Scheduling and Schedule Strategies

You can choose the scheduling strategy that you want to use for back end processing, in the service resource planning application.

Prerequisites

You have set up the scheduling engine that you are using to implement service resource planning, in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management. You choose Workforce Deployment General Settings for Service Resource Planning Scheduling Engine .
You have defined whether you are using liveCache or the resource planning application's built-in dispatcher, in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management. You choose Workforce Deployment WFD Server Dispatcher Settings Switch between liveCache and Built-In Dispatcher .
If you use liveCache in your scheduling solution, you have determined scheduling strategies. To do so, choose Customer Relationship Management Workforce Deployment WFD Server Dispatcher Settings liveCache Scheduling Strategy in Customizing.
If you do not use liveCache, only the standard scheduling strategy is available. You can find more information in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management, by choosing Workforce Deployment WFD Server Dispatcher Settings liveCache Scheduling Strategy .
You have entered a strategy, by choosing Settings in resource planning.
Scheduling using strategies is possible for service order items only.
If you are using an external scheduling solution, you have integrated the solution to the resource planning application.

Features

Scheduling Engines for Service Resource Planning

Scheduling Engine	Description	Features
Resource planning application using liveCache scheduler	A memory-based database that includes multiple scheduling algorithms	Supports capacitive and working time based service arrangements Uses multiple scheduling strategies Generates appointment scheduling Uses find and rank functions
Resource planning application with built-in dispatcher	Uses conventional techniques for data storage, and includes only one scheduling algorithm	Supports working time based service arrangements Supports service order based demands Generates appointment scheduling Uses find and rank functions
Connection to an external scheduling engine	Supported by a third party, within connections via SAP NetWeaver XI (Is not supported by the resource planning application)

Scheduling Engine

Description

Features

Resource planning application using liveCache scheduler

A memory-based database that includes multiple scheduling algorithms

Supports capacitive and working time based service arrangements
Uses multiple scheduling strategies
Generates appointment scheduling
Uses find and rank functions

Resource planning application with built-in dispatcher

Uses conventional techniques for data storage, and includes only one scheduling algorithm

Supports working time based service arrangements
Supports service order based demands
Generates appointment scheduling
Uses find and rank functions

Connection to an external scheduling engine

Supported by a third party, within connections via SAP NetWeaver XI

(Is not supported by the resource planning application)

Scheduling Strategy

The most important attributes of the scheduling engine are the scheduling rules, which define the overall planning strategy.

Scheduling Rules Supported by liveCache Dispatcher

Rule	Description
Find Slot	The system attempts to schedule the demand in the next possible free time slot for a resource, in the planning direction. Resource utilization based on concrete and capacitive assignments is taken into account. If the scheduler is called with more than one resource, the system creates the assignment depending on the planning direction. For forward scheduling, the earliest time slot is used to create the assignment, whereas for backward scheduling, the latest time slot is used.
Append Assignment	The system attempts to schedule the demand after the last assignment of the given resource. This scheduling rule must be used with care, especially when you have assignments in the distant future (for example, maintenance orders). If the last assignment does not appear in the planning board, the appended assignment does not appear in it either.
Infinite Planning	The system schedules the demand on the required date, without accounting for the existing resource load. Only the availability of the resources is taken into account. This can be used as a fallback scheduling rule, if the Find Slot scheduling rule does not return a valid assignment.

When you set up the strategies in Customizing, reference them within the resource planning application. In the Resource Planner Overview page, choose Settings. You see the Planning Settings page. In the Defaults area, choose the strategy from the Schedule Strategy dropdown list.