Fix Overlaps with an Automated Scheduling Flow
Tackle Field Service scheduling challenges with an automated flow that addresses and fixes schedule overlaps that occur due to an appointment ending late. Use the flow template recommendations or adjust the template to suit your specific use case. Fix Schedule Overlaps flow is available only when you're using Enhanced Scheduling and Optimization.
Required Editions
| Available in: both Salesforce Classic (not available in all orgs) and Lightning Experience |
| The Agentforce Field Service and Operations core features, managed package, and mobile app are available in Enterprise, Unlimited, and Developer Editions. |
| User Permissions Needed | |
|---|---|
| To open, edit, or create a flow in Flow Builder: | Manage Flow |
This is a Field Service managed package feature.
If an appointment is taking longer than expected, the rest of the day is at risk. The Fix Schedule Overlaps flow uses resource schedule optimization, such that only the affected service resource’s schedule is optimized. The optimization minimizes any changes to the schedule by leaving as many scheduled appointments as is. This flow, available when you’re using Enhanced Scheduling and Optimization, replaces the Late-End Overlap scheduling recipes scenario.
- In the Field Service Admin app, go to Field Service Settings.
- Select Scheduling and then in the General Logic tab select Enable the Fix Schedule Overlaps flow .
- From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Process Automation, and then select Flows.
- Open the Fix Schedule Overlaps flow template.
-
To create your own version of the flow based on the template (recommended), click
Save As and add the required details.
Note When you create a flow by using the Fix Schedule Overlaps template, make sure you use a flow name that’s different from the original flow name. -
The flow is triggered only for in-day of service changes to address last-minute issues to
an individual service resource’s schedule due to late ending appointments that overlap the
following appointment. The minimum overlap for the flow to apply is 10 minutes. Use the flow as
is, or modify it according to your needs. The flow template includes components.
- Check if Overlap is Today component—Call an action that checks whether the overlap occurred today in the service resource’s timezone. An overlap occurs due to unexpected changes in the schedule on the day of service.
- Is Overlap Today component—Determine whether the overlap occurred today according to the Check if Overlap is Today result. If the overlap is today then continue with the flow.
- Is Late End component—Determine whether the status of the service appointment that triggered the overlap is In Progress, Completed, or Cannot Complete resulting in a late end. If the service appointment ended late or is expected to end late then continue with the flow.
- Is Overlap Long component—Determine whether the schedule overlap is considered long. If the schedule overlap is 10 minutes or longer then continue with the flow. You can adjust the minimum overlap length.
- Get Scheduling Policy component—Filter the scheduling policy records to get the Customer First scheduling policy used when running the Fix Schedule Overlaps action. You can select a different scheduling policy according to your use case.
- Fix Schedule Overlaps component—Fix the schedule when an overlap occurs because a service appointment ended late or is expected to end late. To keep the schedule as close as possible to the original schedule, the Fix Schedule Overlaps flow only considers service appointments that are scheduled to the resource for the day that the overlap occurs.
- Save the flow.
- If you created a flow by using the Fix Schedule Overlaps flow template, make sure you change the Fix Schedule Overlaps flow API name field value to the new flow's API name.
To control user permissions to run flows, see How Does Flow Security Work?
Note Several fix overlaps features are available in Field
Service.
Considerations for the Fix Schedule Overlaps Flow
Before you start using the Fix Schedule Overlaps flow, make sure you review some considerations.
- The Fix Schedule Overlaps action triggers resource scheduling optimization. During this optimization, the engine optimizes service appointments that are schedulable (not in a pinned status). In Field Service Settings, in the Logic tab under Optimization, we recommend leaving the Dispatched status deselected for In-Day and Resource Schedule Optimization, so that dispatched work can be moved if a previous job runs late. During resource schedule optimization, service appointments aren’t moved if the Dispatched status is selected.
- The Fix Schedule Overlaps action can trigger multiple resource scheduling optimization requests. For example, a service appointment status change (if a status category is added to the Late End component) triggers an optimization request, and a service appointment overlap with another appointment triggers another optimization request.
- Appointments dropped due to fix overlaps aren’t marked as In Jeopardy.
- An overlap is recognized when one appointment overlaps another for a minimum duration, as defined in the Fix Schedule Overlaps flow. Overlaps during travel time don’t trigger the flow.
- If a service appointment ends late and creates an overlap with the next service appointment whose start time is now in the past, the Fix Schedule Overlaps flow runs, but schedule overlaps aren’t fixed.
- An autolaunched flow type doesn’t require activation. The Enable the Fix Schedule Overlaps flow setting in Field Service Settings is used to activate the Fix Schedule Overlaps flow. This setting is disabled by default.
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