Core Concepts

This section discusses core concepts of Zoom Workforce Management. Account and scheduling administrators are recommended to read this section to understand each core concept before using the product.

Scheduling Groups

Scheduling Groups are top-level user groups within Zoom Workforce Management, playing a crucial role in organizing, viewing, and managing users. Scheduling Groups act as the primary filter for sorting users throughout the system, and are the key component in creating staff Schedules and generating Forecasts.

Scheduling Groups must have at least one associated contact channel, but can also support multiple channels

A contact channel is a communication medium customers use to connect with a contact center. Examples of contact channels include voice (phone), video (video engagement), or messaging (SMS, web chat, and in-app chat like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp).

During the creation of a Scheduling Group, the account or scheduling administrator must specify at least one contact channel to associate with the group, and can add as many contact channels as necessary.

Scheduling Groups are comprised of agents and contact center queues

After a Scheduling Group is created, the account or scheduling administrator can associate two pieces of information with the group: contact center queues and/or agents.

A contact center queue must be associated with a Scheduling Group to create a Forecast

When generating a Forecast, a Scheduling Group with at least one (or more) associated contact center queue(s) must be selected. Workforce Management then uses the historical engagement data associated with the queue(s) to establish a baseline and projection for future engagement volume.

Note

Associating a contact center queue is only necessary if the Scheduling Group will be used for forecasting. Additionally, Forecasting does not currently account for skill-based routing, such as languages spoken.

Associating agents with a Scheduling Group streamlines bulk scheduling, Forecast generation, and report filtering within Workforce Management

This allows scheduling administrators to efficiently create forecasts and schedules for large user groups and easily access agent-specific data when filtering reports, such as the Adherence dashboard.

A contact center queue and agent can only be associated with one Scheduling Group at a time

When creating Scheduling Groups, scheduling administrators should be aware that each contact center queue and agent can only be associated with one Scheduling Group at a time. Associating a contact center queue or agent with two distinct Scheduling Groups is not supported at this time.

Administrators can create organizational groups to manage multiple schedule groups in a hierarchical structure

Schedule Groups can be assigned to organizational groups, allowing for simplified management and permissions configuration. Users can filter reports, schedules, and adherence data by organizational groups. The feature includes forecast profile creation for unique key performance indicators at the organizational group level, simplifying the process of managing multiple schedule groups.

Activities

Within a contact center, an agent’s Shift is often pre-scheduled with varying tasks or responsibilities, such as attending a team meeting, taking a scheduled lunch break, or working a support queue. Within Workforce Management, these items are referred to as Activities, and are the building blocks of an agent’s Shift.

Examples of common Activities include, but are not limited to:

Phone Queue Chat Queue Messaging Queue Meeting	Lunch Break Short Break Meeting Focus Time / Projects

Workforce Management offers six unique Activity Types for scheduling and reporting purposes

An Activity Type defines the productive or non-productive nature of an Activity, and is used to categorize Activities for reporting and scheduling purposes. With six different Activity Types, an agent only contributes towards the staffing needs of their assigned Scheduling Group when they are scheduled for a productive activity type. The six Activity Types are:

• Productive: Indicates that an agent is able to contribute to the staffing needs of their associated scheduling group.

• Out of Office: Schedules an agent as “out of office.”

• Non-Productive: Represents scheduled time for job Activities that do not contribute to the staffing needs of their associated scheduling group, like meetings, coaching, etc.

• Exception: Accounts for time an agent spends out of adherence, such as if an agent is unable to complete their scheduled activity due to an IT issue or emergency.

  • Exceptions are not available when building a shift and can only be added to published Schedules on an as-necessary basis.

• Meal: Represents non-productive time reserved for meals.

• Break: Represents non-productive time reserved for non-meal breaks.

Activities can be created or customized with additional information to suit an environment

Account or scheduling administrators can create or customize Activities specific to their environment and workflows, helping an account ensure they have sufficient Activities for the various tasks an agent may perform throughout their day. Customizable features for Activities include:

• Name: Custom names for customized or new Activities

• Default Duration: How long an activity is scheduled for by default

• Channel(s): Contact center channels are associated with the Activity

• Paid status: Whether the Activity is paid (productive time) or unpaid (meal/break)

• Adherence: Whether the Activity is calculated in Adherence reporting

• Allow for Editing: Whether an agent can request to add, change, or delete an Activity within their Schedule

Fixed-time Activities can be added to user schedules in bulk

After a schedule is generated, Workforce Management admins and supervisors can bulk schedule fixed-time Activities for a specific group of agents at a designated date, time, and duration, streamlining the scheduling of events such as training sessions or team meetings. When this feature is used, Activities are added to the selected agents' schedules regardless of existing Activities; however, in the event of a scheduling conflict or if an Activity is scheduled while a user is not working, alternative time recommendations can be generated and implemented.

