Change log

27-March-2014

4.0 SU 5

Note: In the next release, 4.0 SU6, the majority of workforce management will be available only in the Interaction Optimizer module of IC Business Manager. Most functionality, with the exception of agent constraints and rights assignments, will no longer be available in Interaction Administrator.

Scheduling unit management

In the Interaction Optimizer module of IC Business Manager, within a scheduling unit you can partition workgroups, interactions, and users into logical groups that Interaction Optimizer schedules together. Scheduling units enable you to create, manage and view forecasts, schedules and adherence events for a group of workgroups as a single unit. For more information about customizing criteria for a scheduling unit, see the following topics:

• Create service goal groups to define common service goals, associate the goals to specific workgroups, and link the group to a specified scheduling unit.

• Create schedule and forecast names and configure date format to specify a default name for new forecasts and schedules.

• Configure how many weeks of data to use in the forecast to determine the amount of ACD data to include in the forecast. Select a number of weeks from which retrieve data, omitting excluded days. Select a number of occurrences to retrieve data for the number of instances, regardless of the number of weeks.

• Set Agent schedule preference versus coverage focus to select the level to which an agent schedule preference impacts schedules, set agent deferred work threshold to prevent occupancy from becoming too high, manage shrinkage, and enable or disable activity bidding.

• Select adherence exception settings and conformance calculations to configure how many minutes to excuse and select which activities are considered for performance.

Activity codes

Add an activity code from the Activity Codes link on the Interaction Optimizer Home page. Activity codes are sub-sets of activity types, which act as containers for the activity codes. This feature allows you to customize and better define the activities your organization uses. Use activity codes in schedules, shifts, and time-off requests, as well as shrinkage reporting and detailed schedule editing of future, current, and past schedules. Customized activity codes help define the activities your organization uses. Use activity codes wherever you use activity types. In an Activity Type container, the activity type appears as the default activity code. You cannot edit the default activity code. Administrators can use activity codes to help define scheduling needs. For more information about activity codes, see Working with activity codes.

Status mapping

On the Status Mappings tab, you can map a status to an activity type. Activity types identify a specific agent action and is required to determine whether agents are following their schedules. This information is used to calculate real time adherence and adherence exceptions. When an agent changes status in Interaction Client, that agent will be either in adherence or out of adherence, depending on the "status to activity" mapping. Initial mappings are set by Interaction Optimizer Server on the first start-up when properly licensed. New status messages will be mapped to the "Unscheduled" activity. Status messages will retain their previous mapping if they are deleted and then re-created.

For more information about status mapping, see Map status messages to activity types.

Time off requests

Use the new Time Off Requests tab to search for existing time off requests, or to add, edit, remove, approve or deny requests, based on scheduling unit and agent.

Note: Currently, you can manage time off requests for a scheduling unit in both Interaction Administrator and in the Interaction Optimizer module of IC Business Manager.  In a future release, the ability to manage time off requests will only be available in the Interaction Optimizer module of IC Business Manager.

Adherence exceptions

Beginning in IC 4.0 SU5, adherence exceptions are calculated based on the current schedule and the agent's actual status at the time of the exception.  If a workforce management administrator changes the schedule, Interaction Optimizer recalculates the adherence exception and, depending on the outcome, it may no longer appear. Excusing exceptions in the Adherence Exceptions view will change the schedule so that it matches actual agent work performed.

An agent's status setting is used to track his or her adherence to the published schedule. Adherence to the published schedule is defined as an agent's status being consistent with his or her currently scheduled activity. For example, if an agent is scheduled to be taking calls (Scheduled ACD) but his or her current status is "On Break," this difference from the schedule creates an adherence exception.

Adherence exceptions are the basis for the time out of adherence statistics for each agent. These statistics can be monitored in Interaction Supervisor. Supervisors can review and manage adherence exceptions. A supervisor can completely or partially excuse any adherence exception.

For more information about adherence exceptions, see Understanding adherence management and Select adherence exception settings and conformance calculations.

Shift rotations

You can add shift rotations and assign agents to a rotation so that the agents can start on different weeks with different shift start times. You can use shift rotations to ensure fairness in agent schedules. For example, use it to configure an agent to work weekends every fourth week.

By setting a shift rotation to an agent that is assigned to several shift definitions, the agent avoids monotonous scheduling week after week. View the shift rotation report to see how a rotation is applied to the selected agent assignment.

New scheduling engine

Beginning in 4.0 SU5, Interaction Optimizer includes an enhanced scheduling engine that more accurately schedules agents at optimal times. This new scheduler produces schedules that provide a higher service level when using the same number of agents for shifts flexible enough for this advanced algorithm. Because the new scheduling engine incorporates improved calculation features, it produces schedules at a much slower rate than in previous versions. In addition, the enhanced scheduling engine now supports deferred work when calculating schedules.

