Event management
Updated 2 weeks ago
by
Daniel Sjögren
Events are any occurrences that either would result in an increase or a decrease of your forecast values and, therefore, also your optimal headcount values. In Quinyx, you are able to define events and make sure that your forecasts are more realistic also during these special occurrences while in turn making sure that you schedule according to the correct required headcount.
Event categories
Event categories are used to define and constrict the type of events that managers are allowed to create for their districts, units, and sections. It is a way to ensure that the same type of events can be used across the organization. Events cannot be added with any other event category than the ones that have been configured.
Event categories can be defined in Account Settings > Optimization settings > Events > Event categories.
Adding Event categories
By selecting Add, you are able to add any new event categories. There is a restriction on the number of characters. Any event categories added will automatically be added to the event categories table, and it will be possible to select any new events added on the events page.
Editing Event categories
You can edit the name of any of the event categories. In addition, you can toggle any of the event categories between active or inactive. Any adjustment made will apply to all events with that event category selected as well as the event category drop-down when adding a new event on the events page.
Deleting Event categories
By selecting the Delete icon, you have the option to delete any event categories created. Only event categories without any events with that selected category will be possible to delete. If you still want to delete this event category, you first need to delete any events with this event category selected.
Event configuration
Viewing Events
Events can be configured within the forecast tab under Events for all users with write access to Forecast Overview.
The events are visualized based on the selected group in the hierarchy in the events table and the forecast graph and table. As such, when viewing Unit A, you are only able to see events related to Unit A. In order to view events relevant to other units, you need to select a different level in the group hierarchy.
In the events table, by default, all events from the current date and one year ahead are displayed. Please use Adjust View to select a custom timeframe.
Per each event, you are able to view the specific time frame of the event, the configuration, and the group which the event was created for.
In the forecast graph and table, events are also visualized to indicate where within the timeframe the forecast variables are impacted by events. Events are in the forecast graph indicated by a light blue shading within the time period where the event is taking place. Selecting the shading will open up a side panel, including information about the event. This information includes the event category, any potential comments, the period where the event is applicable, and the group for which the event was created.
Hovering over the forecast graph will also include the event below the variables in the view to indicate that there is an active event in the period being looked at.
In the forecast table, a blue dot on last year's variables indicates that an event was taking place on that day the year before. The blue color on the days and hours indicates that an event is taking place in the current time period selected.
Adding Events
Users with write access to Forecast Overview are able to add events. The following details can be defined per Event.
Event category
Selecting an event category is a mandatory requirement. The options in the drop-down are based on the event categories defined in Account settings > Optimization settings > Events > Event categories.
Comment
Add any comments or additional details relevant to the event.
Select time frame
Selecting a time frame is a mandatory requirement. Select any start and end dates in the future or in the past when the event will take place. Events can be added for full days by selecting All day, or for a part of a day by defining the start and end times.
Select groups
Selecting the relevant group is a mandatory requirement. Events can be added for the whole organization at once, or for specific districts, units, and sections. You can also select multiple districts, units, and sections. The groups available for selection depend on your role and access rights within those groups.
Select variables
Selecting the relevant variables is a mandatory requirement. By default, all variables are selected. Only forecast configuration variables with an external ID defined are possible to select. The variables can either be forecasts created by Quinyx algorithms or forecasts imported through external systems.
Set configuration
Setting the event effect configuration is a mandatory requirement. Events can be configured to increase or decrease the forecast values selected by a specific percentage value or a specific absolute value. The adjustment will be made to every data value on the lowest granularity and not to the aggregated hourly or daily values directly. E.g., an event with an absolute adjustment of +10 will increase every data point on for example, a 15-minute level with that value, resulting in a total increase of +40 when looking at the daily aggregation. You can also set the configuration to closed in cases where the group selected is closed during the period of this event, and all forecast values will be set to 0.
Once you save the event, the effect configured will be applied to all variables for the group(s) selected within the specified time frame. E.g., all forecast values for all buckets within a day will increase by 10%. If you have added multiple events for the same time period where one event has a percentage adjustment while another has an absolute adjustment, then the percentage adjustment will be applied first, and the absolute adjustment will be added or subtracted from the new values incorporating the percentage adjustments. This is the case no matter which of the events was added first.