Shifts

Shifts are pre-scheduled Activities an agent performs throughout a workday or week. While an Activity refers to a specific task or responsibility at a given time, a Shift is the combination of an agent’s assigned Activities for a given time frame.

For example, an agent may be responsible for working a phone queue and working a chat queue as two separate Activities at two different times; however, a Shift is the formalized plan that defines when these Activities are to be performed throughout a workday or week.

Shifts support fixed and dynamic scheduling models

When creating a Shift, the scheduling administrator can choose between fixed and dynamic Shift models.

With fixed Shift scheduling, users will typically start and end their shifts and breaks at the same time week-to-week. With dynamic Shift scheduling, admins can adjust settings to optimize flexible start, lunch, and break times day-to-day and week-to-week. For example, an agent’s break could be at 1PM Monday one week, but at 2PM Monday the next week, allowing scheduling administrators to align their staffing schedule with a Forecast to meet expected demand. If a business schedules without a Forecast, this can help stagger breaks and lunches to prevent overlap.

The following image provides an example of a fixed Shift, where each assigned agent has consistent Activities every day at consistent times.

Alternatively, the following image provides an example of a dynamic Shift, where agents may have fluctuating start, break, and lunch periods each day to fit the needs of the Forecast. In the top half of the image, the flex times for each Activity are specified, while the bottom half reflects an example of their placement within the Shift that coincides with the defined flex times.

Note

Dynamic shifts can only use one default Activity at a time.

Shifts support flexible start and end times for each day

Shifts can accommodate both static and flexible start and end times for each day of the week, customizable to meet diverse scheduling needs.

Example

The scheduling administrator, Alice, can create a simple shift that covers 8-5 Monday through Friday. Alternatively, Alice can also create a Shift that covers 8-5 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with a 10-7 shift on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or any other preferred time combination.

An agent can only be assigned to one Shift at a time

When designing Shifts, remember that an agent can only be assigned to one Shift at a time. Each Shift should be designed comprehensively, ensuring that all agent’s Activities are scheduled for the week.

Each Shift can be assigned to an unlimited number of agents

Although each agent can only be assigned to one Shift, each Shift can be assigned to an unlimited number of agents.

Example

The scheduling administrator, Alice, created a single Shift for 8-5 with three equal parts of Voice, Video, and Messaging queue time. Alice can assign this shift to agents Bob and Maurice, as well as any additional agents needed. However, if Alice creates a second Shift for 8-5 covering different Activities, she cannot assign Bob and Maurice or any other Shift-assigned agents unless they are removed from their currently assigned Shift.

When designing a Shift, scheduled work hours will display according to each agent’s configured time zone

When designing a Shift, remember that scheduled work hours will display according to each agent’s configured time zone, and are not static or universal.

Example

The scheduling administrator, Alice, is based in New York (UTC-5) and creates a Shift for 8-5. When Alice assigns an agent to this Shift, the agent will see the Shift's times and duration based on their Zoom account’s configured time zone. So, if an agent in Los Angeles (UTC-8) is assigned to the 8-5 Shift, they will see the schedule from 8-5 within their local time zone (UTC-8). Similarly, if an agent in New York is assigned to the same Shift, they will see the schedule in their local time zone as well. In this scenario, both agents are working from 8-5 according to their respective time zones. However, due to the time zone difference between their locations, they will begin working with a three-hour difference. From the perspective of Alice in New York, the Los Angeles-based agent will work from 11-8 based on the time zone-specific display for each agent.

Schedules

A Schedule is a collection of multiple Scheduling Groups and their underlying infrastructure/components

The following image provides an example of a Schedule, composed of multiple Scheduling Groups, spanning a day. The various color blocks note the various Activities that each agent is responsible for throughout the day. If desired, Scheduling administrators can further refine this view to see the Schedule by individual agents or specific Scheduling Groups.

