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Create and Manage Work Rules in Workforce Scheduling
Work rules filter candidates for a service appointment by rejecting service resources that violate any rule. Every scheduling policy uses work rules to filter candidates before service objectives grade them.
Required Editions
| Available in: Lightning Experience |
| Available in: Enterprise and Unlimited Editions |
| User Permissions Needed | |
|---|---|
| To create, edit, or clone work rules: | Workforce Scheduling Admin |
When you create a scheduling policy, you choose which work rules to include and set the scheduling method for each work rule. The scheduling method determines whether the rule applies to field scheduling, on-site scheduling, or both.
A scheduling policy can use work rules alone to return a valid candidate quickly, or combine work rules with service objectives to grade eligible candidates and pick the best one.
The Earliest Start Permitted and Due Date Match Time work rules are mandatory for every scheduling policy. If a user doesn’t see a particular work rule type, grant them profile-based access. In Setup, open the user’s profile. Under Custom Record Type Settings, click Edit next to Work Rules and move the record type to Selected Record Types. When you configure a scheduling policy, add the mandatory rules first, then add rules that reflect your business criteria.
Workforce Scheduling includes default work rules that you can add to any scheduling policy, or you can create new work rules from the available work rule types. To add work rules to or remove them from a scheduling policy, see Create and Manage Scheduling Policies in Workforce Scheduling.
| Work Rule Type | Description | Applicable Scheduling Method | Work Rule Available by Default in the Default Scheduling Policies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointment Start Time Interval | Restricts appointment start times to specific recurring time intervals (for example, forcing appointments to start on the hour or half-hour). | On-site | — |
| Excluded Resources | Prevents service appointments from being scheduled to resources marked as “Excluded” on related Resource Preference records. | Field and On-site | Excluded Service Resource |
| Extended Match | Uses custom criteria logic to evaluate complex matching rules between appointments and candidate service resources. | Field | — |
| Match Boolean | Ensures a checkbox (Boolean) field on a service appointment matches a corresponding checkbox field on the service resource (for example, matching required resource preferences or special clearances). | Field and On-site | Active Resources |
| Match Fields | Matches custom or standard fields on the service appointment with corresponding fields on the service resource record. | Field | — |
| Match Skills | Ensures candidate resources have all required skills and minimum skill levels defined on the work order or service appointment. | Field and On-site | Match Skills |
| Match Time | Restricts appointment scheduling time frames based on date and time properties (such as Earliest Start Permitted, Due Date, or Arrival Windows). | Field | Earliest Start Permitted, Due Date, Scheduled Start, Scheduled End |
| Maximum Contracted Work | Enforces contracted work limits for service resources within a defined pay period. | Field | — |
| Maximum Travel from Home | Caps the maximum distance or duration a service resource can travel from their primary home base to an appointment. | Field | — |
| Required Resources | Ensures that service appointments are assigned only to service resources marked as “Required” on related Resource Preference records. | Field and On-site | Required Service Resource |
| Service Appointment Visiting Hours | Enforces the operating hours or visiting time windows of the customer, account, or location where the appointment is being performed. | Field and On-site | Service Appointment Visiting Hours |
| Service Resource Availability | Ensures service resources are available by checking operating hours, existing appointments, shifts, absences, travel time, and required breaks. | Field and On-site | Resource Availability |
| Working Territories | Evaluates secondary service territory memberships so mobile workers can be scheduled in secondary locations. | Field and On-site | Match Working Territories |
Create a work rule when you want a scheduling filter that isn’t already on a scheduling policy. Decide which rule type matches the criterion you want to enforce. Every custom work rule inherits from one of the standard types, so choose the type first, then customize its fields.
- From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Workforce Scheduling and select Workforce Scheduling.
- Under Scheduling and Optimization, select Appointment Scheduling Logic, and then select Work Rules.
- To create a work rule, click New. To edit an existing work rule, click on it to open it, or select Edit next to the rule. To clone an existing rule, select Clone next to the rule.
- Enter a name that describes what the rule filters, for example, Match Skills for Certified Technicians rather than Match Skills Copy.
- Enter a description explaining the business reason for the rule and when to apply it.
- Select the work rule record type.
- Configure type-specific fields. For example, Match Fields compares a service appointment field to a service resource field, and Match Skills matches skill type logic and skill level.
- Save the work rule.