Editing Events
Events can be edited on two different levels:
- Adjustments to the event are applied to all groups within the event.
- Adjustments to the event are applied only to the group you have selected and any groups below.
All groups within the event
If you want edits to the event to apply to all groups for which the event is relevant, the adjustment to the event needs to be done at the group level for which the event was created. As such, only managers with access to that group level are able to make changes to the whole group.
For insteance, if the event was created for the whole organization, you need to view the events for the whole organization to apply the adjustments.
Only the selected group and any groups below
If an event has been created on a higher group level (e.g., the whole organization), but you want to make adjustments to the event only for a specific district, unit, or section, then you need to make the adjustment on the group level for which you want the adjustment to apply.
Adjustments made on a lower group level will apply to the selected group (e.g., Unit A) and any groups below (Section X, Section Y, and Section Z). The group column in the event table will change to the group for which the overwrite adjustment was made.
Any further adjustments made to the event on the group level for which the event was created will no longer apply to the group (and the groups below) for which the overwrite adjustment was made.
Restoring Event configurations
If an edit has been made to an event on a lower group level (e.g., Unit A) than the group, the event was created for (e.g., the whole organization), a different event configuration applies than the general configuration of that event. It is not possible to delete the event on a lower group level even though the event configuration has changed since the event still was created on a higher group level. However, by setting the effect of the event to 0% within the manual configuration, the event will no longer impact the forecast levels within the selected group (e.g., Unit 1).
In case the adjustment made to the event configuration on a lower group level is no longer relevant, and the general configuration of the event should apply, it is possible to restore the configuration by selecting Restore. Once selected, the configuration will return to the general configuration, and any adjustments made to the event on a higher group level will once again apply to the selected group.
Deleting Events
Once an event is no longer relevant, the event can be deleted on the group level for which it was created. E.g., deleting an event created for a whole District A cannot be deleted when viewing the event on any units or sections within this district, but must be deleted on the district itself. It is therefore impossible to delete events for a higher group level when you only have access to a lower group level. However, by setting the effect of the event to 0% within the manual configuration, the event will no longer impact the forecast levels within the selected group (e.g., Unit 1) while it still impacts the forecast levels of all other levels within the group (e.g., District A).
Once an event has been deleted it will be removed from all levels within the selected group, including any levels where an adjustment overwrite might have been made. All forecast levels will be returned to the values without the event effect applied.
Event details panel
In the events panel, users with read or write access are able to get more details about a specific event. By selecting the event in the Events tab, the panel opens up, and you are able to see:
- The event category selected for the event
- Any relevant comments on the event
- The timeframe of the event
- The group that the event was created for
- Variables impacted by the event
- The effect of the event on the impacted variables is shown either as a percentage value or as an absolute value
Events and optimal headcount
When adding an event that increases or decreases, or sets to zero, the forecast values you also want to ensure that the optimal headcount values are adjusted to match that increase or decrease. Optimal headcounts can be calculated through Quinyx static and dynamic rules, calculated variables, or via the Quinyx labor standard algorithm.
Static rules, dynamic rules, and calculated variables
If you are using static rules, dynamic rules, or calculated variables to calculate your optimal headcount, the effect of the event on the optimal headcount will be automatically applied once the effect of the event has increased/decreased the underlying forecast configuration variables. As such you can ensure that the optimal headcount values still are relevant both with or without events applied to the forecasts.
Quinyx labor standard algorithm
If you are using the Quinyx labor standard algorithm to calculate your headcount based on a Quinyx demand forecast, the effect of the event on the forecast variables will not immediately increase or decrease the optimal headcount values. After you have added an event, you need to rerun the Demand Forecast from Quinyx in order for the effect to be applied.
Events in Pythia and Quinyx
If you already have events configured in Pythia (AI Optimization) and you want to start using events in Quinyx but want to ensure that the same event is not applied twice, please reach out to your Quinyx representative. Events can only be used either in Pythia (AI Optimization) or in Quinyx.
