Manage periodization

You can use the Periodization tool to balance an agent's work hours over an extended period, such as a year, to align with contractual targets. You can optimize staffing based on time-based demand patterns and highlight contractual target deviations. This ensures that the right number of agents with the necessary skills are scheduled during peak and off-peak times while efficiently utilizing the resources, improving service levels and reducing costs. It also helps you to avoid regulatory violations. You can also use the Periodization tool to compare a schedule to a forecast and adjust agents' schedules to align with your forecast.

To adjust targets, it is recommended that you follow this format:

  • Use the Auto-adjust feature.

  • If necessary, perform a manual adjustment.

  • Reschedule as needed.

Prerequisites

This feature is also available to Calabrio GovSuite users.

  • You have the following permissions:

    • Web > People > Periodization > Add agents

    • Web > People > Periodization > Add group

    • Web > People > Periodization > Adjust target

    • Web > People > Periodization > Delete group

    • Web > People > Periodization > Edit group

    • Web > People > Periodization > Remove agents

Page location

WFM > People > Periodization

Procedures

Add a group

When you add agents to a group, you can easily monitor the periodization settings for those specific agents. You can view the deviation of multiple agents at a time and prioritize adjustment for agents at high risk.

  1. Click Add group.

  2. Enter a Group name.

  3. Select a Schedule period.

  4. Select Week or Month.

  5. Select a Period start date and Period end date.

  6. Select a day for Work week starts on.

  7. Click Save.

Add agents

NOTE   If you add agent(s), it will add scheduled periods for agents for the specified date range and override existing schedule periods and target hours in the existing time frame, if any.

  1. After you add a group, in the Agents tab, click Add agents.

  2. In the Add agents window, select a date, select sites, teams, or group pages, and then click Fetch agents.

  3. If you want to add all of the agents, click Add all and then click Add. Alternatively, if you want to add selected agents, select the agents and click Add selected and then click Add.

    NOTE   An agent can only be part of one group for a specific period. After you add an agent to a group, schedule period(s) are created in the WFM web, and the respective schedule period(s) are disabled for the periodization window in the WFM client.

  4. (Optional) Toggle the following sliders on or off:

    1. Current & future periods only - Hide previous schedule periods

    2. Show contract & scheduled hours - Show contract and scheduled hours along with target hours

Remove agents

  1. If you are already in the Agents tab, skip to step 4. Otherwise, on the Periodization landing page, click a group name.

  2. Click the Agents tab.

  3. Click Remove all agents and then click Remove. Alternatively, if you want to remove selected agents, select the agents, click Remove selected agents, and then click Remove.

Automatically adjust agents' schedules based on a forecast

You can automatically adjust scheduled periods for an agent based on a forecast.

NOTE   The auto-adjust algorithm aims to bring the hours of underutilized resources closer to the target level, because there may be a preference to fully use the allocated hour, even if that leads to some overstaffing. However, the algorithm does not reduce the hours of overutilized agents if doing so would cause understaffing, since service levels are expected to be maintained.

  1. If you are already in the Agents tab, skip to step 2. Otherwise, on the Periodization landing page, click a group name and then click the Agents tab.

  2. Click the Adjust by forecast drop-down list.

  3. Select a skill. In the chart that appears, review the peaks and dips and how much the scheduled curve deviates from the forecast. Review the grid to assess the required adjustments for individual agents.

  4. Click Auto-adjust. This adjusts the agent resource targets cross schedule periods based on forecasted demand and the required adjustments for agents. Review the following steps:
    1. Review the adjustments in the chart. For example, is the auto-adjusted curve aligning with the forecast curve?
    2. Review the required adjustments for individual agents in the grid.
    3. Check if the agents have targets within the tolerance threshold.
    4. Check if agents have higher targets during peak-demand periods.
    5. Check if agents with higher deviations have more adjustments than agents with lower deviations.
    6. Check if the forecasted peaks and dips in upcoming periods are prioritized over later periods, as per the resource hours available.

NOTE   After the review, if you need to make manual bulk adjustments to scheduled periods, complete the procedure Adjust a batch of scheduled periods for an agent. For more information about making individual schedule changes, see Make schedule changes (Schedules tool).

Adjust a batch of scheduled periods for an agent

After you review the forecast, you can manually adjust a batch of scheduled periods for an agent, so that you plan accordingly for your forecast.

  1. If you are already in the Agents tab, skip to step 2. Otherwise, on the Periodization landing page, click a group name and then click the Agents tab.

  2. To bulk adjust scheduled periods, click the Bulk adjust drop-down list.

  3. Select a date range.

  4. Enter the hours/schedule period.

    NOTE   When you use Bulk adjust, the value entered in the hours/schedule period field represents the target hours for a full-time employee working a standard schedule of 40 hours per week (8 hours per day, 5 days per week).

    The system automatically adjusts this value based on each agent's contracted hours for the selected schedule period. As a result, the final override hours applied to an agent may differ from the value entered. You can review the calculated override hours after applying the adjustment.

    EXAMPLE   

    If you enter 60 hours for a 2-week schedule period:

    • An agent who is contracted for 40 hours per week receives 60 override hours.

    • An agent who is contracted for 30 hours per week receives 45 override hours.

    • An agent who is contracted for 20 hours per week receives 30 override hours.

    The system applies override hours proportionally based on each agent's contracted hours. For multi-week and multi-month schedule periods, the system calculates the final override hours using the following formulas:

    Schedule Period Formula

    Multi-week schedule period

    Final override hours = (Override hours × Contract hours for the schedule period) ÷ (8 × 5 × Number of weeks)

    Multi-month schedule period

    Final override hours = (Override hours × Contract hours for the schedule period) ÷ (8 × 22 × Number of months)

  5. Select one or more agents.

  6. Click Apply.

Manage periodization

  • To edit schedule period targets, in the Agents tab, click a field for a specific week for an agent and edit the hours.

NOTE   The default hours in the field are automatically calculated based on the contract hours. When you override these hours, it updates the hours in the Required adjustment field. If the required adjustment hours are positive or negative, an agent has worked less or more than their contract hours. Therefore, adjust the schedule to ensure that the agent works extra hours or fewer hours, respectively. You can only override the hours manually. You cannot edit them in bulk using copy and paste or import and export.

Delete a group

  1. Click Periodization.

  2. Click the trash icon for a group and then click Delete.

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