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Settings

Setting Schedule Properties

After you have created a schedule you will need to set its properties. You can do this when you create the schedule or after the schedule is created. The schedule properties tell APM:
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the time period the schedule covers
•
the maintenance groups and shifts that the schedule applies to
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how employee and trade availability will be calculated
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the expiration and deletion rules for the schedule
When you create a schedule from a template, APM copies the properties from the template. If necessary, you can change the properties. When you create a schedule from scratch, you will need to enter all of the properties.
To set or change the properties of a schedule, first create or open the schedule, and then check each of the settings on the tabs listed below.

To Set Schedule Properties

1.
Create a schedule from scratch, create a schedule from a template, or open an existing schedule.
2.
When you create a new schedule from scratch, APM opens the New Schedule Properties dialog.
If you have created a schedule from a template or opened an existing schedule, select the schedule’s Properties view.
Setting Name
Description
Schedule number
APM automatically generates this number. You can override the default number if necessary.
If this box is left blank or if the number is not unique, an error message will appear.
Title
If the schedule was created from a template, APM will enter a default title. If necessary, type or change the schedule name. This name will appear in the schedule hierarchy. You should enter a title that identifies the purpose of the schedule and its scope. For example, if you are creating the top schedule in a set of weekly schedules, you may want to name the schedule “Weekly Maintenance Schedule.”
Abbreviation
The short name for the schedule. The abbreviation can be up to 20 characters long and will appear in the system wherever there is not enough space for the full title.
If the schedule was created from a template, APM will generate the abbreviation automatically. You can change it if necessary.
Scheduler
The name of the employee who is responsible for this schedule.
If the schedule was created from a template, APM will enter the scheduler automatically. You can change it if necessary.
Schedule type
The type of schedule. Selecting a schedule type for a schedule will allow you to filter and sort lists of schedules by schedule type. For example, your site may have schedule types called Regular and Shutdown.
3.
Select the Details tab, and enter the following information:
Setting Name
Description
Scheduling period
A description of the length of time the schedule represents. Selecting a schedule period for a schedule will allow you to filter and sort lists of schedules by schedule period. For example, your site may have schedule types called Weekly, Daily and Shift.
Start date and time
The date and time when work on this maintenance schedule should begin. Today’s date is entered by default, but you can change it if necessary.
Schedule duration
The length of time that the schedule will last. For example, a weekly schedule could last 44.00 hours.
Note: APM recommends that the duration be recorded in hours to ensure end dates are accurately calculated.
4.
Select the Options tab, and complete the following information:
Setting Name
Description
Entries respect shift and date boundaries
Select this option to have the system create schedule entries based on the shift and schedule duration when scheduling tasks from a work order or through automatic scheduling of a work order created from a standard job. If a task cannot be completely scheduled on one shift, multiple entries are created.
For example, if you schedule a task with a requirement for a mechanic for one day (24 hours) on a schedule with an eight-hour shift, three eight-hour schedule entries are created.
Create separate requirements
Select this option to have the system create separate schedule assignments for each person (trade, service, or contractor) or tool that is planned on a work order task when it is scheduled.
For example, if a task has a requirement for three electricians, when this rule is selected the system will create three separate electrician assignments on the schedule entry. If this option is cleared, one ‘electrician’ requirement will be created, and Number of will be set to ‘3’.
Requirements are included for
Select which requirements should be added to the schedule when a work order task is scheduled:
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All of the task’s planned requirements
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Only requirements with an estimated remaining time. Requirements that have zero remaining time will not be included on the schedule.
5.
Select the Maintenance Groups tab, and complete the following information:
Setting Name
Description
Maintenance groups
Select one or more maintenance groups that will perform the tasks on the schedule. APM will use your selections to filter the list of tasks in the work backlog. If you calculate employee availability for the schedule, APM will also use your selections to decide which employees should be included in the employee availability calculations. Only employees assigned to the schedule's maintenance groups will be included in the availability.
6.
Select the Shifts tab, and complete the following information:
Setting Name
Description
Shifts
Select one or more shifts from the list. APM uses the shifts selected here when calculating employee availability on the schedule.
7.
Select the Defaults tab, and complete the following information:
Setting Name
Description
Default maintenance group
You can have APM automatically pick a maintenance group for all new entries added to this schedule, based on the settings on this tab. The options are:
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Task or entry’s maintenance group: The maintenance group remains the same as specified on work order tasks.
