Business Requirements for Schedules

Typically, businesses that schedule personnel have the following needs:

• Match the appropriate employee to an activity. (For example, the employee with the appropriate skills must complete the activity.)

• Minimize the cost of service. (For example, minimize overtime, down time, and travel.)

• Consider contractual commitments. (For example, a contract might indicate that service personnel must arrive onsite within 24 hours.)

Businesses schedule service for the following time spans:

• Emergencies today. Make sure that the best person can respond in the promised time frame.

• Activities that occur over the next 2 weeks. Make sure that the appropriate employees are efficiently utilized and not spending excess time traveling from site to site.

• The weeks and months ahead. Book future activities, such as preventive maintenance and installations, using available resources efficiently.