Hi Shelby,
Thank you for your comments, questions, and ideas; and apologies for the delay in responding. I wanted to ensure I provided you with as much detail as possible.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or need additional clarification.
Also, I will provide my answers in a couple of posts.
Myth 1: Genesys WFM is only for voice channels
Reality: Genesys Cloud WFM is fully omni-channel, supporting voice, chat, email, messaging, and back-office work for inbound interactions, not outbound.
Questions breakdown:
- How does Genesys Cloud handle omnichannel agents (agents who can handle all media types in several queues)?
- How does this impact capacity planning/headcount forecast?
- Does the system optimize the agents in certain queues?
- Are agents considered a scheduled resource in each planning group or partial agent in each planning group?
- If an agent can work voice and chat, and the schedule says 2 agents scheduled, 4 required, does that dual-skilled agent count as 1 scheduled agent for each planning group and 2 of the required?
- Can you confirm that Genesys only forecasts inbound volume and any plans to forecast outbound volume based on connection rate?
Answer:
Genesys Cloud WFM was designed with omnichannel and multi-skill environments in mind. It enables businesses to plan and schedule for agents handling a mix of voice, chat, email, messaging, and asynchronous back-office tasks within a unified interface.
Omnichannel agents: Genesys Cloud WFM fully supports omnichannel operations. Agents can be configured to support multiple interaction type, including voice, chat, email, messaging, and back-office tasks; via queue and skill assignments. Their membership in different planning groups allows them to be factored into multiple workload forecasts, though they are only scheduled once per interval. Agents can be assigned to multiple media through their planning group memberships, which combine queue, media type, and skill.
About Planning Groups
Impact on forecasting and scheduling: Each planning group has its own forecast based on volume, AHT, and shrinkage assumptions per media type. The same agent can be eligible for multiple groups, but Genesys does not double-count scheduled hours. An agent is scheduled once, and WFM does not optimize across queues in real time, it assumes static membership for the duration of the planning period.
Each planning group, defined by a unique combination of queue, media type, and skill; has a separate headcount requirement forecast. Agents eligible across multiple groups are not double-booked, but can contribute to capacity where applicable. Care must be taken to model overlapping media demands appropriately, especially for real-time channels like voice and chat.
The multiskill and multimedia capabilities of each agent are fully considered when forecasting workload and scheduling. This includes fractional contributions to blended workloads, ensuring accurate workload coverage based on the specific skills and qualifications of each agent across all work types.
Agent count logic (example explained):
In your example, a dual-skilled agent is:
- Counted once in the scheduled headcount.
- Contributes capacity to both groups if their skills match and if WFM configuration permits.
- However, this does not mean they fulfill both requirements simultaneously. Overlapping demands must be modeled carefully to avoid under- or over-staffing.
Optimization and partial scheduling: There is no dynamic real-time optimization that reallocates agents across queues during the schedule. WFM assumes static planning group membership for each agent for the purpose of forecasting and scheduling.
Clarifying the example: If two agents are scheduled and four are required, and one of those agents supports both voice and chat, that agent contributes to both groups. However, they are only counted as one scheduled agent overall-not two. This means they cannot fully meet both needs simultaneously without overlap, so dual-skill agents need to be managed carefully to avoid gaps.
Outbound forecasting:
Genesys Cloud currently does not forecast outbound interactions (predictive dialing, proactive messaging, etc.) based on connection rates. Only inbound interactions are supported for forecasting purposes.
Best practices:
- To avoid schedule collisions in multi-media planning, stagger agent group assignments and use weighted forecasting assumptions.
#WEMay Clarity: Genesys Cloud WFM isn't just for voice-it's omnichannel by design. Genesys WFM is built for multi-skill, multi-channel environments, not just voice. Forecasting, planning, and intraday management work across all channels natively and accounts for diverse workloads across digital and voice channels, ensuring accurate forecasting and intelligent workforce alignment.
Roadmap: Support for Outbound work in Genesys Cloud WFM is on evaluation on the Ideas Lab. Customers can follow progress and contribute feedback by voting on the related idea in the Genesys Ideas Portal and can join the User Sponsor Program
Ideas Portal: Great ideas are more than welcome, share them with us or vote for existing ones https://genesyscloud.ideas.aha.io/
Myth 2: Intraday monitoring just shows service level
Reality: Genesys Cloud WFM provides real-time intraday dashboards that allow planners and supervisors to compare actual versus forecasted staffing, adherence, occupancy, and handle time-beyond just service level.
Questions: breakdown
- If an agent is removed from a queue after schedule creation, do they still appear as scheduled in intraday but not actual?
- Are there any plans to reflect real-time queue/skill changes in intraday views?
Answer:
WFM's intraday module uses the forecast and schedule context established at the time of planning. If queue or skill assignments are changed after this point, intraday views do not dynamically update to reflect these changes.
