---
title: "Getting started"
description: "Learn how Workforce Management is laid out and the terms it uses."
canonical: "https://docs.cm.com/customer-engagement/workforce-management-msc/getting-started"
---

# Getting started

> Learn how Workforce Management is laid out and the terms it uses.

Source: https://docs.cm.com/customer-engagement/workforce-management-msc/getting-started

This page explains how Workforce Management is organized and a few ideas that come back on every page.

## Open the app

Workforce Management is part of the CM.com platform. It opens on the **Dashboard**.

## Find your way around

Use the menu on the left to move between pages.

| Menu item | What you use it for |
| - | - |
| **Dashboard** | Monitor live activity for the departments, clusters and channels you choose |
| **Departments** | Compare the performance of all departments at a glance |
| **Forecast** | See the expected conversation volume for the next 7 days and how many agents to roster |
| **Clusters** | Group departments together |
| **Settings** | See your account details (at the bottom of the menu) |

\[The Workforce Management menu and the Dashboard page]

## Words you will see

- **Department** — A team or queue in your account that handles conversations
- **Cluster** — A group of departments that you create, so you can look at them together. See [Clusters](https://docs.cm.com/customer-engagement/workforce-management-msc/clusters)
- **Channel** — The way customers contact you, such as Voice, WhatsApp, Webchat or Email
- **Agent** — A person who handles conversations
- **Voice** — Phone calls handled through the platform
- **Instant** — Conversations in channels where customers expect a quick reply, such as chat
- **Backlog** — Conversations that are open and still need handling

You can find more explanations in the [Glossary and FAQ](https://docs.cm.com/customer-engagement/workforce-management-msc/glossary).

## How the data stays up to date

- **Dashboard** — Numbers update by themselves as calls and conversations change. You do not need to refresh the page.
- **Departments** and **Forecast** — Open the page again to see the latest figures.

## Choosing a time range

The **Dashboard** and **Departments** pages show results for a period of time. By default this is **Today**, which means from midnight until now in your chosen time zone.

You can switch to **Last 1 hour**, **Last 3 hours**, **Last 6 hours**, **Last 12 hours**, or pick your own starting date and time. The time range goes back to **Today** each time you open a page, so choose it again if you need something different.

See [Dashboard](https://docs.cm.com/customer-engagement/workforce-management-msc/dashboard#choose-the-time-range) for the full steps.

## Where to go next

- Want to see what is happening right now? Go to the [Dashboard](https://docs.cm.com/customer-engagement/workforce-management-msc/dashboard)
- Planning next week's schedule? Go to the [Forecast](https://docs.cm.com/customer-engagement/workforce-management-msc/forecast)