---
sourceDocument: Australia IT Service Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/it-service-management
Release :
- australia
ft:locale :
- en-US
ft:publication_title :
- Australia IT Service Management
ft:clusterId :
- itsm
bundleId :
- itsm
workflow :
- Technology
---
# Demand Forecast
# Demand Forecast in Workforce Optimization for ITSM {#ariaid-title1}
Release version: Australia
Updated March 12, 2026
 3 minutes to read
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## Summary of Demand Forecast in Workforce Optimization for ITSM
Demand Forecast in Workforce Optimization for ITSM enables ServiceNow customers to predict required staffing resources based on historical data.
Using MetricBase, it forecasts the number of agents needed to handle interactions and resolve incidents throughout the day.
This capability helps managers anticipate workload fluctuations and optimize team staffing accordingly.
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**Important:** Starting with the Brazil release, Workforce Optimization for ITSM is being prepared for future deprecation. It will not be installed on new instances but will continue to be supported for existing customers.
## Key Features
* **Data Collection Definitions:** Define specific conditions to collect relevant data for incidents, interactions, or any chosen table to inform forecasting.
* **Formula Parameters:** Configure numeric or scripted parameters used in formulas that calculate the required resource count per hour.
* **Resource Conversion Formulas:** Create formulas that translate forecasted demand (e.g., number of incidents) into the number of necessary agents.
* **Group Forecast Configuration:** Link resource conversion formulas to assignment groups to tailor forecasts per team.
* **Forecast Management:** Managers with the forecast admin role can create multiple forecast scenarios, preview time-series data, and manually adjust forecasts to reflect special conditions such as holidays or expected demand spikes.
* **Scheduled Jobs:** Automate data collection and forecasting with scheduled jobs that gather daily and historical data (up to three years) and generate hourly resource forecasts stored in MetricBase.
* **Visualization:** View predicted agent demand on a calendar interface, including weekly staffing levels, enabling easy planning and resource allocation.
## Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers
ServiceNow customers can leverage Demand Forecast to:
* Collect and analyze historical interaction and incident data to understand workload patterns.
* Create customized forecast formulas and parameters that convert workload into agent staffing needs.
* Associate forecasts with specific assignment groups to ensure team-level accuracy.
* Preview and adjust forecast scenarios in real time to account for upcoming events impacting demand.
* Utilize scheduled jobs to maintain up-to-date forecasting data without manual intervention.
* Use calendar visualizations to plan shifts and staffing, improving operational efficiency and service quality.
## Next Steps
To implement Demand Forecast:
* Set up Data Collection Definitions to start gathering relevant data.
* Create and configure forecast parameters and resource conversion formulas.
* Associate formulas with assignment groups to tailor forecasts.
* Review forecasts in the Workforce Optimization for ITSM Manager Workspace and make manual adjustments as needed.
* Monitor forecasted demand on the calendar to optimize team scheduling.
Learn how you can use Demand Forecast to predict resources based on historical
data.
Important:
Starting with the Brazil release, Workforce Optimization for ITSM is being prepared for future deprecation. It will be hidden and no longer installed on new instances but will continue to be supported. For details, see the [Deprecation Process \[KB0867184\]](https://support.servicenow.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0867184) article in the Now Support Knowledge Base.
The video below shows an overview of the Demand Forecast application.
Demand Forecast uses [MetricBase](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=metricbase&version=australia&pubname=australia-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US) to forecast the demand for teams.
When you create demand forecast configurations, the application creates metrics:
* To forecast the number of agents you need for interactions.
* To resolve incidents throughout a given day.
{#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__ul_kk5_htj_rnb}
Note:
You can create forecast configurations for any table.
## Analyzing Demand Forecast resource prediction {#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__section_g22_vcd_x4b}
Watch this video to see how you can model demand scenarios and view updated demand on the
calendar.
As a manager with the forecast admin role, you can create forecast parameters in the Workforce Optimization for ITSM Manager Workspace. [Modify forecast parameters to
visualize forecast data](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/e0~lqCVqDVVyhoJpwPLjxQ "Configure and tweak forecast parameters to see how the forecast behaves when you vary the period length, periods to forecast, or algorithm. You can view the modified forecast on the time-series visualization.") and preview time-series data
before publishing it. You can create any number of forecasts to preview the time-series data
in real time.
You can also make manual adjustments to tweak the forecast and analyze the forecast
pattern. You can overlay the manual adjustments on the visualized forecast data and view the
time-series data to analyze the forecast model. For example, if you have a specific pattern
for the upcoming week but you know that a national holiday falls in the middle of the week
where you need more agents because you expect the sales to go up, you can manually tweak the
forecast to increase it by 10% and analyze that data.