This can result in mismatches where agents still appear as "scheduled" but no longer contribute to "actual" metrics.
In Genesys Cloud WFM, you can connect a new forecast to an existing work plan and schedule. Doing so updates Intraday Monitoring to reflect the revised forecasted demand, allowing you to adapt to changes without needing to recreate your schedules from scratch. This capability is also foundational to our Work Plan Bidding solution, where you can initiate a bid based on a forecast and set of work plans. Once employees submit their preferences, you can regenerate the forecast with the latest inputs and generate schedules, based on the defined structure, that align with both demand and employee selections.
Intraday Monitoring Overview
How it works:
- Intraday comparisons are based on the snapshot of queue and skill assignments from when the forecast and schedule were generated.
- If agents are removed from a planning group after schedule creation, they remain shown in the "scheduled" column but will not appear in "actuals."
Intraday Monitoring Overview
- Best practices and recommendations:
- Reforecasting and/or rescheduling using current queue assignments is required to align metrics.
- Regular audits of agent queue/skill configurations before publishing schedules will minimize these discrepancies.
Roadmap: There is no published roadmap item for dynamic intraday adjustment based on real-time queue reassignments, but this feedback is valuable.
#WEMay Clarity: Genesys Cloud WFM delivers real-time visibility into performance, but forecast and schedule accuracy depend on maintaining alignment between planning groups and live configurations.
Ideas Portal: Great ideas are more than welcome, share them with us or vote for existing ones https://genesyscloud.ideas.aha.io/
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Natalia Abad
Senior Product Marketing Manager
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-19-2025 12:45
From: Shelby Cronk
Subject: #WEMay | Genesys WEM Mythbusters: Workforce Management (WFM) 📅
Hi Tracy!
I have lots of questions (as per usual); I have pasted them below. Please let me know if there is a better/more appropriate method of communication:
1: Genesys WFM Is only for voice channels:
- Can you confirm how Genesys cloud handles omni channel agents (agents who can handle all media types in several queues)? How does this impact capacity planning/headcount forecast? Does the system optimize the agents in certain queues?
- Are agents considered a scheduled resource in each planning group or partial agent in each planning group)
- Example: agent can work voice and chat; schedule says 2 agents scheduled, 4 agents required. Dees the agent who can handle chat and voice get counted as 1 scheduled agent for each planning group and as 2 of the required?
- Can you confirm that Genesys only forecasts inbound volume and any plans to forecast outbound volume based on connection rate?
3: Intraday
- Currently the intraday shows data for the plannings when the forecast the schedule was based on was created; it does not account for adding/removing of agents to/from queues+skills+Languages. This means that if an agent has been removed from a queue (or planning group) since the creation of the forecast, they are still considered a "scheduled" resource on the intraday report but are not an "actual" agent in the same report. Any thoughts on managing this or upcoming changes to reflect the CURRENT resourcing?
4: Time Off Requests
- Can you confirm what is passed between the HRIS system and the Genesys Cloud system? It was my understanding that it would just be time off balances (allowing us to create criteria for approve/deny based on personal allotments), but this makes it seem like the request itself will be passed between the two?
- If the request is passed between the two, do both systems have record of it?
6: WFM doesn't account for agent skills
- "WFM Considers agent skills and proficiencies when forecasting and scheduling" Can you clarify this statement? I have not, to date, seen proficiencies taken into consideration when scheduling and don't see anywhere in the documentation that this is indicated. The system seems to treat any agent who can work the planning group volume the same.
- Can we confirm:
- Agents are optimized in planning groups that they are most proficient?
- Is the above visible anywhere in the WFM system (not on the agent page but anywhere else?)
- Scheduling optimization/planning group membership does not take activation/deactivation state into consideration
7: Schedule changes are cumbersome to implement
- Is there anything on the roadmap for the following enhancements or any work arounds I may not be aware of:
- Work Plan assignments during published schedules are automatically implemented
- Agents moved to a new work plan can be synced into existing schedules without full reschedule (if based on forecast) or completely rebuilt (if not based on forecast)
- Recurring events for all attendees (i.e. scheduling a weekly team meeting for ALL team members)
- Notifications if a break/meal is overridden by an activity plan or externally scheduled work plan (still only works if breaks/meals are considered "interruptible")
- Schedules may not be unpublished if published in error
9: Complicated scheduling scenarios
- Would like to see some use cases of what are considered "complicated" and how Genesys manages them.
- To date, the system does not manage multi-skilled agents that activate/deactivate in queues throughout the date. No real work around for this that I am aware of either.
10: Forecasting doesn't adapt to sudden changes
- Does the WFM team have recommendations on how to "exclude" data for known outliers in the Automatic Best Method forecasting method?
13: Real Time monitoring:
- Are there any plans to put "real time queue activity" and "real time adherence" into the same view?
