Understanding and using the forecast vs actual page (EAP)

<body>
<p id="docs-hc-snippet" style="display: none;">While the forecast page serves as a forward-looking planning tool, the Forecast vs. actual page provides a retrospective view, focusing on what was predicted compared to what actually happened and the causes of any variance.</p>
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<tr>
<td>
<strong>Add-on</strong>
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<td>Workforce Management (WFM) or Workforce Engagement Management (WEM)</td>
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<div id="docs-ai-summary">
<p id="docs-ai-summary-toggle">Summary: <span id="up-triangle">◀</span><span id="down-triangle">▼</span></p>
<p id="docs-ai-summary-content">The forecast vs actual page helps you compare predicted and actual inbound volume, staffing, average handle time, and service levels. It shows variances and recent trends to improve planning and staffing decisions. You can view data by workstream and time intervals, analyze staffing needs versus attendance, and track SLA performance to better manage support operations and adjust resources based on real outcomes.</p>
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<div class="body">

<div class="note attention">
<span class="attentiontitle"></span> This feature is currently in an Early Access Program (EAP). You can
<a class="xref" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdG7v4i3bXiIuvXPndOIV9vyzhPXwl5d5kokF8qRWis41u_sw/viewform" target="_blank">sign up for the EAP here</a>. </div>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">While the forecast page serves as a forward-looking planning tool, the Forecast vs.
actual page provides a retrospective view, focusing on what was predicted compared to what
actually happened and the causes of any variance.</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">The forecast vs. actual page includes actual results, historical context, and
reconciliation adjustments when workstream definitions change. It displays a comparison of
your forecasted data and the actual outcomes for <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443407875354#topic_ub5_whd_tzb" target="_blank">inbound volume</a>, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443407875354#topic_ptn_jpt_xbc" target="_blank">staffing</a>, and <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443376913818#topic_xwv_3n4_52c__a_h_t" target="_blank">average handle time</a> at a given date and time. It also
shows your actual <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829459866" target="_blank">service levels</a> and indicates whether these have been
met or missed.</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">For example, you usually receive about 50 tickets around 3 PM each day. However,
today you’ve already seen a sudden increase to 70 tickets at that time. The short-term
forecast takes this recent information into account and adjusts the expected number of tickets
for the next hour to help you plan more effectively.</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">The forecast vs actual page displays your forecasted data compared to the actual
outcomes for <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443407875354#topic_ub5_whd_tzb" target="_blank">inbound volume</a>, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443407875354#topic_ptn_jpt_xbc" target="_blank">staffing</a>, and <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443376913818#topic_xwv_3n4_52c__a_h_t" target="_blank">average handle time</a>. It also shows your actual <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829459866" target="_blank">service levels</a> and indicates whether these have been met or
missed.</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">This article contains the following topics:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic-1__ul_wmc_vy5_23c">
<li class="li" dir="ltr"><a class="xref" href="#topic_bjn_wy5_23c">Accessing and using the Forecast
vs actual page</a></li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr"><a class="xref" href="#topic_yf3_1cv_23c">Understanding the Forecast vs
actual page</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_eh3_vtn_pjc">Exporting Forecast vs actual
data</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">Related articles:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic-1__ul_xmc_vy5_23c">
<li class="li" dir="ltr"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/9858048119194" target="_blank">Understanding WFM forecasting</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_bjn_wy5_23c">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Accessing and using the Forecast vs actual page</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" dir="ltr">You must be a <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443374440090" target="_blank">WFM admin or have permission</a> to access the Forecast vs actual
page.</p>
<div class="p" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">To access and use the forecast vs actual page</strong><ul class="ul" id="topic_bjn_wy5_23c__ul_n5w_ypx_v3c">
<li class="li">
<span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408838272410" target="_blank">Workforce management</a>, click the agent folder (<img class="image" id="topic_bjn_wy5_23c__d8e36" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/wfm_agent_folder_icon.png" width="16">) in the navigation bar, then select <strong class="ph b">Forecast vs
actual</strong>.</span><p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_bjn_wy5_23c__image_v1g_pxt_pjc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/wfm_forecast_vs_actual.png" width="800"></p>
<p class="p">You can take any of the following
actions:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_bjn_wy5_23c__ul_qny_f1v_23c">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Filter workstreams</strong>: Click the filter icon (<img class="image" id="topic_bjn_wy5_23c__image_j25_h1v_23c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/macro_filter_icon.png" width="18">) to display comparison data for all
workstreams (default) or only the ones you select.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Choose a date</strong>: Click the date picker or use the arrow icons to select the
date you want to display comparison data for.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Choose a time breakdown</strong>: Use the drop-down arrow to view the data by hour,