Each Schedule can be generated for up to four weeks at a time

When creating a Schedule, the scheduling administrator can create a Schedule for up to four weeks at a time. This does not limit how far out in advance a Schedule can be created, but rather the extent of how long each schedule can be defined at a time. In other words, scheduling administrators can schedule more than four weeks at a time by creating back-to-back Schedules.

Example

In the month of December, the scheduling administrator, Alice, can create a Schedule beginning January 1st, extending four weeks until January 28th. To schedule beyond January 28th, Alce must create a separate schedule, which she can do immediately.

Administrators can create custom work rules for specific agents and schedules

Workforce Management administrators can create rules to set certain conditions for shifts and schedules. The system automatically checks for rule violations, such as maximum hours, break timing, consecutive workdays, minimum time between shifts, or mandatory activities. The system will alert administrators when a schedule violates any rules.

Forecasts

A Forecast anticipates the upcoming engagement volume for each selected Scheduling Group and their associated contact center queue(s). Once a Forecast is generated, it can be applied to a Schedule, and will include the underlying infrastructure of each Scheduling Group, including Shifts, Activities, and Agents, streamlining the scheduling process.

Forecasts project volume in 15-minute increments

Workforce Management Forecasts list the expected volume for each day in 15-minute increments, and can base projections using either a user-defined period of time or all historical data associated with a contact center queue to anticipate future volume trends.

Example

The scheduling administrator, Alice, created a Forecast for the next four weeks. This Forecast uses historical data to predict daily engagement volume in 15-minute increments. Each day's forecasted volume is based on data from corresponding days in the past, meaning Monday’s Forecast is derived from previous Mondays, and Tuesday’s Forecast from previous Tuesdays. As a result, if the hours between 8AM and 2PM are typically busier on Mondays than on Tuesdays, the Forecast will reflect a higher staffing demand for Monday compared to Tuesday.

New customers can import historical queue interval data via CSV files

Customers new to Zoom Contact Center and Workforce Management can import historical queue interval data via CSV files, with up to 10MB of data per file, to establish baseline Forecasts. Over time, new data will populate through use of the service to continue creating accurate Forecasts.

Forecasts can account for key performance indicator metrics, like a service level target, average speed of answer, occupancy levels, and shrinkage

Scheduling administrators can create Forecasts that include a variety of key performance indicator metrics, such as a service level target answer rate, average speed of answer, average agent occupancy levels, and unexpected staff shrinkage (absenteeism). Scheduling administrators can use any of these metrics as a part of the forecasting process.

The service level target metric helps estimate the necessary staffing to answer a certain percentage of calls within a specific timeframe

Creating a Forecast with the service level target metric will calculate the necessary level of staffing required to answer an average number of engagements within a specific time frame.

For example, if a company’s service level agreement is to answer 75% of all inbound engagements within 30 seconds, the Forecast will account for necessary staffing within each 15-minute period to meet the expected goal.

The average speed of answer metric helps determine the staffing needed to respond to engagements within a specified timeframe

Creating a Forecast with the average speed of answer metric will calculate the necessary level of staffing required to connect a customer placed in a queue to an agent within the specified number of seconds. This metric is similar to the service level target, but does not specify a precise percentage goal of calls answered within the time frame. Instead, the average speed of answer metric will project staffing required for the total number of expected calls.

For example, if a company aims to maintain an average answer speed of 30 seconds, the Forecast will consider the required staffing to meet that target. It's important to note that this metric calculates the mathematical mean of the waiting time. For instance, if one call is answered in 1 second and another call in 60 seconds, the cumulative average speed of answer for both calls is approximately 30 seconds.

The occupancy metric forecasts staffing based on the percentage of an agent’s average engagement time

Creating a Forecast with the occupancy metric will calculate staffing to achieve a specific percentage of time that agents spend handling engagements every hour.

For example, if an agent is involved in a customer engagement for 54 minutes out of an hour, the user’s occupancy level is 90%. Consequently, creating a Forecast with a 90% occupancy rate is likely to result in each agent supporting customers for approximately 54 minutes out of every hour.

The shrinkage metric acts as a staffing buffer, and accounts for non-productive Activities and routinely unavailable or absent agents

Creating a Forecast with the shrinkage metric will increase staffing by a designated percentage to account for agents assigned to non-productive Activities, or those who are unavailable or absent, while still meeting necessary staffing levels.

