Using contradicting rules

Depending on the schedule scenario, it is often impossible to create a schedule that follows every rule configured in an Auto-Assignment group. Contradictions between two or more rules may be caused by factors such as the number of shifts or employees available. Additionally, rules can be configured with requirements that directly contradict other rules. The configuration of rules as preferences, soft constraints, or hard constraints determines which rules are given priority and which rules may be broken when generating the schedule.

If a rule is configured as a hard constraint, it is not broken under any circumstances. Schedule creation fails when a hard constraint rule contradicts another hard constraint rule. Constraints and preferences are broken when they contradict a hard constraint rule.

A rule that is a soft constraint can be broken when it is required to create the schedule. The optimizer calculates a penalty score when a schedule solution breaks a standard constraint rule. Schedule solutions are evaluated to determine the solution that has the least penalty score. When a soft constraint rule contradicts another soft constraint rule, the rule with the higher penalty score might be broken.

Rules that are set as preferences are followed only when they do not break any constraint rules. Preferences are configured with a weight value. A preference with a higher weight is given priority over preferences with lower weights.