Customer Experience Improvement Program

Genesys strives to consistently improve the quality, efficiency, and performance of Interaction Optimizer. You can help by participating in the Customer Experience Improvement Program. If you choose to participate, Interactive Intelligence collects statistical information from your system and uses it only to help improve Interaction Optimizer features and enhancements and to help resolve issues.

Genesys does not share this information with other companies, nor does it use your data for marketing or sales purposes. All information is confidential. Participation is voluntary and you can opt in or out at any time.

07-July-2014

4.0 SU 6

Note: In this release, the majority of workforce management is available only in the Interaction Optimizer module of IC Business Manager. Most functionality, with the exception of agent constraints and rights assignments, is no longer available in Interaction Administrator.

Service goal group updates

The Move Service Goal Groups dialog box is renamed to Move Workgroups. For more information, see Move a workgroup to another service goal group. Also, a new topic, Edit a workgroup's interaction type within a service goal group, describes how to add or remove the interaction types assigned to any workgroup associated with a particular service goal group.

Create and manage staff types and coverage groups

Create staff types to group agents that belong to the same workgroups and handle similar interaction types and skills, and to ensure agents in one type or category are not granted time off on the same day. For more information, see About staff types.

Monitor agent information in the new Agent Details view

The Agent Details View displays a variety of information about agents on one tab, including start and end dates; accrual reference dates; team, workgroup, and agent group assignments; and shift schedules and rotations. You can also add and manage agents within teams. For more information, see About the Agent Details view and Add agents to a team.

Use the new Time Off Planning features

Interaction Optimizer’s time off planning features automates the process of approving time off requests, alleviating the time administrators spend performing this task manually. It includes:

• Accrual plans, which show the rate at which groups of agents receive more time off in specified activity codes.

• Time Off Plans, which allow you to manage the allotments of time off per staff type. The processing engine automatically approves, waitlists, or denies time off requests. For more information, see the Allotment editor overview.

• Time Off Requests, where you can search for existing time off requests, and also add, edit, cancel, approve or deny requests, based on scheduling unit and agent.

For more information, see Time Off Planning overview and About automatic time off processing

Manage time off requests

In SU6, you can cancel time off requests in Approved or Pending status, but not Denied status. The ability to delete time off requests was removed. For more information, see Cancel time off requests and Add time off requests.

Export coverage to Excel

You can use the Export Coverage to Excel feature to export the current scheduled or forecast full-time equivalent agents per route group for each interval into an Excel file. The file can be saved to another location and renamed for future use.

View the Upgrade Log

The Upgrade Log lists data changes performed when a service update is applied. Service updates automatically apply changes that move data to new tables or improve the quality of Interaction Optimizer data. You can access the Upgrade Log from the Interaction Optimizer Home page, or from the Agent Details view.

04-November-2014

2015 R1

Updated documentation to reflect changes required in the transition from version 4.0 SU# to CIC 2015 R1, such as updates to product version numbers, system requirements, installation procedures, references to Interactive Intelligence Product Information site URLs, and copyright and trademark information.

10-February-2015

2015 R2

Long-term forecasting

Introducing the ability to generate a long-term forecast that includes calculations for volume, AHT and required staff for a weekly level. You can edit and create modifications for the forecast and required staff. In Time Off Plans, administrators can select a long-term forecast, which directs the time off plan to use the required staff numbers from the long-term forecast. To get started, see Working with long-term forecasts.

Manage day classifications

Additional feature allows you to create day classifications and assign them to specific days. For more information, see Manage day classifications and Assign day classifications to specific days.

Deleting forecasts

For information about when you can and cannot delete a forecast, see About forecast deletion.

Synchronize time off activities and requests

Because approved time off requests help determine an agent's accrual balance, time off requests must match activities in a schedule. For example, if an agent is listed on the schedule for vacation, but the backing time off request has been cancelled, Optimizer will not deduct the time from the agent's accrual balance, even though the schedule shows the agent does not have to work. Workforce management administrators should, when managing time off requests, always add, edit, and cancel the requests in the time off request view. After the administrator makes time off requests that affect scheduled activities, he or she should synchronize them in the affected schedule. For more information, see Understanding time off synchronization and Synchronize time off requests and time off activities.  

Tips and troubleshooting

See Tips and troubleshooting for help with minor troubleshooting and performance tips.

