--- 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 --- # Schedule Adherence # Schedule Adherence in Workforce Optimization for ITSM {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Schedule Adherence in Workforce Optimization for ITSM Schedule Adherence in Workforce Optimization for ITSM enables you to analyze how closely your agents follow their assigned work schedules and whether they complete their total scheduled work time. This insight helps optimize staffing, improve demand forecasting, and identify coaching opportunities to enhance agent performance. Note that starting with the Brazil release, this feature is being prepared for future deprecation but will remain supported in existing instances. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Adherence vs. Conformance:** Adherence tracks how well agents stick to scheduled times, while conformance measures work done regardless of timing. * **Manager Capabilities:** Managers can monitor team schedule compliance, set adherence targets, view detailed time attendance (clock-in/out), analyze historical work patterns, and adjust clock times as needed. * **Administrator Controls:** Administrators can configure threshold percentages and formulas used to calculate adherence and conformance metrics. * **Agent Actions:** Agents can clock in and out of shifts directly within the Service Operations Workspace. * **Workflow Integration:** The system automatically records clock-in and clock-out events based on agent presence status changes, generating daily KPIs such as Start Time, End Time, Planned Work, Time Worked, Adherence%, and Conformance%. * **Extension Points and Configuration:** Custom scripts can be integrated for enhanced adherence tracking, and properties can be configured to tailor adherence and conformance calculations to your operational needs. ## Key Outcomes * Gain historical insights into agent schedule adherence to optimize staffing and improve forecasting accuracy. * Identify inefficient or non-value-adding agent activities to streamline operations. * Empower managers to coach agents based on adherence data to improve team performance. * Enhance operational efficiency by configuring adherence metrics aligned with your organizational goals. Analyze how closely your agents adhere to their scheduled activities. You can also analyze whether they complete the total time they were scheduled to work. Use these metrics to align your staffing needs better and forecast the demand for agents more effectively. 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. Adherence measures how closely agents follow their schedule to complete their assigned work. Conformance measures the work completed regardless of when it was completed. Use Schedule Adherence to: * Gain insights into how agent resources were historically used and plan your staffing needs based on that data. * Measure whether the effort spent on [forecasting agent demand](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/oezBsta7wiFq_luU_G4bbw "Learn how you can use Demand Forecast to predict resources based on historical data.") and scheduling team members is used in an optimal manner. * Discover coaching opportunities for your agents when you find gaps in their adherence. For more information, see [Coaching](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/oIMScP7tQlZ3Flm5mwfsew "Learn how you can review and assess the quality of the interactions and tasks completed by your teams. You can enhance the skills set of your teams by assigning training that is based on those assessments. You can also add skills to the profiles of your teams after they get trained."). {#schedule-adherence-configurable-itsm__ul_rgj_cwq_cqb} As a manager, you can do the following actions: * Gain insights into whether your team is complying with published schedules. * Increase your team's performance by setting expected adherence targets. * View the time attendance of your agents by looking at such details as clock-in and clock-out times. * Analyze the historical time attendance of your team members. * View planned versus actual historical data for your team and individual agents. * Modify the clock-in and clock-out times of your agents. {#schedule-adherence-configurable-itsm__ul_l1n_yzc_2lb} As an administrator, you can set the threshold percentages and change the formulas for calculating schedule adherence and conformance. As an agent, you can clock-in to and clock-out of your work shift. For more information, see [Service Operations Workspace - Scheduling](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/~Ykt1slQnzIiwlCtJBwWqw "Use Service Operations Workspace to manage your schedule."). Here's a typical schedule adherence and conformance workflow: 1. The administrator sets the Agent Time Work Event Trigger business rule as active to record the clock-in and clock-out times of Workforce Optimization for ITSM agents. 2. An agent works for the ITSM team and reports to a manager. Let's assume this scenario is a typical work day: 1. The agent logs in to ITSM Agent Workspace . 2. The agent changes the presence status to Available and starts work. The clock-in event gets generated. 3. The agent changes the presence status to Break and goes for lunch. The clock-out event gets generated. 4. When the agent comes back from lunch and answers a phone call, the presence state becomes Busy and the clock-in event gets generated. 5. The agent then logs out from CSM Agent Workspace or changes the presence status to Offline. The clock-out event gets generated. 6. At the end-of-the-day, the agent's time worked summary is generated with key performance indicators (KPIs), such as Start Time, End Time, Planned Work, Time Not Worked, Available Non Planned Time, Time Worked, and Adherence%, Conformance %. {#schedule-adherence-configurable-itsm__ol_nsw_1kb_cqb} 3. The agent's manager logs in to Manager Workspace to view the agent's time worked in the Team Calendar. The manager can also view the agent's actual time worked and working pattern for all historical days. If required, the manager can coach the agent to a desired performance that fits in with the team culture. {#schedule-adherence-configurable-itsm__ol_qmv_sm4_2qb} * **[Monitor schedule adherence of your agents](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/2yXuOlLu_G4ZT6OShYemzA)** Evaluate whether or not your agents are adhering to their assigned schedules. Look for areas where agent activities that do not offer much value can be reduced or eliminated and fine-tune your staffing levels requirements based on their adherence. * **[Use time-worked summary to analyze agent schedule adherence and conformance](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Hn4FRi7KRO4E78vufUi4Qg)** Analyze if your teams are adhering to planned schedules. Use historical adherence to see how well your agents have followed their schedules in the past. * **[Schedule adherence extension points in Workforce Optimization for ITSM](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/UIsi7LZRoIqug1C_~lasIQ)** Use the schedule adherence extension points to call custom scripts for agent schedule adherence and conformance. * **[Configure properties for schedule adherence and conformance](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/8UyIGPpEdBMKL_tL_nylcA)** Configure schedule adherence properties to calculate the adherence and conformance of your agents so that you can improve the operational efficiency of your organization.