Resource planning in the Scheduler application

You can use the Gantt view to help you schedule work based on resource requirements and their availability. You can prioritize and adjust your schedule by balancing the resource load.

In the Gantt view, resources are displayed in the two lower panes: the Resource table on the left, and the Resource chart on the right. You can resize the panes to customize your view.

Load and availability

Craft, crew type, and rotating tools that are required for the work are shown on the Load and Availability tab. The requirements that the resource chart shows depend on the line that you select in the resource table.
  • Click the schedule name to show the resources that are required for the entire schedule.
  • Click Crafts to show all craft requirements for the work.
  • Click a specific craft, for example, electrician, to show the specific craft requirements and availability for each shift in the schedule.
Crew types and rotating tools are displayed the same way.

To view a summary of the requirements for each resource (craft, crew type, or rotating tool), hover on the colored bar in the resource chart. The chart shows the number of resources required.

Resource availability is shown by shift in different colors. It is calculated at the calendar's organization level, in the following way:
  • For crafts, it is the total number of labor records that are associated with that craft, by shift.
  • For crew types, it is the total number of crew records that belong to that particular crew type, by shift.
  • For rotating tools, it is the total number of assets in the organization (as specified on the Schedule tab) that are in OPERATING status.

To see which work records require a resource, select the resource in the Resource table, and right-click on the row. Then, click Indicate Where Used. The work records that use the selected resource are shaded in the first column of the Activity table.

Schedule costs

The Schedule Costs tab in the Gantt view shows the schedule costs over the entire work period that is covered in the schedule. The schedule costs do not include costs from PM records. Select a category to see all costs for the category, or select a line to view just those costs. For example, select Estimated Costs to see all estimated costs, or select Estimated Tool Cost to see just the tool costs.

Availability of other resources

Assets, locations, items, and tools that are required for work are available on the Other Resource Availability tab. Click a task in the Activity table to see the availability of resources that are required for the work.

Asset and location availability are displayed based on their operating and maintenance schedules, and the appropriate asset or location calendar. The schedules appear as follows:
  • An orange bar shows the calendar for the site of the asset or location.
  • A green bar shows the maintenance schedule for the asset or location. It is the best time to schedule work.
  • A red bar shows the operational schedule for the asset or location, when it is unavailable for maintenance.

Item and tool availability are shown in the following way:

  • A green bar indicates that the item or tool is available during the scheduled work time.
  • An orange bar indicates one of the following circumstances:
    • If the work record is in WAPPR status, indicates that the item or tool is partially available, and can be reserved.
    • If the work record in not in WAPPR status, indicates that a soft reservation was made for this tool or item.
  • A red bar indicates that the item or tool is unavailable during the scheduled work time.
Unlike labor and crew availability, tool and item availability show only for the task that is selected in the Activity table. You cannot view item and tool availability for multiple tasks at the same time.

Grouping tasks by category

You can categorize work by work property in the Group by Property tab. Categorizing the work allows you to see all the work in one view, so that you can better balance your work load. For example, you can view all work that is performed in a certain location on a specific day. You can sort work by asset, job plan, location, PM, priority, or work type.

The Group by Work Property chart is read only. To reschedule the work, you must move the bars in the Activity chart.

Resource hours and availability

Craft, crew type, and rotating tools that are required for the work are shown on the Resource Hours and Availability tab. The resource hours that are listed represent the number of craft hours that the work requires for a shift. The available hours are the total craft hours that you have available for the shift. This tab is different from the Load and Availability tab in that the Load and Availability tab displays the number of crafts (people) required per shift at a specific time, rather than the number of hours.

Click a specific craft, for example, electrician, to show the specific craft requirements and availability for each shift in the schedule. Crew types and rotating tools are displayed the same way. To see which work records require a resource, select the resource in the Resource table, and right-click on the row. Then, click Indicate Where Used. The work records that use the selected resource are shaded in the first column of the Activity table.

Additional capacity

When you use capacity planning optimization to schedule your work, the Additional Capacity tab shows where you need additional capacity for each craft, crew, or tool to complete the scheduled work in the given time. For example, on Tuesday you need another mechanic, and three more electricians than are scheduled in order to complete the work in the schedule.



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