What I’m proposing I’d like to propose adding a proper Roster / Shift / Coverage management feature to the platform. Tool link : https://script.google.com/a/macros/sleekflow.io/s/AKfycbxbYBvtYNmF7fswX1aq6WihfxVdTEPwRv8ZrwNrv-CUXPzm-XHyElrzrZaeb4d0dZQE/exec I actually built a working version of this myself using the platform API and Google Apps Script, mainly because there are a few things we currently have to manage manually. I’m sharing the tool and screenshots with the team so you can see the workflow I have in mind and potentially use it as a reference for a native version of the feature. The current version already covers a good part of the workflow. ### What is already supported in my tool * Recurring weekly rosters * Agent working hours * Time zone support * Multiple backup agents * Manager / Team Lead access * Marking agents as out of office * Leave requests * Selecting backup agents for leave * Reassigning open conversations * Adding another agent as a collaborator instead of reassigning the conversation ## The main feature I think we should add: Shifts I think having actual shifts would make this much more useful. For example, a team could have: Shift 1 10 AM – 7 PM → Agent 1 Shift 2 3 PM – 12 AM → Agent 2 This also gives us a much better way of handling handovers. When Agent 1's shift ends at 7 PM, the system could look at their open conversations and give us different options for what should happen. ### Option 1 — Reassign Move all eligible open conversations from Agent 1 to Agent 2. ### Option 2 — Add as collaborator Keep the conversation assigned to Agent 1 but add Agent 2 as a collaborator so they can take over the conversation. ### Option 3 — Different rules There could also be different rules depending on how the team wants to work. For example, we could potentially reassign conversations that are waiting for a response while leaving conversations that are actively being handled with the original agent. The important part is that the manager should be able to decide what happens rather than having one fixed behavior. --- Agent Chat Capping Another feature I think would be very useful is chat capping per agent . For example: Agent 1 Maximum active chats: 10 Once Agent 1 reaches 10 active conversations, new conversations should be routed to another available agent instead of continuing to add work to Agent 1. This becomes even more useful when combined with shifts. For example: Agent 1 * Shift: 10 AM – 7 PM * Chat cap: 10 Agent 2 * Shift: 3 PM – 12 AM * Chat cap: 12 As Agent 1 gets closer to the end of their shift, we could stop assigning new conversations to them once they reach their limit and allow Agent 2 to take the additional volume. This would help avoid situations where an agent gets a large number of chats shortly before their shift ends, only for those chats to then need to be handed over a short time later. --- Leave & Out-of-Office The current tool also allows us to mark an agent as out of office for a specific day or period and select who should cover them. For example: Agent 1 — Out of office: Monday Backup: Agent 2 + Agent 3 The system can then use the selected backup configuration and either: * Reassign the open conversations * Add the backup agent as a collaborator This could also work with the roster, so the manager doesn't have to manually update everything when someone takes leave. --- What I think is missing / could be added Since some of the functionality is already supported, the areas I'd mainly like to see considered are: * Shift management * Automatic shift handovers * Agent chat capping * Automated roster generation * Alerts when there is no backup/coverage available * Leave approval workflow * Coverage/workload reporting The first two are probably the most important from my perspective, especially shifts + chat capping , because they can directly affect how conversations are assigned and handed over throughout the day. ## Current Proof of Concept I've already built the core workflow using the platform API through Google Apps Script , so this isn't just a theoretical use case. The tool is currently being used as a proof of concept to manage the roster, working hours, leave, backup agents and conversation handovers. I'll attach screenshots of the tool so the Product team can see how the workflow currently works. The intention would be to take what works from this proof of concept and potentially build it properly into the platform rather than having teams rely on an external Apps Script tool. Ultimately, the idea is to have the roster and the conversation assignment logic work together: Who is working → What shift are they on → How many chats can they handle → Who covers them → What happens to their open chats when they leave or finish their shift.
