes into account random call patterns and

Complexity Low (straightforward, assumes linearity)
queueing)

Call centers with fluctuating workloads and specific

Use Case Back office or environments with predictable workloads
service levels

Service Levels Specifically designed to meet service level goals Doesn’t account for service levels

Queueing Considers waiting time and the likelihood of queuing No queuing is considered

Workload Distribution Assumes random (Poisson) distribution of calls Assumes linear, predictable workloads

Key Takeaways:

o Erlang Calculation is used for environments like call centers where the workload is random and there is queueing involved, allowing for precise staffing that meets
service levels.

o Linear Calculation is more appropriate for environments with a steady and predictable workload, without the need for queueing, like back-office tasks.

Sanjeev
 WHAT IS DOW ?

typically refers to Day of the Week, a key metric used in forecasting and scheduling workforce requirements. It helps organizations
predict call volumes, staffing needs, or other workload patterns based on historical data for specific days.

✓
The DOW factor is used to adjust forecasts based on the typical variation in demand for each day of the week. Here's the step-by-step breakdown:

Collect Historical Data:

Gather the data (e.g., call volumes, ticket counts, etc.) for each day over a specific period.

Calculate the Average Volume Per Day:

Average Daily Volume = Total Volume for All Days / Number of Days

Calculate the DOW Factor for Each Day:

DOW Factor = Average Volume on a Specific Day / Average Daily Volume

Use the DOW Factor to Adjust Forecasts:

Forecasted Volume for a Day = Baseline Forecast × DOW Factor

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 EXAMPLE OF DOW CALCULATION ?

✓ Step 1: Collect Historical Data (Weekly Call Volumes) ✓ Step 3: Calculate the DOW Factor for Each Day

Day Calls Received Day Calls Received DOW Factor

Monday 1,200 Monday 1,200 1200/864.29 = 1.39
Tuesday 1,000 Tuesday 1,000 1000/864.29 = 1.16
Wednesday 900 Wednesday 900 900/864.29 = 1.04
Thursday 950 Thursday 950 950/864.29 = 1.10
Friday 1,100 Friday 1,100 1100/864.29 = 1.27
Saturday 500 Saturday 500 500/864.29 = 0.58
Sunday 400 Sunday 400 400/864.29 = 0.46

✓ Step 2: Calculate the Average Daily Volume ✓ : Use the DOW Factor to Forecast Future Volumes

Average Daily Volume = 71200+1000+900+950+1100+500+400 = 864.29 If the baseline forecast for next Monday is 1,000 calls, the adjusted forecast
using the DOW factor would be:
Forecasted Volume for Monday = 1000×1.39 = 1,390 calls

✓ Importance of DOW in WFM

• Improves Accuracy: It accounts for weekly variations in call volume or workload.

• Better Scheduling: Helps in aligning staffing levels with expected demand.
• Reduces Costs: Prevents overstaffing or understaffing, optimizing operational efficiency.

Sanjeev
 WHAT IS SCHEDULED OPTIMIZED

Schedule optimization refers to the process of creating a staffing schedule that ensures the
right number of employees with the right skills are available at the right times to meet
operational demands, while minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency.The goal of schedule
optimization is to align staffing levels with forecasted workloads (like call volume or task
volume) while also considering factors like employee availability, labor laws, and performance
targets (e.g., service levels).

Sanjeev