Skip to main content

Creating optimized schedules

This document outlines the steps for creating optimized schedules for a typical date range (i.e., no what-if scheduling, holidays, schedule bids, not using agent templates or assignment profiles). For other scheduling options, please refer to other documentation.

 

Assumptions

  • There is a published forecast in place.
  • Agents must be imported or created in the system.
  • Agents have schedule templates assigned.

Step-by-step

Working Schedule

Navigate to Schedule > Working Schedule

  1. Select Click here to create new working schedules.
  2. Step 1: Enter basic schedule properties. Choose the Activity level. Note: you must choose a site or lower level in the Enterprise Model. You cannot proceed to the next step if you leave this field at the top level of the Enterprise Model.
  3. Enter a name (required) and description (optional).
  4. Usually, you will leave the box checked to Automatically include a reference to this week’s published forecast.
  5. Click Next.
  6. Step 2: Select one or more schedule weeks. You can choose one week or multiple weeks. When finished, click Next.
  7. Step 3: Review new schedules. Click either the From Date or Through Date to open the schedule worksheet.

Schedule Worksheet

If you have followed the above steps, are generating schedules for a typical (non-holiday) week, and are using the schedule templates assigned to the agents in their profiles (not using agent templates, etc.), you can skip to Generate optimized schedules. You could first navigate to Review events & exceptions if there are time off requests that need to be evaluated.

  1. Generate Optimized Schedules
    • Click Generate Schedules.
    • Configure Schedule Task Properties.
    • Again, assuming a typical week and using schedule templates assigned to agents, click Go.
    • When finished, the Current Schedule Metrics page will appear, which shows overall stats for the schedule run. You should see a green square and the word Success at the top. These stats are for review purposes and give you an overall idea of how well the schedules met the forecasted staffing requirements. There are reports that show stats at the interval level.
    • Close the pop-up window.

You’ll be back at the Schedule Worksheet.

Manage Agent Schedules

  1. To view and modify the optimized schedules, select the activity then Apply options.

Publish this schedule.

  1. Agents will be able to view the published schedules. Other modules rely on the published schedules such adherence, schedule attendance monitor, intraday analysis reports, published schedule reports, time off requests, ASAP items.
  2. Choose the Activity level. If you have already published schedules for a particular activity for a particular date range and you want to publish different schedules for the same activity and date range, you will first need to unpublish the existing schedules for that activity and date range.
  3. Enter the Publisher’s Comments.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Green checkmarks appear next to each activity that does not have a published schedule for that date range.
  6. Click Next. It may take a bit of time depending on the number of activities and the length of the date range involved.
  7. Click Finish.
  8. Close the pop-up window.

Published Schedules

Navigate to Schedule > Published Schedules or Report > Published Schedules to view reports, modify schedules, etc.

By default, employees receive notifications when schedules are published.