Free Contact Center WFM Staffing Calculator: Your Essential Resource for Workforce Planning

Advanced Erlang C Calculator: Enterprise-Grade WFM Staffing Tool

At OttoQa, our mission is to help the smaller contact center be successful. We understand that not every operation has access to enterprise-level tools and resources – but that shouldn't stop you from delivering exceptional service.

Managing a small contact center often means wearing multiple hats and working with limited resources. If you're struggling to find the right balance between staffing costs and customer service quality, you're not alone. That's why we're sharing our free Excel-based WFM (Workforce Management) staffing calculator – a tool specifically designed to help small and growing contact centers make smarter staffing decisions without breaking the bank.

Whether you're handling 50 or 500 calls a day, proper workforce planning is crucial for maintaining high service levels while controlling costs. This easy-to-use calculator helps you determine exactly how many agents you need for each time interval, taking the guesswork out of scheduling. Perfect for contact centers that can't justify the expense of enterprise WFM software but need more accuracy than back-of-the-envelope calculations.

What makes this tool especially valuable for smaller operations is its flexibility – it handles voice, chat, and email channels, and can work with up to 5 different skills or departments. So whether you're running a simple phone operation or managing a multi-channel team, this calculator has you covered.

What Makes This Calculator Special?

• Multi-Channel Support: Works for voice, chat, and email interactions
• Multi-Skill Planning: Handles up to 5 different skills
• Interval-Based Calculations: Get staffing requirements for each time interval
• Key Metrics Integration: Incorporates AHT, SLA, and shrinkage into calculations
• User-Friendly Interface: Easy-to-navigate Excel format

Download and Setup Instructions

Step 1: Getting Started

[Download the WFM Staffing Calculator HERE]

Note: The link will automatically download even if you dont see anything.

After downloading, you'll need to:

1. Locate the file in your downloads folder
2. Right-click and select "Properties"
3. Look for the "Security" section at the bottom
4. Click "Unblock" to ensure full functionality

Step 2: Enabling Macros

The calculator uses Excel macros to perform its calculations. When you open the file:

1. You'll see a security warning about macros being disabled
2. Click "Enable Content" to activate the calculator's full functionality
3. This step is crucial - the formulas won't work without enabling macros

Step 3: Setting Up Your Parameters

Navigate to the "Settings" tab to input your key metrics:

• Average Handling Time (AHT) in seconds
• Interval length in minutes
• Required Service Level (%)
• Target Answer Time in seconds
• Shrinkage (%)

Step 4: Using the Calculator

1. Select the appropriate tab for your channel (voice/chat/email)
2. Input your contact volume data by interval
3. The calculator will automatically generate required staffing levels
4. Review the results and adjust parameters as needed

Pro Tips for Best Results

• Keep your data up-to-date for the most accurate staffing predictions
• Review and adjust shrinkage percentages regularly
• Consider seasonal variations in your planning
• Use different tabs for different skills or channels to compare requirements

Need Help?

We've attached a more detailed instruction PDF to this post for additional guidance. If you have questions about using the calculator, feel free to leave a comment below.

[PDF Instructions Download] Note: The PDF download link will be embedded here