Manual Scheduling

How to manually schedule work segments when you need full control over timing

Sometimes you need to schedule work at a specific time, regardless of what the smart scheduler recommends. Manual scheduling gives you full control.

What is Manual Scheduling?

Manual scheduling lets you place a work segment at any time you choose. Unlike the smart scheduler that finds optimal slots, manual scheduling lets you:

Pick any date and time - Choose exactly when work happens
Override constraints - Schedule during overtime or busy periods
See the day's schedule - Visual preview of existing work and proposed slot
Receive warnings - Know what you're overriding before confirming

When to Use Manual Scheduling

Situation	Use Manual Scheduling
Customer requested specific time	Yes
Need to squeeze in urgent work	Yes
Rescheduling to a known free slot	Yes
Finding best available slot	No (use smart scheduler)
Optimizing route efficiency	No (use smart scheduler)

The Day Overview

When you select a date and time, a visual timeline shows you:

What's Displayed

Color	Meaning
Green	Existing work (execution time)
Light Blue	Travel time
Red	Break periods
Blue Dashed	Your proposed new slot

Reading the Timeline

The timeline shows the working day from 6:00 to 20:00:

|--Travel--|--Work--|--Break--|--Work--|--Travel--|
 08:00     09:00   12:00   12:30    15:00    16:00

Hover over any block to see exact start and end times
Overlap between your proposed slot and existing work is clearly visible
Break times show where work cannot be scheduled

Override Warnings

Manual scheduling shows warnings (not errors) when your chosen time:

Warning	Meaning
Assignee absence	Team member has vacation, sick leave, or other absence
Equipment unavailable	Required equipment is scheduled elsewhere
Overlapping work	Another task is already scheduled at this time
Working hours exceeded	Would push beyond daily hour limits

Important: Warnings don't prevent scheduling. They inform you what you're overriding.

Handling Warnings

Review the warning details
Decide if the override is acceptable
If acceptable, proceed with scheduling
If not, choose a different time

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open Manual Scheduling

Find the segment to schedule
Click the Manual Schedule button
The scheduling dialog opens

Step 2: Choose Date and Time

Select the date from the calendar
Enter the start time for the work
The day overview updates automatically

Step 3: Review the Day Overview

Look at the timeline showing existing work
Identify where your proposed slot will fit
Check for overlaps with existing work or breaks

Step 4: Check for Warnings

Review any warnings that appear:

Yellow warnings are overridable
Red errors must be resolved

Step 5: Adjust if Needed

If the slot isn't suitable:

Try a different start time
Or select a different date
Watch the timeline update in real-time

Step 6: Confirm Scheduling

Once satisfied, click Schedule
Confirm the override if warnings are present
The segment is scheduled at your chosen time

Scheduling Details

The dialog shows key information about your selection:

Field	Description
Execution Time	How long the work takes
Travel From	Time to reach the location
Travel To	Time to next location or base
Total Duration	Combined time on the calendar
Working Hours	How this affects daily workload

Tips for Manual Scheduling

1. Check the Calendar First

Before manual scheduling, look at the assignee's calendar to find obvious gaps.

2. Consider Travel

Remember that travel time happens before and after execution. A 2-hour job might need 3 hours total.

3. Respect Breaks

While you can schedule during breaks, consider if the team member actually needs rest time.

4. Document Overrides

If you override a significant constraint (like an absence), make a note of why.

5. Use Smart Scheduler First

Try the smart scheduler first. Manual scheduling should be for exceptions, not the rule.

Common Scenarios

Customer Requested Specific Time

Open manual scheduling
Enter the customer's requested date and time
Review any warnings (overtime, etc.)
Proceed with scheduling

Emergency/Urgent Work

Find the soonest available gap in the day overview
Manual schedule into that gap
Accept overtime warning if necessary

Rescheduling a Cancelled Slot

Open the segment that was cancelled
Use manual scheduling to place at the new time
The freed-up original slot becomes available

Limitations

Manual scheduling cannot:

Schedule without a valid customer address
Work without a defined assignee
Bypass required data fields