30 minutes, or 15 minutes. </li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Choose a layout</strong>: Click the graph icon (<img class="image" id="topic_bjn_wy5_23c__image_k2g_wbv_23c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/wfm_trend_chart_icon.png" width="20">) to switch between displaying a table
(default) or a graph of your <a class="xref" href="#topic_b14_ffv_23c">inbound
volumes</a>.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Show or hide each inbound volume graph</strong>: Click the eye icon (<img class="image" id="topic_bjn_wy5_23c__image_xnp_lbv_23c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/wfm_eye_icon.png" width="20">) next to each inbound volume indicator to show
or hide it:<ul class="ul" id="topic_bjn_wy5_23c__ul_snb_knx_v3c">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Forecast</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Short term forecast</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Actual</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Export CSV</strong>: Create an export of the report for the selected date. </li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested1" id="topic_yf3_1cv_23c">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title3">Understanding the Forecast vs actual page</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" dir="ltr">On the forecast vs actual page, you can navigate to past and future dates.</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">Future dates can’t display actual results, average handle time, and service level
data.</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">Sources for each data column vary but primarily come from <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443407875354" target="_blank">forecasts</a>, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/9757102346010" target="_blank">real-time Zendesk data</a>, and <a class="xref" href="https://developer.zendesk.com/api-reference/wfm/introduction/" target="_blank">internal WFM storage APIs</a>.</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">The forecast vs actual report contains four sections:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_yf3_1cv_23c__ul_s2z_2cv_23c">
<li class="li" dir="ltr"><a class="xref" href="#topic_b14_ffv_23c">Inbound volume</a></li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr"><a class="xref" href="#topic_gfz_lfv_23c">Staffing</a></li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr"><a class="xref" href="#topic_h45_5fv_23c">Average handle time</a></li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr"><a class="xref" href="#topic_pd5_k1f_53c">Service level</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested2" id="topic_b14_ffv_23c">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title4">Inbound volume</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" dir="ltr">On the Forecast vs actual page, the inbound volume section includes the
following data for the selected workstreams:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_b14_ffv_23c__ul_qmf_jfv_23c">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Forecast</strong>: Your predicted <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443407875354#topic_ub5_whd_tzb" target="_blank">inbound ticket volume</a>. The inbound volume is
calculated based on all available <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443407875354#topic_ub5_whd_tzb" target="_blank">historical data</a>, which can range from a minimum
of 30 days to a maximum of 2 years, depending on the amount of data in your
account.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Short term forecast</strong>: The inbound volume calculations based on the
actual results from the last 24 hours of data. The formula combines two averages: 24
hours and the selected upcoming time interval (hour, 30 minutes, or 15 minutes) to
adjust the forecast, reflecting the most recent trends. <div class="p" dir="ltr">It uses the
following values:<ul class="ul" id="topic_b14_ffv_23c__ul_txj_yxf_33c">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Forecasted ticket count: This is the predicted number of inbound
tickets for the selected upcoming time interval.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Recent historical data: To enhance accuracy and adaptability, the
calculation considers recent actual results alongside forecasted ticket
numbers.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">It averages the inbound volume over the last 24 hours for the
exact time interval you're interested in. It also averages the inbound volume over the
last hour to provide more current context. The formula combines these two averages (24
hours and 1 hour) to adjust the forecast, reflecting the most recent trends.</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">Finally, it divides the original forecasted ticket count by the average of
these recent volumes to normalize it.</p>
</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Actual</strong>: The actual numbers of inbound tickets received for each
workstream. Each time a ticket matches a workstream, it’s counted, meaning the same
ticket may be counted more than once if it’s updated and meets the conditions for
another workstream.<div class="p">
<div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Workstream condition changes can affect the forecast vs. actual results because
actual results keep the original condition "as it was" at the event time, while the
forecast recalculates history using current workstream definitions "as they
are."</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">S vs A Net (Short term vs Actual net volume)</strong>: The difference between
the actual volume and the short term forecasted volume. If you don't change the
workstream after its creation, the historical volume in Forecast matches the Actual
results on S vs A Net. However, if you change one of the workstream conditions, Actual
results display the inbound volume associated with the original workstream condition up
to the point of change, while the Forecast page shows the volume using the new
workstream conditions. This results in different values.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Forecast variance</strong>: Calculated as <code class="ph codeph">Forecast - Actual</code>. This
metric gives operations teams a straightforward measure of forecasting variance against
actual inbound performance. <div class="p" dir="ltr">
<div class="note tip">
<span class="tiptitle">Tip:</span> In the <a class="xref" href="#topic_eh3_vtn_pjc">CSV
export</a>, this column appears directly after S vs A Net.</div>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested2" id="topic_gfz_lfv_23c">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title5">Staffing</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" dir="ltr">The staffing section of the Forecast vs actual page includes the following data
