FAQ for Auto-Assignment

Question 1: Why are we getting this schedule? The schedule that is created does not seem to correspond to our selected conditions.

The Auto-Assignment feature uses an algorithm to create schedules. The algorithm uses a number of inputs in the computation that creates a schedule. Some of these inputs are built into the system. These built-in inputs are combined with the conditions that you selected. This combination may create an unexpected schedule.

Create test schedules and experiment with your conditions to see how Auto-Assignment creates schedules.

Question 2: How does the algorithm inside Auto-Assignment create a particular schedule?

The algorithm inside the Auto-Assignment feature uses a set of penalties to weight the options in a schedule. Some options have more penalties, other options have fewer penalties. The options that collect the lowest number of penalties, are used to generate is the schedule. The penalties are only used internally by the algorithm and are not visible and cannot be changed by users of the Auto-Assignment feature.

Question 3: Some employees in my Auto-Assignment group are already assigned to shifts during the schedule period. Can we still use Auto-Assignment? What happens to the existing shifts in the schedule?

Yes, Auto-Assignment can be used for a schedule period with shifts that are already assigned to employees in the Auto-Assignment group. Auto-Assignment assigns shifts around the existing schedule. Auto-Assignment does not remove any existing shifts during the schedule period or change the employee assignments.

Auto-Assignment evaluates the existing schedule when determining how to assign shifts. Existing assigned shifts are counted when considering how a particular scheduling solution conforms to the Auto-Assignment rules. For example, if employees must receive at least five shifts per week and an employee already has three shifts assigned, Auto-Assignment only has to assign the employee two more shifts to satisfy the rule.

When using the Use replacement shift templates option in MVS, existing shifts in the schedule may be replaced by shifts with the same shift type.

See the description of the Replace Shift Type rule in Available rules.

Question 4: Auto-Assignment ran successfully but did not assign any of the shifts. Why did this happen?

When Auto-Assignment cannot find a scheduling solution that does not break a hard constraint rule, the schedule is considered infeasible. When this happens, Auto-Assignment does not assign any shifts. Care should be taken when configuring Auto-Assignment groups to ensure hard constraint rules do not conflict with each other.

In addition to the rule configuration, the selection of shifts to be assigned may make it impossible for Auto-Assignment to create a schedule that does not break a hard constraint rule. For example, the number of shifts to be assigned may be too low to satisfy the required minimum number of shifts for each employee. Shifts that are already assigned to employees when Auto-Assignment is run may make it impossible to create any schedule that does not contradict a hard constraint rule. In this case, Auto-Assignment does not schedule any shifts. The existing shifts remain in the schedule and remain assigned to the same employees.