Overview: Workforce allows general managers to generate a schedule with optimization to ensure that all parameters are considered when planning time for their team. Optimisation helps managers create efficient schedules by considering employee availability, contract constraints, staffing needs, and peak demand periods. The optimiser generates the best possible schedule within the given parameters.
Start from: The Workforce dashboard.
Conditions to use the optimization feature
To ensure compatibility with the GIR2 shift planner, optimization in the new scheduler follows specific conditions:
Available only in weekly view: Optimization applies to the currently selected week only.
Limited to a single business unit: Users cannot optimize shifts across multiple business units simultaneously.
Requires a complete week: If any days are missing, the optimizer cannot provide an optimal solution.
Uses the ASTE1 optimization engine, the same one used in GIR2.
Week status must be "Ongoing": Only weeks in this status can be optimized.
One optimization per business unit per user at a time: A user cannot launch another optimization for the same week and center until the previous one is completed. However, optimizations for different weeks or business units can run simultaneously.
Key configurations for best optimization results
To achieve the best possible outcomes, the following elements must be properly configured:
Business Unit Opening Hours
The system relies on well-defined opening hours to determine when the business is operational.
Ensures shifts are not scheduled outside business hours or in night-rate periods.
To know more, see Set up working hours.
Employee Contract Restrictions
Defines the number of workdays per week, contractual working hours, and whether variable or overtime hours can be used.
Considers scheduling restrictions for specific days.
To know more, see Set work restriction periods for an employee and Create new contracts.
Work Assignments
Ensures shifts align with staffing requirements, minimizing understaffing (which affects service quality) and overstaffing (which increases costs).
How to use optimization
Navigate to Scheduling > Scheduler 2.0.
Configure the following Parameters:
Select the start date and end date.
Note: You must select a full week.
Select a Business Unit.
Note: You must select a single Business Unit.
Select Accept.
To know more about the Parameterization, see Access the scheduler.
Once in the grid, ensure you are in the Weekly view.
When these conditions are met, the Optimizer button becomes available in the upper-right corner.
Using the optimization panel
Selecting Optimizer opens a panel where users can configure their optimization settings.
Optimization method
Currently, the system supports Free Optimization, which automatically generates the best possible schedule based on existing data.
Configuration options
Users can customize the optimization process by selecting any combination of the following options:
Enable additional hours: Allows variable hours to be scheduled beyond fixed contractual hours.
Enable overtime: Permits scheduling overtime hours if necessary.
Respect fixed time off: Ensures employees’ contractual rest days are maintained.
Respect planned shifts: Keeps already scheduled shifts unchanged in the optimized result.
Prioritize peak-time staffing: Ensures experienced employees are scheduled during high-demand periods.
Assign shifts for all fixed hours: Ensures employees reach their fixed contractual hours, even if it results in a less optimized schedule.
Note: These settings can be used together without conflicts to refine the final schedule.
Processing and applying the optimized schedule
Once settings are confirmed, the optimization request is sent for processing. During this time:
No other optimizations can be launched for the same business unit, week, and user.
A Processing indicator appears on the Optimization button.
Users can continue working on other weeks, business units, or exit the scheduler.
Once complete, users receive a notification when they return to the same center and week, indicating that the solution is ready to apply.
Applying or discarding the optimized schedule
When optimization is complete, users have two choices:
Apply the optimized schedule: The new shift plan is immediately implemented.
Discard the optimized schedule: The solution is permanently removed (to recover it, a new optimization must be run).
If the applied schedule is unsatisfactory, users can:
Manually adjust shifts.
Delete the entire schedule and rerun optimization for a fresh plan.