Quick overview:
When workstreams are combined in Zendesk WFM, such as when agents handle multiple types of tickets (e.g., general support and escalations), the system shows each agent as a fractional headcount (e.g., 0.5 in each workstream) on reporting and scheduling charts. This artificially inflates the number of agents shown in each queue and creates confusion when interpreting staffing levels. Workforce management admins and reporting users are affected.
What problem does this solve:
Accurately reflecting agent headcount in reporting and scheduling views would eliminate confusion and provide a true picture of staffing coverage across combined workstreams. This would allow for better operational planning and prevent misinterpretations of available resources.
When/how often does this happen and business impact:
This issue occurred immediately when combined workstreams were enabled and was significant enough that the customer had to disable the feature to prevent ongoing reporting inaccuracies. The distorted agent counts led to misalignment between scheduled staffing and actual staffing, impacting adherence and forecasting accuracy. Without an accurate view, it was difficult to plan resources appropriately across different ticket types.
Current workaround:
The current workaround is to avoid using combined workstreams altogether. The customer reverted to managing workstreams separately to prevent reporting errors, even though combining workstreams would otherwise improve operational efficiency.
Ideal solution:
Zendesk WFM should allow admins to prioritize a primary workstream for agents in combined workstreams. Agents would then be counted as a full headcount in their primary queue, avoiding inflated staffing counts across multiple queues and improving reporting accuracy.