2: Forecasting Fundamentals

1. Tutorial: What is Forecasting in WFM?

Forecasting is the process of predicting future call volumes and workload so you can plan staffing accurately. Think of it as the “weather forecast” for your call center.

Common Forecasting Methods

  • Historical Trend Analysis: Using past call data to project future demand.
  • Seasonality Adjustments: Accounting for recurring patterns (holidays, billing cycles, product launches).
  • Regression Models: Linking call volume to external factors (marketing campaigns, new product releases).
  • AI/ML Forecasting: Leveraging algorithms for higher accuracy, especially in complex environments.

Key Inputs

  • Call arrival patterns (hourly, daily, weekly).
  • Average Handle Time (AHT).
  • Shrinkage (breaks, absenteeism, training).
  • External events (holidays, promotions, outages).

2. Scenario: Weekly Forecast Challenge

You are the WFM analyst for a call center. Last month’s data shows:

👉 Leadership asks you to forecast next week’s workload.

  • Step 1: Average weekly calls ≈ 9,000.
  • Step 2: Adjust for seasonality (holiday week → +10%).
  • Step 3: Forecasted calls ≈ 9,900.
  • Step 4: Workload = Calls × AHT ÷ 60.
  • Example: Monday workload = 2,200 calls × 6 min ÷ 60 = 220 hours.

This forecast helps you determine how many agent hours are needed each day.

3. Test: Quick Knowledge Check

    1. Which forecasting method uses past data patterns to predict future call volumes?

      • a) Regression analysis

      • b) Historical trends

      • c) AI/ML models

      • d) Random sampling

    2. What does AHT stand for?

      • a) Average Handling Time

      • b) Automated Help Ticket

      • c) Agent Hourly Target

      • d) Average Hold Time

    3. If the forecasted call volume is 10,000 and the average handling time is 6 minutes, what is the total workload in hours?

      • a) 600 hours

      • b) 1,000 hours

      • c) 60 hours

      • d) 100 hours

    4. What is forecast accuracy?

      • a) The difference between actual and forecasted calls

      • b) The percentage of correct forecasts

      • c) The ratio of forecasted to actual calls

      • d) The error margin in forecasting

  • Answers:

    1. b) Historical trends

    2. a) Average Handling Time

    3. a) 600 hours (10,000 calls * 6 minutes = 60,000 minutes / 60)

    4. b) The percentage of correct forecasts

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