for the selected workstreams:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_gfz_lfv_23c__ul_b3h_nfv_23c">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Required</strong>: The number of <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443345024538#topic-1__fte" target="_blank">full-time equivalents (FTEs)</a> required to meet
the forecasted volume. It's generated based on the set <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443407875354#topic_ptn_jpt_xbc" target="_blank">staffing</a> parameters.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Scheduled</strong>: The number of FTEs scheduled according to your <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443348256794" target="_blank">Schedule page</a>.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Actual</strong>: The number of scheduled FTEs actually in attendance based on
your <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443347506970" target="_blank">Agent activity</a>.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">R vs A Net (Required vs Actual net volume)</strong>: The difference between
the required and actual staffing.</li>
</ul>
<div class="p">
<div class="note tip">
<span class="tiptitle">Tip:</span> If you sort the data by 30 minutes, the staffing Required and Scheduled
columns should match the required and scheduled <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443348256794#topic_i1n_gsl_k2c" target="_blank">staffing panel</a> values on your Schedule page for
the selected workstream. Make sure to <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443348279194#topic_jtc_ds5_zzb" target="_blank">publish shift updates</a> and account for <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443374353434#topic_obx_fcb_h2c" target="_blank">different timezones</a> to ensure the Forecast vs
actual page has the most up-to-date information.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title6" class="topic nested2" id="topic_h45_5fv_23c">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title6">Average handle time</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" dir="ltr">On the Forecast vs actual page, the average handle time section includes the
following data for the selected workstreams:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_h45_5fv_23c__ul_imn_vfv_23c">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Forecast</strong>: The forecasted <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6443376913818#topic_xwv_3n4_52c__a_h_t" target="_blank">average handle time (AHT)</a> for the specified
interval.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Actual</strong>: The actual AHT for that interval.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title7" class="topic nested2" id="topic_pd5_k1f_53c">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title7">Service level</h3>
<div class="body">
<div class="p" dir="ltr">On the Forecast vs actual page, the service level agreement (SLA) data is taken
directly from Zendesk and depends on the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829459866" target="_blank">SLA policies</a> set in your account. The service level section
includes the following data for the selected workstreams:<ul class="ul" id="topic_pd5_k1f_53c__ul_qd5_k1f_53c">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Actual</strong>: The actual service level percentage for each interval.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Met</strong>: The number of tickets that met the SLA.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">Missed</strong>: The number of tickets that didn't meet the SLA.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="p">
<div class="note attention">
<span class="attentiontitle"></span> SLA data is not displayed for <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408824097050#topic_h4x_ckr_cg" target="_blank">voice</a> workstreams.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title8" class="topic nested1" id="topic_eh3_vtn_pjc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title8">Exporting Forecast vs actual data</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" dir="ltr">You can export your Forecast vs actual reporting data to a CSV file for advanced
analysis, troubleshooting, or integration with external business intelligence (BI) tools.
The CSV export closely mirrors the layout and behavior of your UI filters.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title9" class="topic nested2" id="topic_nfl_k5n_pjc">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title9">Supported granularities and export limits</h3>
<div class="body">
<div class="p" dir="ltr">The exported file includes specific rows based on your selected granularity,
calendar constraints, and active workstream filters:<ul class="ul" id="topic_nfl_k5n_pjc__ul_mfr_m5n_pjc">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">15m</strong>: Generates 96 rows per day, per workstream (one row for each
15-minute interval). The maximum date range is 1 day.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">30m</strong>: Generates 48 rows per day, per workstream (one row for each
30-minute interval). The maximum date range is 1 day.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">
<strong class="ph b">1h</strong>: Generates 24 rows per day, per workstream. The maximum date
range is 1 day.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="note tip">
<span class="tiptitle">Tip:</span> Export performance and row generation adapt to your filters. For example,
if you filter for a single workstream on a 15-minute granularity, your export contains
only the 96 rows for that workstream.</div>
<p class="p" dir="ltr"><strong class="ph b">To export Forecast vs actual data</strong></p>
<ol class="ol" id="topic_nfl_k5n_pjc__ol_v1n_r5n_pjc">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">From the <a class="xref" href="#topic_bjn_wy5_23c"><strong class="ph b">Forecast vs
actual</strong> page,</a> use the date picker to select a date.</li>
<li class="li">Under <strong class="ph b">Time breakdown</strong>, select a granularity.</li>
<li class="li">Under <strong class="ph b">Filter</strong>, adjust your filters as needed for a single workstream, a subset,
or all workstreams.</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Click <strong class="ph b">Export CSV</strong>.<p class="p" dir="ltr">The download starts.</p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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