Siebel Field Service Guide > Scheduling Using Siebel Scheduler > Troubleshooting the Appointment Booking System and Optimizer >

Troubleshooting the Appointment Booking System


This topic includes some recommended values for the setup configurations and information that you can review if problems occur when using the ABS.

All of the following settings are required for running the ABS:

  • Service region for each activity
  • Values for the Earliest Start field and Latest Start field for each activity
  • Server key mappings
  • Time windows
  • Parameter set
  • Parameters, which include:
    • Month Start Date
    • Week Start Day
    • ABS - Days to Start
    • ABS - Days to End
    • Optimizer - Default Priority

Service Region Configuration

Service regions include the following information:

  • A defined schedule.
  • A defined time window.
  • A defined parameter set.
  • Employees who are assigned to a service region and who have a defined schedule.
  • ZIP codes (or postal codes for international users) that are associated with the service region. ZIP codes automatically associate service regions with activities.

Activity Configuration

Activities to schedule include the following information:

  • A defined service region.
  • A specified duration and work time. For testing purposes, set the duration and work time to 30 minutes.

    NOTE:  Work time can be less than or equal to the duration of the activity.

  • A cleared Lock Schedule check box in the Schedule view in the Activity List view of the Activities screen. If you use Assignment Manager, then clear the Lock Assignment check box.
  • A selected Allow Breaks check box if the activities are long. Long activities span more than a day, or the schedules include breaks.

Appointment Booking System Parameter Configuration

Table 7 describes the recommended settings for parameter values in the ABS.

Table 7. Recommended Parameter Values for the ABS
Parameter
Recommended Value

Month Start Date

Set this parameter to 1. This parameter is primarily relevant if you use constraints for monthly capacity.

Week Start Date

Set this parameter to 1. This parameter is primarily relevant if you use constraints for weekly capacity.

ABS - Days to Start

Set this parameter value to at least 0. To allow booking on the same day, set this parameter value to 0.

ABS - Days to End

Set this parameter to a value greater than the ABS - Days to Start value, but less than 60. Setting this value higher results in longer loading times and the possibility of exceeding the 10,000 record limit.

ABS - Logging Level

Set this parameter to 3, but when you encounter problems, set it to 4.This parameter is the logging level for the ABS. This logging level is not the same as the general logging level.

ABS - Default Number of Slots

Set this parameter to between 5 and 10.

ABS - Timeout

Set this parameter to 5.

Use Assignment Manager

For debugging purposes, set this parameter to 0 so that all employees in the service region who are on duty are considered. If you use Assignment Manager, then set this parameter to 1.

Schedule Configuration

For testing purposes, create a simple 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. schedule for both employees and the service region.

NOTE:  The service region schedule overrides the employee schedule. If the service region schedule indicates that employees do not work on weekends, then employees are not scheduled on weekends, even if their schedules indicate that they work on weekends.

Employee Configuration

All employees in the service region must have a defined schedule. For employees who do not have a defined schedule, create a schedule with no defined times. You might name this schedule Empty Schedule.

NOTE:  If you use Assignment Manager, then the employees must have the appropriate skills.

Time Window Configuration

Set up time windows contiguously. Make sure time windows are long enough to cover the maximum activity duration to schedule.

Server Key Mapping Configuration

To configure server key mapping, perform the following tasks:

  • Verify that the Appointment Booking Engine server component (ApptBook) for the service region is mapped to the correct Siebel Server.
  • Verify the total number of unique servers. You use this information to set server components. For more information, see Setting Parameters for Server Component Tasks.

Assignment Rule Configuration

If you use Assignment Manager, then perform the following tasks to configure assignment rules:

  • Check all assignment rules. In each rule, the Check Employee Calendar check box must be cleared. The ABS does not use this field.
  • Use Assignment Manager in interactive assignment mode to try to assign the activity. Select an activity record (in the List view of the Activities screen), click the menu button on the Activity form, and select the Assign command. If the Assignment Manager rules are set up correctly, then a list of candidates is returned for the activity.
  • For debugging purposes, it is recommended that you disable Assignment Manager by setting the Use Assignment Manager parameter to 0. For more information, see Appointment Booking System Parameter Configuration.

Appointment Booking System Constraint Set Configuration

Constraint sets can cause loading or booking problems if the constraints contradict each other. For testing purposes, set the constraint set in the service region to blank, and then check to see whether the problems no longer apply.

Disablement of Scripting on the Activity Business Object

If you check all the appropriate configuration values, and the problem still exists, then try disabling the scripting on the Activity business objects.

CAUTION:  The Action business component has numerous data integrity checks. Overriding or removing these checks can introduce subtle errors to the scheduling process.

Note the following recommendations when changing the Activity business objects, especially the Action business component:

  • Do not change the code around work time and duration.
  • Do not disable calculated field logic.
Siebel Field Service Guide Copyright © 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Legal Notices.