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Configure Scheduling Behavior for Field Work in Workforce Scheduling
Configure org-level defaults for how Workforce Scheduling schedules field appointments, such as due dates, status transitions, sliding, pinning, and travel time.
Required Editions
| Available in: Lightning Experience |
| Available in: Enterprise and Unlimited Editions |
| User Permissions Needed | |
|---|---|
| To configure field scheduling and optimization: | Workforce Scheduling Admin |
Configure the org-level defaults from Scheduling and Optimization in Setup, on the Field Scheduling tab.
Set the Default Due Date for Auto-Created Service Appointments
Workforce Scheduling can create service appointments automatically, for example, when a Visit is created. Each Service Appointment needs a due date so the scheduling engine knows when to schedule it. Set the default offset in days from the Service Appointment’s Created Date, or take the offset from the associated Work Type.
- From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Workforce Scheduling, and then select Scheduling and Optimization.
- Select the Field Scheduling tab.
- In the Service Appointments section, under Auto-Created Service Appointments, enter a value for Default due date for auto-created appointments (in days after their Created Date). The default is 7 days.
- To use the Work Type’s due-date offset instead of the days value, turn on Due Date from Work Type. Each auto-created Service Appointment then inherits its due-date offset from its Work Type.
- Save your changes.
Considerations:
- If Due Date from Work Type is on and the appointment has no Work Type, or the Work Type has no due-date offset, Workforce Scheduling falls back to the days value.
Map Service Appointment Lifecycle Transitions to Statuses
As a service appointment moves through its lifecycle (creation, resource assignment, and resource notification), Workforce Scheduling updates its status. Map each appointment transition to the status value that shows on the Service Appointment.
- From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Workforce Scheduling, and then select Scheduling and Optimization.
- Select the Field Scheduling tab.
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In the Service Appointments section, under Service Appointment Status, select a status
for each lifecycle transition. For example, select the Scheduled
status for resource assignment and the Dispatched status for resource
notification. The scheduling engine uses these statuses when deciding which Service
appointments to slide, pin, or optimize.
- On Creation
- The status assigned when the Service Appointment is created.
- On Resource Assignment
- The status assigned when a resource is assigned.
- On Resource Notification
- The status assigned when the assigned resource is notified.
- On Cancellation
- The status assigned when the Service appointment is canceled.
- Save your changes.
Considerations:
- Confirm the mapped statuses match your Service Appointment Status picklist. If a status is missing, add it to the picklist first from the Service Appointment object in Setup.
- Unscheduling an appointment forces its status back to None, regardless of the mapping.
Set the Default Operating Hours for the Field Scheduling Flow
Operating hours define when your team is available to work and the time slots customers can schedule.
Select the default operating hours used to generate time slots when scheduling appointments from the field scheduling flow or Appointment Booking API.
- From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Workforce Scheduling, and then select Scheduling and Optimization.
- Select the Field Scheduling tab.
- In the Scheduling section, under Default Operating Hours, select the default from the operating hours defined in your org (for example, Standard Operating Hours, Extended Service Hours, 24/7 Support, or Weekend Service Hours).
- Save your changes.
Enable Appointment Sliding
Sliding frees up time on the Gantt so the scheduling engine can fit more appointments into the same shift. When sliding is on, Service Appointments can move earlier or later within the assigned resource’s availability, opening free time slots, accommodating longer appointments, and improving SLA compliance by reducing gaps in the schedule.
When sliding is on, Workforce Scheduling shifts nearby appointments automatically, for example, when an earlier appointment finishes late or when a user schedules a new higher-priority appointment. When sliding is off, Service Appointment start times stay fixed until a user moves them manually.
- From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Workforce Scheduling, and then select Scheduling and Optimization.
- Select the Field Scheduling tab.
- In the Scheduling section, turn on Appointment Sliding.
- Save your changes.
Considerations:
- The scheduling engine considers Service Appointment priorities when sliding so it can fit critical appointments onto a full Gantt. If sliding can’t find an available slot, Service Appointments with lower or equal priority can drop from the schedule, unless they’re in a pinned status. See Schedule Appointments by Using Priorities.
- Sliding applies to scheduling actions only, not optimization. The scheduling engine slides existing Service Appointments to make room when a user runs the Schedule New Appointment or Change Time Slot action. It doesn’t move Service Appointments in pinned statuses. See Pin Appointments by Status.
- Service appointment sliding doesn’t violate any scheduling rules.
- Sliding doesn’t move Service Appointments between resources.
- Sliding doesn’t unschedule Service Appointments.
- Sliding moves Service Appointments earlier or later within the same shift, and can move an appointment from before a lunch break to after it. Sliding doesn’t change the appointment order, reassign resources, or unschedule appointments in the shift.
- For sliding to run, users must have sharing access to all scheduled Service Appointments in the service territory where scheduling is requested.
Pin Appointments by Status
Pinned Service Appointments can’t be rescheduled by the Schedule action, the scheduling flow, or the Schedule and Appointment Booking APIs. Use pin criteria to protect appointments that are in flight or already committed to a customer.
- From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Workforce Scheduling, and then select Scheduling and Optimization.
- Select the Field Scheduling tab.
- In the Scheduling section, under Pin Criteria, select which appointment statuses to pin, such as Dispatched, In Progress, or Completed.
- Save your changes.
Considerations:
- Appointments in unselected statuses (such as Scheduled or None) can move as needed.
- The pin criteria you set here apply to scheduling actions. To pin appointments during optimization runs, set pin criteria in the Optimization section.
Set Travel Speed and Travel Time Buffer
The scheduling engine uses a default travel speed to estimate drive time when detailed map data isn’t available for a route segment. It then adds a travel time buffer to account for additional travel-related activities such as parking, unloading, or handoff on either end of a trip.
With a travel time buffer, you can systematically add extra time to the travel duration calculated for each service appointment to better schedule your workforce.
- From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Workforce Scheduling, and then select Scheduling and Optimization.
- Select the Field Scheduling tab.
- In the Scheduling section, set the Travel Speed Unit used for drive-time estimates to Miles per hour (mph) or Kilometers per hour (kph).
- Enter a Default Travel Speed. This is the default speed used for route segments without map data.
- For Travel Time Buffer, enter a whole number of minutes (0–120).
- Save your changes.
Considerations:
- The engine doesn’t add the buffer when the calculated travel time is zero, for example, consecutive Service Appointments at the same site. The buffer doesn’t apply to resource absences, lunch breaks, or return-to-home travel.
- The travel time buffer applies to every appointment scheduled by Workforce Scheduling. The engine adds the buffer to each drive segment, so end-to-end travel reflects both the mapped estimate and the buffer.
