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Schedule Horizons

The ABS and Optimizer define the following time periods for scheduling of activities:

• Glued period. A time period, starting from today, when no scheduling of activities is permitted. This period is required to prevent changes to schedules and assignments that are already sent to field service engineers. A glued period is not required; you can set it to 0.
• Contract Scheduling period. The period of time in days for scheduling immediately pending activities for a specific service region. Typically, this period covers days 2 to 8 (starting from the end of the Glued period to a week from today).
• Optimizer horizon. A period of time that includes the Contract Scheduling period. This is the time period within which the Optimizer operates.
• ABS horizon. The period of time in days for scheduling future activities extending from the end of the Optimizer Horizon to some time in the future; for example, a month from today or days 9-30.

Both the ABS and the Optimizer horizons are represented by a single time line (Figure 2), because both are measured from a current time (that is, the time for loading data (see Loading and Reloading Service Region Data).

Figure 2 shows an example of how these time periods are typically defined. The Glued period is day 1. The Contract Scheduling period is days 2 through 7. The Optimizer horizon, which spans the Contract Scheduling period, is days 2 through 7. The ABS horizon is days 8 through 21, and appointment booking is done for that period of time.

Figure 2.  Scheduling Horizons

Activities move from right to left along this time line. For example, a service activity may follow this scenario:

• An appointment to perform an activity is booked into a time slot some time 8 to 15 days from now. The ABS assigns the activity to an employee during the ABS horizon.
• As the days go by, the scheduled activity moves closer to today. On day 8, it moves from the ABS horizon to the Optimizer horizon. In the Optimizer horizon, the Optimization Engine evaluates the schedule and determines the best time and person to carry out the service activity, while trying to minimize the costs of a schedule.
• The activity remains in the Optimizer horizon for 6 days, where the Optimization Engine may adjust the schedule at regular intervals, at least once each day. This readjustment may be necessary because of changes in personnel, emergency service calls, or service activities that are regulated by contractual commitments (for example, a warranty repair required within 12 hours).
• On day 1, the Glued period begins and the schedule for the activities in a service region is locked.