Preferences

This table shows the preferences that are used in schedule optimization:

Name Description and Parameter Information
The skill level should be better than the required skill level The system will compare the required skill level from a staff requirement with the employee’s skill weight and try to select an employee where the skill level is greater than the requirement. This is a weak preference that is used as a tie-breaker.
Enforce minimum hours per schedule For full-time (FT) employees, this option is a strong preference, ensuring that FT will get their minimum hours as long as there is a need for them on the schedule. For part-time employees, this is a weak preference that will try to schedule their minimum hours but provides no guarantee.
Maximum __ Saturdays per calendar month Fairness rule to limit the number of Saturdays that are scheduled per calendar month.
Maximum __ Sundays per calendar month Fairness rule to limit the number of Sundays that are scheduled per calendar month.
Do not schedule Saturday and Sunday in the same weekend Fairness rule to limit scheduling on weekends.
Do not schedule both Friday after ___ and Saturday after ___ Fairness rule to limit schedule on weekend evenings.
Do not allow overtime System will try not to schedule overtime based on the OT thresholds that are configured at the job level.
Prefer to schedule full-time employees System will prefer a full-time employee over a part-time employee as a tie-breaker in a situation where all else is equal.
Maximum __ closing shifts per schedule Fairness rule to limit the number of closing shifts any one employee has to work per schedule.
Minimum 2 consecutive days off Fairness rule to ensure two consecutive days off.
Maximum __ weekends in month (Sat/Sun combo) Fairness rule to limit the number of weekends scheduled per month.
Assign staff randomly Preference to randomly select employees when a tie-breaker is needed.
Minimize employee cost System will prefer a lower wage employee when all else is equal.
Schedule higher skilled employees in preferred times A strong preference to enable Top Performer Scheduling. The system will prefer higher skilled employees at peak volume times.

See Top Performer Scheduling.

Willingness to avoid overstaffing __ and understaffing __ (on scale 0 to 9) Defines the preference towards overstaffing or understaffing. Penalty levels for overstaffing or understaffing are specified as integers between 0 (lowest) and 9 (highest). The overstaffing field determines the level of penalty the optimization engine applies when employees are assigned shifts in excess of the staff requirements. Higher penalty levels cause the optimization engine to avoid assigning shifts that contribute to overstaffing.

The understaffing field determines the level of penalty when employees are not assigned enough shifts to meet staff requirements. Higher penalty levels cause the optimization engine to assign shifts to fill, or exceed, the staffing requirements, assuming there are enough available employees.