The AGENTS function calculates the number of servers (or agents) needed to fulfil requests within a target time.
For example, you can use the AGENTS function to calculate the number of servers needed at peak times to maintain a certain speed of response.
Syntax
AGENTS(SLA, Target response time, Arrival rate, Average duration)
Arguments
| Argument | Data type | Description |
| SLA | Number | The percentage of requests that need to be processed within the Target response time. |
| Target response time | Number | The time period within which each request must be responded to. |
| Arrival rate | Number | The interval between the arrival of each request. |
| Average duration | Number | The average duration it takes to process each request. |
The AGENTS function returns a number, which is the number of servers, or agents, required to process requests within the SLA.
Calculation engine functionality differences
Call center planning functions are unavailable in Polaris. Learn more about the differences between Anaplan calculation engines.
Constraints
Time unit for arguments
The Target response time, Arrival rate, and Average duration arguments do not have to use a specific time unit. For example, they can use seconds or minutes. However, all three arguments must use the same time unit.
Examples
In this example, the Call Centers list is on columns, and line items on rows. The first four line items contain the data for the AGENTS function for each call center:
- The percentage of calls that must be responded to within the target response time, or SLA (uses the percentage number Format)
- The target response time to begin processing requests within
- The interval between each request arriving
- The average duration it takes to complete requests
The Servers to meet SLA line item uses the AGENTS function to calculate how many agents are needed to answer the percentage of calls specified in the SLA within the target response time.
The Amended Target Response Time line item enables you to amend the target response time. This is used in the Updated Servers with amendment line item, which calculates how many agents are needed to respond to requests within the amended response time while maintaining the SLA.
| Call Center 1 | Call Center 2 | Call Center 3 | Call Center 4 | |
| Service Level Agreement | 85% | 87% | 92% | 85% |
| Target Response Time | 15 | 18 | 17 | 12 |
| Request Arrival Rate | 0.7684 | 0.9358 | 1.426 | 1.219 |
| Average Duration | 18.67 | 23.25 | 24.87 | 17.39 |
Servers to meet SLA
| 17 | 24 | 39 | 24 |
| Amended Target Response Time | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Updated Servers with amendment
| 17 | 25 | 40 | 24 |
