This template belongs to the workforce schedule exceptions guide. Unlike a form, it is written as prose, because workforce directors forward notes, not spreadsheets.
Before you fill it in
Three conditions should hold before the note is worth writing.
- The workforce director agreed to the conversation. The note records what they told you. It is not a summary of what you saw while working in their WFM platform.
- You can answer most blanks from memory of that conversation. If you need to log in to check, the blank stays as "to be confirmed".
- No individual is identifiable. Schedules, adherence and time cards describe employees. The note talks about record classes and counts, never people.
The fill-in note
Copy the text below and replace each bracketed blank.
Subject: [Company], workforce schedule exception history
[Company] is a [sector] operation in [country] with about [full-time headcount at peak, contractors excluded] full-time employees, running [channels] support.
Task. Re-planning staff when [type of event] changes contact volume.
Records and systems. [Forecasts and reforecast versions / override requests with approvals and reason codes / interval service levels], held in [WFM platform], joined to [incident tickets] in [ticketing system].
Coverage. About [years] of forecasts; override reasons recorded consistently from [year].
Volume. Roughly [range] exception days a year, estimated by [who], not counted from records.
Authority. [Workforce director] convenes; [HR and counsel] advise; the CEO approves.
Open question. [One thing the history might show that nobody has checked.]
Where each answer comes from
| Blank | Ask | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Headcount and channels | How many full-time employees at peak, and which channels? | Company website, HR |
| Type of event | What usually breaks the forecast: releases, outages, billing runs, weather? | Workforce director |
| Records and systems | Which record classes exist, and in which tools? | WFM manager |
| Coverage | How far back do forecasts go, and when did reason codes start? | WFM administrator |
| Volume | Roughly how many days a year needed intraday overrides? | Workforce director |
| Authority | Who would approve a licensing discussion? | Workforce director, then that executive |
| Open question | What would you want to know about your own exception days? | Your conversation |
Two coverage details are worth a follow-up. Forecast history can mean short-term forecasts used for scheduling or long-term forecasts used for capacity planning; Amazon Connect, for instance, documents short-term forecasts up to 18 weeks ahead and long-term forecasts up to 64 weeks ahead. And historical reports can shift meaning after a reconfiguration, since Zendesk documents that historical WFM report data reflects the configuration active when it was recorded. Ask which forecasts were kept and whether queues were restructured.
Amazon Connect
ZendeskCompleted note for a 410-person support operation (Illustrative)
Fictional, invented for this page; the same operation appears in the firmware release case. Not a real company or a completed deal.
Subject: Consumer electronics support, workforce schedule exception history
The company is a consumer electronics support operation in the United States with about 410 full-time employees, running voice and chat support for its own products.
Task. Re-planning staff when an unexpected product event changes contact volume.
Records and systems. Forecasts with reforecast versions, override requests with approvals and reason codes, and interval service levels, held in the WFM platform, joined to incident tickets in the ticketing system.
Coverage. About five years of forecasts; override reasons recorded consistently from year two.
Volume. Roughly 30 to 50 exception days a year, estimated by the workforce director from memory of the override log, not counted.
Authority. The workforce director convenes; HR and counsel advise; the CEO approves.
Open question. Whether override notes written in team chat before year two can be tied to the schedule changes they explain.
Why it works. Each sentence is about the records, not from them. The volume is a range and says how it was estimated. Authority names roles, and HR appears because the records describe employees. The open question is specific and testable during review. The client opportunity brief generator can reformat the same answers, and the warm introduction brief shows a covering message that discloses your possible referral reward.
What stays out, and what stays unknown
Out of the note: agent names, schedules, adherence scores, override note text, ticket numbers, exports, screenshots and logins. Also leave out any view on retention law. U.S. employers covered by the FLSA must keep time cards and work time schedules for at least two years under 29 CFR 516.6, but that duty is HR's to apply and says nothing about licensing.
Unknown until SourceX reviews it: buyer interest in this record type, the rights review outcome, the de-identification needed, and whether any offer is made. Why data rights matter covers why rights come first, the system map shows which joins the review will test, and who can license these records confirms the authority line. Operations winding down can also see BPO company closing.
Before sending: the company needs 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), a documented operating history, rights to license the records and an authorized contact. Companies in the U.S., Canada and the EU qualify, as do companies in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, South Africa, Latin America, the UAE and Saudi Arabia when at least 90% of the data is in English. Partners sign the Channel Partner Agreement before submitting introductions; credit goes to the first valid introduction within the 90-day window, recorded when the company submits a verified application.
Next step
Refer a company. Earn up to $100,000. Default reward: 25% of Actual Supplier Payout, capped at $100,000 cumulatively per referred company. Eligibility and payment conditions apply, and a signed Schedule A or addendum can differ. A lead, meeting or signature alone does not trigger payment.
When every blank is filled or marked "to be confirmed" and the approving executive has agreed to an introduction, register as a partner, confirm the company against who qualifies and read the program terms before you send the note.