- Any plans to allow WFM admins to make real time management changes to queues, skills, proficiencies from any views vs. going through Admin>People?
19: WFM can't handle multiple timezones
- Can we clarify this? It is my understanding that the work plans must be created in the time zone of the business unit but the agent will see the schedule in their own timezone (via their browser settings). Is this accurate? If so, is there a way to build work plans in the agent's timezone vs. having to do mapping? Also, if I have global agents in the same time business unit and schedule for forecasting purposes, I can only view the schedule in one timezone; I would have to separate agents into management units by timezone to separate them out by timezone, correct?
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Shelby Cronk
Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2025 05:00
From: Tracy Vickers
Subject: #WEMay | Genesys WEM Mythbusters: Workforce Management (WFM) 📅
Workforce Management might sound like spreadsheets, chaos, and last-minute shift changes-but it doesn't have to be. In fact, a lot of what people think they know about WFM is stuck in the past. During #WEMay, we're setting the record straight on what modern Workforce Management in Genesys Cloud CX really looks like.
Spoiler alert: it's smarter, more flexible, and way more accurate than you think.
Let's break the myths and bring some clarity to the calendar.
- Myth: Genesys WFM is only for voice channels.
- Reality: Genesys Cloud WFM solution supports voice, chat, email, messaging, and back-office work, across multi-skill, multi-channel environments. Learn more
- Myth: Schedules are fixed and agents have no flexibility.
- Reality: Agents can bid on preferred shifts, trade shifts with others, and access schedules from mobile devices - all built into native WFM. Learn more
- Myth: Intraday monitoring just shows service level.
- Reality: Genesys Intraday tools compare actual vs. planned metrics across occupancy, adherence, staffing, and handle time - all in real time. Learn more
- Myth: You need external tools for time-off requests.
- Reality: Genesys Cloud includes integrated time-off management, request approvals, and adherence impact visibility - no need for third-party systems. Learn more
- Myth: WFM tools are complex and require extensive training.
- Reality: Genesys WFM offers an intuitive interface with guided workflows, making it accessible for users without extensive training. Learn more
- Myth: WFM doesn't account for agent skills.
- Reality: Genesys WFM considers agent skills and proficiencies when forecasting and scheduling to ensure optimal task assignments. Learn more
- Myth: Schedule changes are cumbersome to implement.
- Reality: Genesys WFM allows for quick adjustments to schedules, accommodating unexpected changes efficiently. Learn more
- Myth: WFM can't handle complex scheduling scenarios.
- Reality: Genesys WFM is equipped to manage complex scheduling needs, including varying shift patterns and agent availability. Learn more
- Myth: Forecasting doesn't adapt to sudden changes.
- Reality: Genesys WFM's forecasting tools can adjust to real-time data, allowing for responsive scheduling adjustments. Learn more
- Myth: WFM doesn't support remote workforces.
- Reality: Genesys WFM supports remote and distributed teams, providing tools for scheduling, monitoring, and communication. Learn more
- Myth: WFM doesn't integrate with other systems.
- Reality: Genesys WFM offers integration capabilities with various systems to ensure seamless operations. Developer Center
- Myth: WFM lacks real-time adherence monitoring.
- Reality: Genesys WFM provides real-time adherence features to monitor agent activities against schedules. Resource Center
- Myth: WFM doesn't support shift trading.
- Reality: Genesys WFM includes shift trading functionalities, allowing agents to swap shifts with appropriate approvals. Resource Center
- Myth: WFM can't accommodate part-time agents.
- Reality: Genesys WFM supports various employment types, including part-time scheduling. Resource Center
- Myth: WFM doesn't provide mobile access for agents.
- Reality: Genesys WFM offers mobile-friendly interfaces, enabling agents to access schedules and make requests on-the-go. Resource Center
- Reality: Genesys WFM can be configured to forecast and schedule back-office activities effectively. Resource Center
- Reality: Genesys WFM provides comprehensive reporting tools to analyze performance and adherence metrics. Resource Center
- Reality: Genesys WFM supports scheduling across different time zones, accommodating global operations. Resource Center
- Reality: Genesys WFM includes Work Plan Bidding functionality, which allows agents to bid for available shifts based on predefined business rules, eligibility, and fairness policies, improving employee flexibility and engagement while maintaining operational needs. Learn more
Gone are the days of guesswork forecasting, copy-paste schedules, and mysterious adherence reports. With Genesys Cloud CX, WFM is powered by AI, backed by data, and designed for humans-not just planners.
Whether you're optimizing a team of 20 or 2,000, today's WFM tools help you schedule smarter, respond faster, and keep your agents (and customers) happier.
So yes, you can stop dreading the schedule. WFM just got an upgrade-and it's kind of a vibe.
#Workforce Management
#WEMay
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Tracy
Genesys
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