Predictive workforce estimates how many staff are needed for future shifts. The predictions show on the day view of the schedule while you build it.
They’re worked out from projected demand (such as sales revenue or number of transactions), combined with a ratio of how many staff are needed to handle that demand.
What types of businesses should use predictive workforce?
Predictive workforce needs historical sales or transaction data in Workforce.com. The easiest way to get it there is with a point of sale (POS) integration, which imports data automatically.
You can also import data by CSV. Because the data needs updating regularly, manual imports aren’t usually practical long term.
Setting up your sales data
Demand data is stored in data streams. To manage them:
Go to Settings › Data Streams, or
If you use the newer schedule menu, go to Schedule Planning › Data Streams (UK: Rota Planning › Data Streams).
If no data streams exist yet, connect a POS with Add POS Integration, or use Import actuals data to upload historical data by CSV. You can upload forecasts with Import predicted data.
Link a data stream to your teams
For a data stream’s figures to show when you schedule a team, the stream needs to be joined to that team or its location:
Open the data stream and go to the Settings tab.
Under Joins, click Add a join.
In Join to, choose the location, team, team group or area to link it to.
Choose the Stat type for the join, such as sales or transactions.
Stat types are created automatically when data is imported, and can be managed on the Stat Types page in Data Streams.
Choose how demand is forecast
Go to Settings › Demand settings to choose how future demand is predicted:
Average of past dates: predicts demand by averaging dates you choose. This is the default.
Use Workforce.com Forecasting: Workforce.com generates forecasts automatically from your historical data. Click Retrain to refresh the forecasts.
Use your own forecasts: import forecasts you’ve produced elsewhere.
Creating demand projections
Go to the schedule and switch to the day view.
Filter the schedule to one location.
Open the demand prediction tool:
Older schedule layout: in the left sidebar, expand Configure Demand and click Predicted Demand.
Newer schedule menu: go to Actions › Data › Demand Predictions.
Under Make a prediction for this day, choose one or more past dates to base the prediction on. This only applies when using Average of past dates.
Adjust the prediction if needed:
Use the Modifier to increase or decrease it by a percentage, or
Under Alternatively, set your own target, enter a New Total for the day.
Adjusting the prediction keeps the same pattern of demand across the day, scaling it up or down proportionally.
Configuring required staff predictions
The suggested staff numbers appear in the Predictive Workforce table on the day view. To show it, set Showing to Table.
To set how many staff are needed relative to demand:
Click edit next to the Predictive Workforce title.
Choose the time interval: 15m, 30m or 60m.
For each team, enter the amount of demand needed for each staff member. For example, entering 50 with a 15-minute interval means: for every $50 in sales in a 15-minute period, schedule one staff member.
Click done.
The suggested number of staff for each period is the projected demand divided by the ratio, rounded up. It’s then kept within the team’s minimum and maximum staff settings.
Different thresholds for each extra staff member
Sometimes each extra staff member is needed at a different demand level. For example, staff member 1 at $50, staff member 2 at $120 and staff member 3 at $280.
This can be set up with a Day Part Ratios CSV import, found under Rota Planning › Day Part Ratios where enabled.
You can also view and bulk-add ratios on the Roster Ratios page in Data Streams.
Staff requirements before and after store open hours
There’s often no demand data while a store is opening or closing, but staff are still needed. You can account for this in two steps.
1. Enter your business hours
These are the hours your business trades.
Older schedule layout: use Business Hours in the day view sidebar.
Newer schedule menu: go to Actions › Hours › Business hours, with one location selected.
2. Set opening and closing times
In the Predictive Workforce table, click the cog icon next to the team to open Cognitive Creator Settings.
On the Open/Close tab, enter the Time to open and Time to close: how long before and after trading hours staff are needed.
On the Staff tab, check the Minimum staff setting.
During the opening and closing periods, the Minimum staff number becomes the suggested staff requirement.
Combining the requirements of multiple teams
The Assisting Teams feature lets several teams count towards one shared staffing requirement.
For example, in a café the main team might be “Barista”, while the “Team Leader” and “Store Manager” teams also serve customers. Rather than setting up separate ratios for each team, make Team Leader and Store Manager assisting teams of Barista, so their staff count towards Barista’s requirement.
To turn on Assisting Teams:
Go to Settings › Schedule settings (UK: Rota settings).
Under Advanced, click Show Advanced Settings....
Tick Assisting Teams.
Click Update settings.
To set up assisting teams:
Go to Workforce › Teams and edit the main customer-facing team.
Open Advanced options.
Under Assisting teams, select the teams whose staff should count towards this team’s requirement.
Save.