11-August-2015

2015 R4

General enhancements

When you create or edit an activity code you can select to ignore the activity code for adherence. The Activity Codes tab now includes an Ignore for Adherence check box. Selecting to ignore the activity code for adherence does not impact conformance.

When viewing work information on a schedule or in the Adherence Exceptions view, you can now view the user status in addition to activity.

Shift trading configuration and management

Shift trading enables agents to trade daily shifts or parts of a shift with other agents based on business rules that the scheduling administrator configures. This feature increases agent satisfaction and also decreases the amount of time that the administrator spends manually changing schedules. To get started, see Work with shift trades, About Shift Trading configuration, and About the Shift Trading Requests view.

Change the forecast within a schedule

When schedules are created weeks in advance, it's possible that the volume forecast used is not as accurate as a new VF that can be created 2-3 weeks later. Administrators or supervisors now have the ability to change the forecast associated with a schedule. For information, see Change the forecast associated with a schedule.

Additional server parameters

Added descriptions of Optimizer server parameters. For more information, see Optimizer server parameters.

03-November-2015

2016 R1

General enhancements and updates

• A scheduling unit name cannot contain any of the following characters: /, \, |, &, ‘, ^, =, +.

• Previously, exceptions were calculated up until an hour in the past for the current week's schedule. This behavior is changed to make sure its available until current time. The schedule editor now displays up-to-date adherence exception data.

• When in "week" view, administrators can choose to view the individual activities of each day, rather than show the entire shift as one item. Administrators cannot move or change individual activities in week view. For more information, see Change Activity Colors.

• Updated Start Date and End Date descriptions to reflect implementation and use in Manage the Agent Details view.

• Clarified ability and use cases for disabling calibration in adjusting schedule forecast and scheduled requirements. See Set agent schedule impact, deferred work threshold, unstaffed shrinkage, and activity bidding preferences and About schedule calibration.

• Added a note to filter and sort topics for schedule and schedule bids: Because agents have not yet been assigned to a specific schedule for the week, filtering a schedule bid by workgroup, interaction type, skill set, or team is unsupported.

• Updated Configure unplanned shrinkage to reflect the ability to return selected or all percentages back to the default values.

09-February-2016

2016 R2

General enhancements and updates

• You can select more than one modification at a time. This is helpful when you want to move or delete multiple modifications. For more information, see Manage a modification.

• Updated options available for schedule display. For more information, see Change Display.

01-November-2016

2017 R1

Export time off request data

You can export the data in the Time Off Requests tab to an Excel spreadsheet. For more information, see Export a list of time-off requests.

08-August-2017

2017 R4

Removed references to Interaction Client .NET Edition.

Updated description of User last checked value for rounding activities option. For more information, see Change Display.

20-February-2018

2018 R2

Rebranded terminology.

15-May-2018

2018 R3

Updated description of Minimum Contiguous Work Time in the Configure Shifts topic.

Deleted obsolete topic -Set Agent specificity for forecasting and scheduling requirements.

21-August-2018

2018 R4

Updated View actual work and RTA exceptions topic and Edit RTA exception details topic changed to Excuse RTA exceptions.

13-November-2018

2018 R5

Removed duplicate topic from table of contents.

19-February-2019

2019 R1

Social conversations and social direct messages were added as interaction types in Scheduling Unit Service Goal Group, Agent Group, and Staff Type configuration. Both types can be selected in Forecasts. Time Off Requests configuration properly displays both new interaction types as well as the ability to sort by either new type.

Updated Add a forecast modification topic.

Updated Create a new forecast topic.

28-February-2019

Created this change log.

01-May-2019

Added note for limit of 255 activity codes per activity type to Working with activity codes topic and Add an activity code topic.

Updated to include AI-powered forecasting.

16-May-2019

Updated AI-powered forecasting and Local forecasting topics to explain creating multiple forecasts. Added updated image of Forecasts tab.

28-May-2019

Fixed links to PureConnect AI-Powered Workforce Management Technical Reference.

24-July-2019

Updated to include AI-powered scheduling.

06-September-2019

Added Operating Limits topic to Configuration section.

17-September-2019

Updated screen shot in Agent Groups Tab topic.

10-December-2019

Updated "Use the Intraday Monitoring Data Table" topic to clarify wording in note.

20-February-2020

Updated description of "Notify Successful merge on save" in Change Message topic. Removed screen shot from Real Time Adherence Overview topic.

28-May-2020

Fix links in OSA Analysis and Summary Counts topic.

03-June-2020

Updated Configure Advanced Reforecast Settings topic.

05-June-2020

Deleted Paste Single Activity topic because not used.

21-July-2020

Updated Paste Group Activity topic.

Added video for how to view Operating limits.