## Demand Forecast {#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__section_pc3_chj_3nb}
The Demand Forecast application includes the following four modules:{#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__table_s33_t3j_3nb__entry__2}
| Module Name | Description |
|-|-|
| Data Collection Definitions | Set conditions to define the data you want to collect for incidents, interactions, or any table. |
| Formula Parameters | Add parameters to be defined in the formula to calculate the resource count per hour in a day. |
| Resource Conversion Formula | Add formulas to convert forecast to resources. |
| Group Forecast Configuration | Associate the configured formula for resource conversion to groups. |
[Table 1. Demand forecast application modules]
{#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__table_s33_t3j_3nb}
As a forecast admin (sn_agent_forecast.admin), you can forecast the number of agents you
need for a shift.
To forecast the demand:
1. Collect data by defining data collection definitions
2. Create forecast parameters.
3. Create formulas to convert the forecasting number of incidents into the number of resources you must respond to those incidents.
4. Associate the formulas to assignment groups.
5. View the predicted demand on the calendar.
{#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__ol_opc_mhj_3nb}
Note:
Refer to [Demand Forecast in Workforce
Optimization for ITSM configurable workspace](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/f1obsmt3igTlOYZYWQqUAw "Workforce Optimization for ITSM installs roles to administer ITSM Manager Workspace Demand Forecast, properties to configure default behavior, scheduled jobs to collect data for the configurations, tables to store data, forecast configurations to collect data for incidents and interactions and a retention policy to store metric data.") for information on default components and configurations installed with Demand Forecast.
## Collect data by defining data collection definitions {#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__section_ghn_mhj_3nb}
Use the Data Collection Definitions application to define the data
you want to collect for forecasting agents.
* Use the Collect daily data for automated forecast configurations scheduled job to gather data for the metrics defined in the data collection definitions. The scheduled job fetches the records from the previous day for each hour and for every assignment group. It stores this data in the MetricBase.
You can access the time
series for the collected data using the MetricBase `list` on the Group
\[sys_user_group\] table. For more information on accessing MetricBase data, refer to
[Access MetricBase data using the
list command](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=view-time-series-data&version=australia&pubname=australia-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US).
* Use the Collect historical data for automated forecast configurations on-demand job to collect hourly historical data. This job collects data for the past three years.
* Use the Forecast resources for future scheduled job to forecast the resources based on the collected data. The scheduled job stores the data in the Agent Forecast metric in MetricBase. Refer to the [forecast properties](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/f1obsmt3igTlOYZYWQqUAw "Workforce Optimization for ITSM installs roles to administer ITSM Manager Workspace Demand Forecast, properties to configure default behavior, scheduled jobs to collect data for the configurations, tables to store data, forecast configurations to collect data for incidents and interactions and a retention policy to store metric data.") to set the collection frequency such as the number of days you must collect the data. You can use this information to calculate the forecast or the time period for which you want to store the data.
{#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__ul_cs1_jcb_3nb}
Note:
The time series metrics created for data collection definitions use the WFO Forecast retention policy. This policy stores data at a one-hour interval for the past three years.
## Create formula parameters {#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__section_hsz_qhj_3nb}
Use numeric values or a script to define parameters to use in the formula for forecasting.
Refer to the [resource forecast
configurations](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/f1obsmt3igTlOYZYWQqUAw "Workforce Optimization for ITSM installs roles to administer ITSM Manager Workspace Demand Forecast, properties to configure default behavior, scheduled jobs to collect data for the configurations, tables to store data, forecast configurations to collect data for incidents and interactions and a retention policy to store metric data.") for the configured resource
forecast formulas available by default.
## Associate formulas to assignment groups {#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__section_xf4_5hj_3nb}
To convert the number of incidents to agents, associate assignment groups to the
resource-conversion formula.
## View the predicted demand on the calendar {#explore-demand-forecast-configurable-wfo-itsm__section_ejh_whj_3nb}
The data collected by the Agent Forecast metric in MetricBase is used to
forecast the agents you need for each hour in a day. This data is displayed on the team
calendar. In a Week view for the calendar, it displays the staffing levels for a given
week.
**Related tasks**
* [Set up Demand Forecast](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/XP2yDjb6AVX~Vl_B7Zqe5g "Define the data that you want to collect for incidents, interactions, or any table to forecast the number of agents that you require for your staffing needs.")