Day(s) to schedule

Indicates whether you want to generate schedules for all selected scheduling periods.

To generate a schedule for specific dates, do not select this option. Enter a date range in Schedule date range.

Allows you to generate schedules for a specific date and time range.

Enter the date and time, or select the calendar icon and enter the date and time range you want accordingly. The scheduling engine generates schedules for this date and time range only.

Rescheduling options

When rescheduling, indicates whether you want to:

• Schedule: Schedules shift Work period in WFM that has a definite length. assignments for employees currently assigned to the scheduling period.

• Add: Adds more employees to the schedule with shift assignments.

• Remove: Allows the scheduling engine to remove shift assignments from the schedule:

  • If selected, employees who previously had shifts on the schedule can end up having days off. You are allowing the scheduling engine to have this flexibility to generate an optimal schedule.

  • If not selected, any employee who currently has a shift scheduled on any day does not get that day off. The scheduling engine can change or move the shift, change the duration, or change activities. It can also delete this shift and replace it with another shift. However, it cannot leave the employee without a shift on a day that they previously had a shift on their schedule.

NOTE: To add or remove shift assignments, you need to select Schedule as well. Once you select Schedule, you can select Add, Remove or both options.

Allows the scheduling engine to add shift events to the schedule (such as lunches, breaks, or meetings).

Note the following:

• When Add, Remove, or both of these options for Shift assignments are selected, Schedule shift events is always selected. It cannot be unselected. The concept is that if you want to add or remove shifts, the shift events associated with those shifts must also be added or removed.

• If you do not select Add shifts or Remove shifts, you can either select or not select this option.

• If you select this option and do not select Add or Remove for Shift assignments, the scheduling engine does not add, remove, or reschedule any shifts. It can, however, reschedule the shift events. The scheduling engine can move the times for these events, change the activity Core component of both schedules and time records in Workforce Management (WFM). When an employee performs any kind of work, activities specify the scheduled work and capture employee adherence to their schedule., delete shift events, or add shift events.

Allows the scheduling engine to add calendar events to the schedule (such as floating calendar events and classes).

You can select calendar events associated with any activity (All Activities). You can also select to schedule calendar events associated with specific activities (such as Coaching Application that provides a method of directing, instructing and training a person or group of people, with the aim of achieving a set goal or developing specific skills. or Learning Break).

The scheduling engine does not move single instance calendar events. For example, a manager schedules a team meeting on Tuesday at 3:00 PM. The scheduling engine does not move this event.

You cannot explicitly lock single-instance calendar events. However, it is as if these types of events are locked because there is no alternative event to put in its place.

For floating calendar events, you use a template to define the possible times an event can be scheduled. For example, you define that a one-hour mentoring session can start at 1:00 PM on Monday, 2:00 PM on Wednesday, or 1:00 PM on Friday.

You manually enter these options when setting up this recurring calendar event Scheduled event in WFM that is manually created on the schedule, can be a single instance or recurring event, and can have one or multiple attendees. Examples of calendar events are meetings or training sessions.. The application initially places an instance of this event on the calendar, but it is not locked there. When the scheduling engine runs, it is free to move the floating calendar event to another time, based on the defined floating event Type of calendar event in WFM for which you define possible days and times for the event to occur..

Alternatively, you can also go in manually and place the calendar event instance at another time on the schedule and lock this change. In this case, the scheduling engine does not attempt to reschedule this event.

Allows the scheduling engine to schedule Overtime (OT) extensions and Voluntary Time Off (VTO) events.

When this option is selected, you can edit values for the OT / VTO parameters.

Scheduling using agent preferences

Determines whether the scheduling engine uses employee preferences when generating the schedule:

• No preferences: Preferences are ignored when scheduling.

• Preferences by ranking Rating of a specific interaction in the search results in Speech Analytics, which is determined by the number of instances of the search term within the interaction, and the interaction’s individual score.: Preferences are used, based on ranking for employees defined in the User Management Module that an administrator uses to create a profile for each employee in their organization. module, under Employees and Profiles.

• Preferences by seniority: Preferences are used, based on the employee start date.

• Preferences by seniority / ranking: Preferences are used, based on a combination of seniority and ranking.

Indicates whether service level Set percentage of interactions in WFM that are handled in a defined unit of time. or user preferences is favored, based on a sliding scale.

Scheduling algorithm behavior

Indicates whether you prefer understaffing or overstaffing, based on a sliding scale.

Indicates how the scheduling engine defines the service level for the schedules, based on a sliding scale:

• Minimize spikes: The scheduling engine aims for an overall lower but consistent service level, favoring less variance and creating a smoother curve.

• Maximize overall (weekly): The scheduling engine aims for an overall higher but less consistent service level, favoring better overall service but allowing poor service during some time periods. This option allows spikes in the service level.

To indicate whether the scheduling engine favors Minimize spikes or Maximize overall (weekly), select the markers on the scale. If you select the middle of the scale, the scheduling engine favors both equally, and schedules accordingly.

Indicates whether the scheduling engine minimizes the number of class sessions (at the expense of the service level):

• If you select this option, the scheduling engine fills up all sessions with the maximum number of attendees. Many employees are in classes at the same time, but there are fewer classes on the schedule. In this case, it does not happen that often that many employees are unavailable because they are in classes.

• If this option is not selected, the scheduling engine maximizes service level. The maximum number of class sessions are created (given the constraint for the minimum number of attendees). Fewer employees are in classes at the same time, but there are more classes on the schedule. Therefore, it happens more frequently that employees are unavailable because they are in classes, but fewer employees are unavailable due to classes.

Specifies the minimum number of employees that must be scheduled. The scheduling engine never schedules fewer than this number of employees.

Time to schedule

Indicates the amount of time you want to spend on generating schedules:

• Normal: The scheduling engine spends enough time to provide a good schedule.

• Advanced: The scheduling engine spends more time attempting to resolve conflicts and rule violations before generating a good schedule.

• Schedule until interrupted: The scheduling engine continues to refine the schedule until you manually stop the process.

Specifies the type of employees to schedule:

• Employees only: Only employees linked to the current scheduling period are scheduled. Staffing profiles are ignored.

• Staffing profiles only: Only staffing profiles are scheduled. The scheduling engine implements goal seeking to add enough phantom employees to meet the required skills and the service levels that are set.

• Employees and staffing profiles: Employees are scheduled, and then phantom employees are created and scheduled as necessary to meet required skills and the service levels that are set.

Allows the scheduling engine to schedule Overtime (OT) extensions. OT extensions are added before or after a shift to extend employee work time.

If you select this option, set the following:

• Before shift: Allows scheduling OT extensions before shifts.

• After shift: Allows scheduling OT extensions after shifts.

Allows the scheduling engine to schedule Voluntary Time Off (VTO) events. VTO events are added at the beginning or end of an employee shift to reduce employee work time.

If you select this option, set the following:

• To start of shift: Allows scheduling VTO events at the beginning of shifts.

• To end of shift: Allows scheduling VTO events at the end of shifts.

Defines the maximum number of hours of OT extension Overtime (OT) extension in WFM, which can be added before or after a shift to extend employee work time. time or VTO event Voluntary Time Off (VTO) event in WFM, which can be added at the beginning or end of a shift to reduce employee work time. time that can be added to all employees being scheduled.

If you select this option, set the following:

• OT: Defines the maximum number of hours of OT extension time that can be added to all employees being scheduled.

• VTO: Defines the maximum number of hours of VTO event time that can be added to all employees being scheduled.