Optimization of Schedules

Because most service costs include labor, efficient use of labor is a primary goal of a service organization. Efficiency encompasses numerous objectives. Some objectives can conflict with each other. Examples of objectives follow:

• Assign field service engineers who have the appropriate skills and parts to tasks so that they can resolve service requests the first time.

• Because skilled engineers can finish a task faster, assign these engineers to more challenging work so that their time is not wasted on trivial tasks.

• Minimize travel between activities by grouping activities in an area.

• Schedule engineers so that they appear on site within contractually committed times.

The Optimizer provides automated, background optimization of the schedule for service activities and optimal use of resources in each service region.