Generate the schedule automatically

You can generate a schedule automatically using the Generate schedule option from the Calendar.

Using this option, you can determine whether the scheduling engine can add or remove shifts, update calendar events, or add OT extensions and VTO events. You can also define whether to ignore schedule warning messages while scheduling is in progress.

Before you begin 

• Workflow: Set up work rules

• Workflow: Set up skills

• Workflow: Assign work rules to employees

• Define Forecasts and Service goals and requirements

• Select campaign data for schedules

Procedure 

1. From Home, select Generate Schedule.

   The Generate Schedule option is only available if you have selected a campaign and scheduling period.

2. From the Scheduling tab under Dates, select to generate the schedule for the entire scheduling period, or for specific dates within the current scheduling period.

3. To allow the scheduling engine to add shift Work period in WFM that has a definite length. assignments, from Assignments, select Add shifts.

4. To allow the scheduling engine to remove shift assignments, select Remove shifts.

   To prevent the scheduling engine from removing shift assignments, do not select Remove shifts.

5. Determine what to do:

   • If you selected Add shifts, Remove shifts, or both of these options, Shift events is automatically selected and 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 did not select Add shifts and Remove shifts, and you do not want to reschedule shift events either, unselect Shift events. This option is also relevant if you want to schedule OT extensions but you do not want to include shift events in the extensions. (To select OT extensions, see step 6.)

   • If you did not select Add shifts and Remove shifts, but want to reschedule shift events, select Shift events. The scheduling engine can move the times for the shift 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.

6. To allow the scheduling engine to add calendar events (such as floating events and classes):

   1. Select Calendar events.

   2. From the drop-down list, select the type of calendar events (based on the activity) that you want the scheduling engine to schedule:

      • For all types of calendar events, select All Activities.

      • To select a specific 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., select it accordingly from the list (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., Learning Break, Supervisor Meeting).

7. To schedule OT extensions, select OT extensions and complete the remaining options.

8. To schedule VTO events, select VTO events and complete the remaining options.

   To select OT extensions or VTO events, unselect Add shifts and Remove shifts. OT extensions and VTO events are add-ons to shifts. The scheduling engine cannot add or update these add-ons and also add new shifts or remove existing ones at the same time.

9. From Warnings, select the relevant options to determine how to handle warning messages that appear while the schedule is being generated.

10. Select the Preferences tab, and complete the fields on this tab.

    On the Preferences tab, set the amount of time the scheduling engine spends on generating the schedule, which employees to schedule and service level Set percentage of interactions in WFM that are handled in a defined unit of time. preferences.

11. When all parameters are set, select Generate.

    While the schedule is running, a blue progress bar circles the Generate Schedule icon, indicating the progress of the schedule generation.

    When generating a schedule, the time that it takes to complete the schedule generation depends on multiple factors, including the number of employees being scheduled, the number of queues and skills being forecast, and the complexity of the model configuration. When including phantom schedules, the schedule generation time can be even longer. The extended time for phantom schedules is due to a significantly larger set of options involved in generating an optimal schedule.

    The maximum amount of time the system can generate a schedule is 72 hours (3 days). When this time is reached, the system does the following: logs message about time limit detection Function of the IAFD product that compares a caller’s voice to one or more voiceprints in a watch list to detect if a target is participating in a call. and how shutdown will be handled, finishes current steps gracefully, uses the best optimized schedules created, and saves data in a normal way.

12. The next steps depend on whether you selected the options under Warnings:

    • If you selected the ignore schedule warning options under Warnings, the system continues to generate the schedule and displays it when it is complete. It does not stop generating the schedule to display the warning messages.

    • If you did not select either of these options, an orange icon with an exclamation point appears in the center of the Generate Schedule icon. To view the messages, select this icon. The system pauses the schedule creation process while you are viewing this screen. To continue the schedule creation process, select OK.

      When preferences are set, the system displays a list of messages related to employee preferences first. This information shows the percentage of preferences accommodated for each employee in the scheduling period, and the details of accommodated preferences for each day in the period.

    To view preferences, the Employee preferences field on the Preferences tab must be set to a value other than No preferences, and the Service level versus Preferences slider must be set to a value other than zero (0).

13. Optional. While viewing the Scheduling Warnings screen, you have the following options:

1. To export the schedule warnings to an external text file, select Export.

   The system creates a text file to download (using your default text editor).

2. To continue the schedule creation process, select OK.

3. To stop the schedule creation process, select Cancel.

Related topics 

Generate Schedule settings

About the Generate Schedule option

Service level versus preferences

Preference-based scheduling

Troubleshooting schedule messages