Add an Activity Filter to a Routing Plan

You can use filters to prioritize certain types of activities or resources over others during the routing process. Filters are an alternative to using another routing plan for prioritization.

Before you start

You must create the filter, set the conditions, and make the filter available for routing first. To make the filter available for routing, ensure that the Routing check box is selected. In addition, ensure that the filter designated for routing doesn't have any dynamic filter conditions.

To configure routing parameters:

Here's what to do

1. Navigate to the Routing Profiles screen and find the routing plan that you want to add the filter to.
2. Click the Modify link.
3. Expand the Filters section of the Edit Routing Plan screen.
4. Click the Add activity filters group button.
5. Select the filter that you want to add to the routing plan from the Activities drop-down list.
   A drop-down list is displayed.
6. Select the type of activities to which the filter should be applied from the second drop-down list (if any).

   • Non-scheduled activities in the routing bucket. These activities are not currently on any route. They are not assigned to time slots or resources. Routing will attempt to route them during the next run.

   • Activities in the routing bucket. These activities are not currently on any route. They are assigned to time slots, but are not assigned to resources. Routing will attempt to route them during the next run.

   • Preassigned non-scheduled activities. These activities are already assigned to resources, but they are not assigned to time slots. You can use reoptimization to automatically move these activities during the routing process.

   You can add the filter for Activities in existing routes by clicking the Add activity filter link. These activities are already assigned to resources and time slots. You can use reoptimization to automatically move these activities during the routing process.

7. Optional: Under Assignment Cost, assign a cost to this filter.
   In general, the higher the cost, the less desirable the assignment. If you select Do not assign, activities of that type can never be assigned to a resource that meets this filter condition.
8. Repeat these steps to add additional filters to the routing plan. Arrange the filters in the order that you want them to be applied using drag and drop. The filters are applied in chronological order starting at the top of the list. The * (Other) filter is always applied last.
9. Click OK.

Assignment Cost for Multiple Activity Filters

In this example, the routing strategy includes these steps:

• Do not assign work to contractors.

• Assign activities to In-house resources before all others.

The Contractors filter has the assignment cost Do not assign so that activities are never assigned to contractors.

The In-House filter has a lower assignment cost than the * (Other) filter so that in-house personnel receive activities before all other resources.