Workforce management metric definitions

AI-generated summary

Genesys Cloud provides workforce management metric definitions to help contact centers monitor and improve performance. Metrics like service level, offered, answered, abandoned, and average handle time are calculated across intervals to measure queue and agent performance. Service level shows the percentage of conversations answered within a defined service level agreement target. Average handle time calculates the total time agents spend handling interactions. Metrics are reported based on when calculation completes, like handle time using after-call work timestamp. Genesys Cloud metrics help monitor service level, staffing needs, and identify areas for improvement.

Series: Intraday monitoring

Previous suggested step: Change intraday monitoring display options

Learn the definitions of common definitions. To view the list of all common metrics, see Metric definitions.

Metric

Description

Service level

Service level measures the percentage of conversations answered within a defined time threshold. It helps you evaluate how effectively your organization responds to customer interactions within a target timeframe.

How is service level measured?

Service level is measured based on how long a conversation waits in a queue before an agent answers it. The timer starts when the conversation begins, waiting in a queue. The timer stops when the conversation is answered. The total wait time is compared with the configured service level target. If the wait time is less than or equal to the target, the conversation meets the service level.

Service level calculation

Service level is calculated as:

Service Level = Conversations answered within the target time Total conversations included in the calculation

The number of conversations included in the calculation depends on your configured service level options. To set these service level options, see Configure contact center analytics options.

Service level options

You can use service level options to determine the conversation type to be included in the calculation. These options do not affect how wait time is measured; they only determine which conversations are included in the calculation of the final service level percentage.

You can enable or disable each of the following service level options independently:

Include flowouts in the calculation: Flowouts are conversations removed from the queue by a flow action before being answered by an agent. When enabled, flowouts are included in the calculation and count as not meeting the service level target. When disabled, flowouts are excluded from the calculation.
Include short abandons in the calculation: Short abandons are conversations that disconnect within a defined short time threshold. When enabled, these conversations are included in the calculation. When disabled, they are excluded. This option helps you ignore brief interactions that do not represent meaningful customer intent.
Include abandons in the calculation: Abandoned conversations are the conversations that disconnect before being answered. When enabled, abandoned conversations are included in the calculation and count as not meeting the service level target. When disabled, they are excluded from the calculation.

How the options work together

Service level can be understood as follows:

Service Level = Conversations that met the target Conversations included in the calculation

The numerator always represents conversations answered within the target time. The denominator changes depending on which options are enabled.

The following example illustrates how different conversation outcomes and service level options affect both inclusion in the calculation and whether each conversation meets the target, using a service level target of 20 seconds.

Conversation	Outcome	Wait Time (seconds)	Meets Target	Included (example configuration)
A	Answered	10	Yes	Yes
B	Answered	25	No	Yes
C	Abandoned	15	No	Yes (on enabling abandons)
D	Abandoned	3	No	No (on excluding short abandons)
E	Flowout	—	No	Yes (on enabling flowouts)

In the preceding example, only Conversation A meets the target. The total number of included conversations varies based on the enabled service level options.

Service level and operating hours

Service level calculations do not consider queue operating schedules. Wait time is not paused when a queue is closed, and anytime spent waiting during closed hours is fully included in the total wait time.

For example, if a conversation enters the queue at 5:55 PM, the queue closes at 6:00 PM, and the conversation is answered at 9:00 AM the next day, the entire overnight period is included in the wait time. As a result, the conversation likely does not meet the service level target.

How service level is reported over time

Service level is reported based on when a conversation is answered, not when it enters the queue. Metrics are recorded at the time that the conversation is answered, and reporting intervals—such as hourly or daily views—group conversations using this time stamp.

For example, if a conversation enters the queue at 11:50 PM on Day 1 and is answered at 12:10 AM on Day 2, the service level impact is reflected in Day 2 reporting.

Aggregation and averages

Service level is calculated using totals rather than by averaging percentages across intervals. To determine service level over multiple intervals, add the total number of conversations that met the target and the total number of conversations included, then divide these totals. This approach ensures an accurate overall service level. For more information about aggregates and averages, see the developer center.

Offered

The number of interactions routed into the queue for an agent to answer. Offered interactions are either answered, abandoned, or flow-out interactions.

Answered

A measurement of the number of assigned ACD interactions answered by an agent in a given period. Answered increments when the agent is the first to connect to the interaction.

Abandoned

The number of times an end user abandoned an interaction in a queue. For example, the customer hangs up before an agent answers, or the system disconnects the interaction.

Average handle time (AHT)

The average amount of time agents spent handling interactions. This calculation includes talk time, hold time, and after-call work. For outbound calls it also includes dialing and contacting time.

Calculated by: (cumulative talk time + cumulative hold time + cumulative after-call work + cumulative dialing time + cumulative contacting time) / Number of interactions handled

Note: The interactions can span multiple time intervals. For example, a 45-minute call spans two 30-minute intervals. However, metrics are assigned a single timestamp and reported in the interval into which this timestamp falls. The timestamps are assigned based on when the metric calculation is complete.

For instance, handle time will use the timestamp of after call work completion. In the example of a 45-minute call, the handle time falls in the second 30-minute interval because the handle time was calculated at the end of the call when ACW was submitted.

Agents

Scheduled agent count is calculated by:

Summing up the scheduled on-queue time for all agents associated with the business unit and the selected planning group(s), and then dividing by the corresponding interval length.

Actual agent count is calculated by:

Querying aggregated agent metrics for the agent routing status for all agents associated with the business unit and the selected planning group(s).
Looking at the routing status per interval and count on-queue time when routing status is either interacting, idle, or communicating.
Summing up the on-queue time for all agents, and then dividing by corresponding interval length.

Example: If an agent status is interacting, idle, or communicating for 7.5 minutes of a 15-minute interval, then the schedule shows 0.5 agent during that interval.

Completed

When an interaction finishes, the system marks it as completed.

Note: Because an interaction may be completed in a different interval than the interval in which it starts, Completed may differ from Offered.

Average speed of answer (ASA)

The average amount of time an interaction waits in the queue before an agent answers. This metric does not include interactions that agents do not answer. Average Speed of Answer (ASA) is directly associated with the service level and provides insight into the customer service your organization provides. ASA is recorded in the interval in which the agent answered the interaction.

Calculated by: Total Answered (tAnswered Sum) / Answered Count (tAnswered Count)

Note: Raw values are provided in milliseconds.

Occupancy

This metric represents the total time that agents actually spend handling interactions:

Predicted calculation is the total time predicted to be in Interacting routing status / total scheduled on-queue time in interval.
Actual calculation is the total time in Interacting routing status / total actual on-queue time (Interacting + Communicating + Idle routing status time) in interval.

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