Scheduling best practices

The scheduling result is usually evaluated based on shift length and driving routes. When the result deviates from the norm, the cause is almost always in the task data or its constraints.

What to review first

If the scheduling result deviates from the norm, we recommend reviewing the tasks and their:

• task duration
• time window
• possible workers
• requirements
• address correctness on the map

review tasks, duration, time window, requirements, address

The algorithm trusts your data

The algorithm optimizes based on the data it has been given. In case of problems, verify that the data is correct: working times in work shifts, worker start addresses, and the task details above.

data quality, verify data, garbage in

When a day cannot be scheduled

If scheduling reports that a worker’s day cannot be scheduled at all, the usual cause is overlapping tasks already in the calendar — a physically impossible day — combined with Don’t move tasks to others or remove: the optimizer isn’t allowed to resolve the overlap by moving anything.

To fix it, drag the overlapping tasks apart manually, lock the ones you’ve reviewed, then re-run scheduling — or run with Tasks can be moved to others or removed instead. See Re-optimize days.

cannot be scheduled, overlapping tasks, impossible day, day skipped

Lock as late as possible

Locked tasks keep their exact time and assignee, so the optimizer must plan the rest of the day around them. Locking tasks before the day has been optimized freezes them in an essentially arbitrary order and produces waiting time between tasks that the optimizer cannot remove.

Optimize first, then lock. When a customer needs an exact time, optimize the day, lock that one task, and let later runs arrange the remaining tasks around it. To fix a whole reviewed day in place, you can lock its tasks one by one or lock a whole segment at once.

Allocator does not place new tasks outside working hours, but tasks you lock outside working hours stay where you locked them.

lock late, locked tasks, idle time, waiting, frozen order

Review days before locking

Make a habit of scanning the day headers — task time, driving distance and the shift-length color (red = overtime) — before locking a day. Unusual kilometer counts or long shifts are the fastest signal that a day needs another optimization run. See Reading the day summary.

daily review, kilometers, red header, outliers, before locking

troubleshooting, quality, route, unusual schedule, checklist