What is Erlang Calculator?

An Erlang Calculator is a mathematical computation that lets you figure out how many people you'll need to handle a certain amount of requests while maintaining a certain quality of service.

It is based on the Erlang C formula (a derivative of the Poisson distribution) developed by Danish mathematician A.K. Erlang over a century ago. The formula is complex, but if you learned arithmetic at a fair level in school, it should be quite simple to follow.

Simply input the number of phone calls you get in a certain period (for example, every half hour), as well as the average duration of the calls and the service level you desire.

C Calculator Formats in Erlang

Erlang calculators are available in two major types.

1.Erlang Calculators based on Excel

Because of the intricacy of mathematics, this Excel-based worksheet relies on macros, automated input sequences, or add-ins to complete the computations. While some individuals have been able to conduct the function without utilizing macros (by using the Poisson function), this usually necessitates the use of numerous rows or columns to get the desired results.

Pros

• It's simple to put together a small labour management system.
• Flexible — run what-if functions and compare whole days or weeks of calls centre with ease.

Cons

• Macros must be turned on for this to work.

• Shrinkage is often overlooked.

• Only work with up to 200 agents regularly (700 agents tend to be the absolute limit for double-precision floating-point numbers).

• Between 20% and 40% of all handcrafted spreadsheets include mistakes.

There is a new generation of Erlang calculators that may be found online.

Pros

• These are straightforward to test and are readily available online.
• For what-if scenarios, this is ideal.
• Some people can execute computations that include more than 700 agents.
• There is no need to download any software or install possibly dangerous macros on your computer.

Cons

• The majority of calculations do not account for shrinking.
• Quality control is limited.
• There are almost 700 agents with errors. For a high number of agents, several online Erlang calculators generate incorrect answers.

Erlang C's Benefits

For all types of contact centres, Erlang C is a valuable formula. Based on recent or predicted call volume and average call time, it offers a decent — if imperfect — an estimate of staffing requirements. It allows managers to forecast incoming calls and make staffing decisions to increase operational efficiency and timeliness.

The majority of callers despise being kept waiting. Erlang C provides a mathematical method for ensuring employee availability and thereby reducing client wait times. Managers may set the desired service level and then utilize Erlang C to staff the call centre correctly to reduce wait times, cut expenses, and improve customer satisfaction (CX).