1. What is the Erlang Formula?

The Erlang formula is a mathematical model used to calculate call center staffing requirements. It helps determine the number of agents needed to handle incoming calls efficiently while maintaining service level targets.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Erlang staffing formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Calls} \) — Number of calls per hour
• \( \text{AHT} \) — Average Handling Time in seconds
• \( \text{Occupancy} \) — Agent occupancy rate (0-1)
• \( \text{Shrinkage} \) — Factor accounting for breaks, training, etc. (0-1)

Explanation: The formula calculates the raw agent requirement based on call volume and handling time, then adjusts for how busy agents are (occupancy) and accounts for time they won't be available (shrinkage).

3. Importance of Call Center Staffing

Details: Proper staffing ensures good customer service (short wait times) while maintaining agent productivity. Understaffing leads to long queues, while overstaffing increases costs unnecessarily.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips:

• Typical occupancy rates are 70-85% (0.7-0.85)
• Shrinkage typically ranges from 20-35% (0.2-0.35)
• AHT includes talk time plus after-call work
• For multiple intervals, calculate each separately

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a good occupancy rate?
A: 70-85% is typical. Higher may lead to agent burnout, lower may indicate inefficiency.

Q2: How do I estimate shrinkage?
A: Track historical data for breaks, meetings, training, and absenteeism. 30% is common.

Q3: Should I round up agent numbers?
A: Yes, as you can't have a fraction of an agent. Also consider part-time staff for fine-tuning.

Q4: How does service level affect this?
A: This basic formula doesn't account for service level. More complex Erlang models do.

Q5: What about multiple skills/channels?
A: This is for single-queue systems. Multiskill environments require more complex modeling.