In this article
Question
As a Coconut user, you want to understand how the “most available” statistic is calculated, and what it means for your organization.
Answer
The “most available” statistic is calculated through the following formula:
Most available = highest % free
% free = available time / working time
Available time = working time - booked time
Working time = amount of time the staff is working and can take appointments
Booked time = amount of time staff is already scheduled
Only time blocking off the schedule during the working hours will be considered for booked time, otherwise the staff could end up with inaccurate available time and % free values.
Example: Determining which staff will be selected based on most available
While booking an appointment, a client has chosen to see the times that are available for any staff rather than choosing a specific schedule to look at. They are then presented with the following times. Each time slot has a set of staff that are available to take the appointment.
Time slots when no specific staff is selected. The client chooses to book for 12 pm, which means the client will be booked with either Staff 2 or Staff 3.
Time Slot | Available Staff |
10 am | Staff 1
Staff 2 |
11 am | Staff 1
Staff 3 |
12 pm | Staff 2
Staff 3 |
When using the Most Available algorithm to choose the staff, the staff with the most free time will be selected.
The table below shows the ranks for three staff members based on how much time they have available for that day. Staff 2 and Staff 3 are the only ones that will be considered for this example.
Staff 1 | Staff 2 | Staff 3 | |
Working | 10 | 10 | 4 |
Appts | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Busy | 5 | 2 | 0 |
Available | 5 | 3 | 4 |
% free | 5/10
= 50% | 3/10
= 30% | 4/4
= 100% |
Rank | 2 | 3 | 1 |
In this example, Staff 3 (100% free) has a higher rank than Staff 2 (30% free). Staff 3 is assigned to the appointment.