Improve contact center operations with shift-based routing in Dynamics 365 Contact Centre

Improve contact center operations with shift-based routing (Optimizing work distribution by aligning Unified Routing with real-time workforce schedules).

Real-time User Journey

This journey illustrates how shift-based routing prevents customer interactions from “getting lost” when agents log off:

1. Incoming Request: A customer starts a live chat at 4:55 PM regarding an urgent billing issue.
2. Shift Check: The Unified Routing engine doesn’t just check if agents are “Available” (green status); it consults the Shift Schedule.
3. Filtered Selection: Agent A is available but their shift ends at 5:00 PM. Agent B is available and their shift runs until 8:00 PM.
4. Intelligent Assignment: The system bypasses Agent A (to prevent a mid-conversation disconnect or a forced transfer) and routes the chat directly to Agent B.
5. Seamless Resolution: Agent B has ample time to resolve the issue within their scheduled hours. Agent A is able to clock out exactly on time without being “trapped” by a late-arriving work item.
6. Off-Hours Handling: If a request comes in when no shifts are active, the system automatically triggers the “Out of Hours” workflow (e.g., routing to a bot or creating a callback) rather than letting the chat ring in an empty queue.

Step-by-Step: How to Enable This Feature

To transition from standard availability routing to shift-based routing, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Admin Center Access

Sign in to the Customer Service admin center or Contact Center admin center.

• Step 2: Enable Workforce Management

Navigate to Operations > Workforce Management. Ensure that Shift Planning is active and that agent shifts have been populated in the system.

• Step 3: Configure Assignment Methods

Navigate to Routing > Queues. Select a queue and go to the Assignment method section.

• Step 4: Create/Edit Assignment Rule

Select a custom assignment method and go to the Rules tab. Under the Prioritization or Assignment logic, look for the “Check agent availability” setting.

• Step 5: Toggle Shift-Based Routing

Enable the toggle for “Assign work only to agents with active shifts.” * Step 6: Define Buffer Time (Optional)

Set a “buffer period” (e.g., 15 minutes). This ensures that if a chat takes 20 minutes on average, no new chats are assigned to an agent within 15 minutes of their shift ending.

• Step 7: Save and Verify

Save the settings. Use Routing Diagnostics to confirm that work items are being correctly ignored by agents who are “Available” but not currently on a scheduled shift.

Infographic: Benefits of Shift-based Routing

Benefit	Impact on Agents	Impact on Customers
Reduced Transfers	Agents aren’t forced to hand off chats at the end of their shift.	Better continuity; no need to repeat information to a second agent.
Punctual Log-offs	Improves work-life balance by preventing “last-minute” assignments.	Faster resolution as agents aren’t rushing to finish a shift.
Optimized Capacity	Work is only given to those with the time to finish it.	Lower abandonment rates during shift changeovers.
Presence Accuracy	Status is ignored if the agent isn’t officially “on the clock.”	Ensures interactions don’t “stuck-ring” to an agent who forgot to log out.

References

Improve contact center operations with shift-based routing