EasyErlang Call Center Staffing Calculator
EasyErlang has many features not found in other Erlang C calculators. These include exertions to the standard Erlang model and integration with Microsoft Excel.
Extensions to Erlang C
The theoretical Erlang C model used in workforce management tools and call center calculators tends to overestimate the required number of agents and the service level they can deliver. EasyErlang has unique features that make Erlang model approximate real-world situation effectively:
Abandon Time
One of the more critical aspects in call center planning is minimizing the
number of abandoned calls. EasyErlang forecasts the number of abandoned
calls based on the wait time most callers will experience. You can
specify the wait time sensitivity that you want EasyErlang to use to estimate call abandonment.
Some callers, when do not receiving immediate service, simply hang up and redial. You can specific the percentage of callers that you expect to redial instead of waiting in the queue; EasyErlang adjusts the calculations to accommodate for additional load generated by these callers.
Shrinkage
Shrinkage is amount of time that is
"lost" due to breaks, vacation, sick days, and other unplanned
events. You can specific the percentage of time the is typically
lost and have EasyErlang automatically adjust the staffing calculations to
compensate for it.
The precise calculation of the Erlang model often results is a fraction, e.g. the required staffing is 34.7 agents. Obviously, we cannot employ a 0.7 person, so EasyErlang rounds the result up to the next integer (whole number) – 38 in this case. However, in some instances it is beneficial to see the number of agents as a fraction instead of a whole number. For example, if the actual staffing is 34.1 CSRs, you may decide that you can tolerate the additional load and plan for only 34 agents.
Agent Utilization
An important aspect of call center planning is
the carefully balancing between customer-facing metrics, such as service
level and abandoned calls, and the workload on the call center
agents. EasyErlang calculates the time utilization of the CSRs,
indicating the workload they will experience. When the number is too
high, you may need to increase the number of agents (or work shorter
shifts) even if customer service metrics are satisfactory.
Capacity
While EasyErlang does an excellent job in
forecasting the optimal staffing levels for a given call load, there are
times that the call load will increase temporarily, causing service level
to deteriorate. EasyErlang calculates the maximum capacity of your
call center and the percentage increase in call volume it can handle
before service level begins to drop,
Microsoft Excel
EasyErlang is a self contained calculator and is sufficient for most day to day tasks. However, you may want to use Microsoft Excel for further calculations, charting, etc. EasyErlang allows you to:
- Export results - the results table you see in EasyErlang is saved to an Excel file
- Save the result incrementally - every time you complete a calculation EasyErlang adds the most recent result to an Excel spreadsheet
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The information in this Website, screen captures of EasyErlang, and the use of EasyErlang software do not represent advice or recommendation. Any action taken based upon this information is the sole responsibility of the user. No liability for errors or omissions is implied or accepted by the owners of this site.
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