For example, if a Forecast is expected to require 10 agents, but has a 20% shrinkage rate, 12 agents will be forecasted to account for two potential absences. In the event 20% of agents are absent, minimum staffing levels for the Forecast are still met.

Forecasts include suggested staffing levels to meet projected engagement volumes and defined metrics

After a Forecast is generated, Workforce Management can generate staffing suggestions in 15-minute increments to meet both forecasted call volume and calculated performance metrics.

Forecasts can be edited in specific intervals for fine tuning

When reviewing a Forecast, scheduling administrators can edit the Forecast in each 15-minute interval for fine tuning and coverage.

For example, if a company expects unusually high call volume for an hour, a scheduling administrator can manually increase the expected volume to compensate for the expected change.

The following image provides an example of an edited Forecast where the anticipated call volume is significantly raised to account for a short term increase in call volume within a specific timeframe.

Forecasts can be bulk edited for changes not captured by historical data

When editing a Forecast, a scheduling administrator can bulk edit the Forecast to account for anticipated changes that would otherwise not be captured through historical data. For example, if a company is launching a new marketing campaign in an upcoming week and expects a 10% increase in volume, the Forecast can be updated to reflect a 10% increase to ensure adequate staffing.

This bulk editing method allows supervisors to modify volume either by a specific number, such as 10 additional (or fewer) calls every 15 minutes, or by a percentage, such as a 20% increase (or decrease) in calls every 15 minutes.

The following image provides an example of a bulk-edited Forecast with an anticipated 10% increase in volume.

Forecast data can be created in increments of up to four weeks

Similar to Schedules, a scheduling administrator can Forecast data in up to four-week increments.

For example, beginning a Forecast on January 1st will forecast out until January 28th, and a second Forecast can be generated for January 29th, extending out to February 25th.

Apply a Forecast to a Schedule for detailed staffing insights

When reviewing a Schedule with an applied Forecast, scheduling administrators can compare scheduled and required staffing levels to determine if staffing requirements are met.

The Staffing sub-section of a Schedule provides a list of all Scheduling Groups applied to the week’s schedule, compares the Scheduled versus Required staffing, and provides the Net Staffing difference. This table allows a scheduling administrator to quickly determine staffing levels for each 15-minute increment, and can dynamically adjust a user’s scheduled Activities to maintain adequate staffing.

Leverage artificial intelligence to automatically generate optimized shift schedules based on forecasts

The system determines the optimal number of shifts needed to meet service level agreements while considering parameters such as shift length, minimum and maximum working days, and pre-planned activities like breaks and lunches. Workforce Management administrators can select multiple service groups, apply the generated shifts to schedules, and bulk assign agents based on their preferences.

Create capacity plans to forecast staffing requirements for up to 12 months

The plans calculate full-time equivalent (FTE) requirements, considering factors such as working hours, shrinkage percentage, and attrition rates per scheduling group. Users can view and compare required versus current FTE counts through visual widgets, access detailed monthly and weekly breakdowns, and export data to CSV or PDF formats.

Mark special days for customized forecasting, excluding them from past and future data due to holidays, closures, or anomalies

Workforce Management administrators can adjust volume or handle time using percentages or fixed values. Special days are highlighted in forecasts and staffing views, with all changes tracked in audit reports. This helps improve forecast accuracy by accounting for unique business events.

Automate the creation of short term forecasts by scheduling them on a recurring basis

Workforce Management administrators can set short-term forecasts to be created automatically on a weekly basis for a period of up to 4 weeks. Administrators can specify when forecasts should be created, such as 5 days before the forecasting period. The scheduled forecasts maintain the same scheduling groups and forecasting metrics as the original template forecast. They can also view and manage recurring forecasts through a calendar view, with options to delete individual instances or entire series.

Adherence Dashboard

Workforce Management includes a real-time Adherence dashboard for intraday employee and team management, providing contact center supervisors with live insight into how the schedule is being followed.

Measure real-time agent compliance with a published Schedule

The Adherence dashboard tracks the live agent activity against the published Schedule. If an agent's current status does not align with their scheduled Activity, they are marked as out of adherence, and the agent’s daily adherence score is dynamically updated.

For example, if an agent is scheduled for a Phone Queue Activity between the hours of 8 and 10AM, but goes on an unscheduled break at 9, the agent is marked as out of adherence and their daily adherence percentage is dynamically updated until their status returns to their assigned Activity.