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Maintenance group: To choose a maintenance group for each new schedule entry, select this option and then select a maintenance group from the list.
Default scheduling priority
You can have APM automatically pick a scheduling priority for all new entries added to this schedule, based on the settings on this tab. The options are:
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The task or entry’s priority: The priority remains the same as specified on work order tasks
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Scheduling priority: To choose a priority for each new schedule entry, select this option and then select a scheduling priority from the list.
Default shift
The name of the shift that APM will use for all new schedule entries.
8.
On the Expiration tab, complete the following information:
Setting Name
Description
This schedule should be automatically expired
When this option is selected, APM automatically expires this schedule after the selected amount of time has passed. This will remove the schedule from your list of open schedules, and add it to the list of expired schedules. You will not be able to add entries to schedules that are expired.
If you have selected the option, enter the amount of time after the end of each schedule that it will expire (for example, one week). Clear the option if you do not want the schedules to be automatically expired.
Time to wait before expiring
The amount of time that APM will wait after the schedule period has ended, before expiring the schedule.
This schedule should be automatically deleted
When this option is selected, APM automatically deletes this schedule after the selected amount of time has passed. This will remove the schedule from the system, and you will not be able to view or open it again.
If you have selected the option, enter the amount of time APM waits before deleting the schedule after it has expired (for example, one week). Clear the option if you do not want the schedules to be automatically deleted.
Time to wait before deleting
The amount of time that APM waits before deleting the schedule after the schedule has been expired.
Return open work
When this option is selected, APM returns work that is not closed to the work backlog, when the schedule expires. You should select this option if you want to add this work to another schedule. Only tasks that are not currently on another schedule are returned to the backlog.
9.
Select the Availability tab, and complete the following information:
Setting Name
Description
Availability options
Select from one of the following options:
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Use the availability entered here: You can enter the availability at a trade level directly on the schedule or template. You cannot use this option to enter employee availability. Availability for other resources can also be entered.
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Calculate the trade availability based on the employees scheduled to work: Employees scheduled to work during the schedule period are included in the availability. APM summarizes these records to calculate the trade availability. Availability for other resources can be entered manually.
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Calculate the trade availability based on the employees assigned to the schedule’s maintenance groups: APM calculates availability based on the maintenance groups selected for the schedule and the employees that are assigned to the maintenance groups. The availability is based on the employees’ primary trade and is tracked by trade, employee, and employee/trade. Availability for other resources can be entered manually.
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Sum the availability from the schedule’s child schedules: APM calculates the schedule’s availability by totaling the availability from the child schedules. This option is normally used in a schedule hierarchy where the child schedules calculate availability using one of the other options.
Calculate
When you click this button, APM updatea the trade and/or employee availability for the schedule. This button is not available if you have selected Use the trade availability entered here option.
New
Click this button to enter availability for a trade. You can add availability for other resources by selecting the down-arrow beside the New button, and then selecting one of these options:
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Job contractor availability
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Service availability
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Tool availability
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Rental equipment availability
The New Schedule Availability dialog appears. Enter the appropriate settings and click OK.
10.
Select th MS Project tab, and then the Defaults tab, and complete the following information:
Setting Name
Description
Folder
Select the Windows folder in which the system will create your Microsoft Project files. Click the folder icon to browse for a folder. If you are exporting a schedule hierarchy, the system uses the folder that is set on the parent schedule from which you are starting the export.
If you want the Project files to be accessible for other users, select a shared folder or a folder on a network drive.
Note: If you are creating your Project files in a mapped network drive, you must enter the full path to the server and folder. For example:
\\ServerName\ProjectFiles\MyFolder
File name
Enter a file name for the Microsoft Project file to be created when the schedule is exported. If you do not enter a file name, the system automatically enters the schedule’s name, otherwise you can edit as needed.
Note: If you use the name of an existing Project file, the contents of that file will be overwritten.
If you are exporting a schedule hierarchy to a single Project file, the system uses the file name on the parent schedule from which you are starting the export.
If you are exporting to multiple Project files, the system uses the file name entered on each child schedule for the sub-project files. If no file name is entered on the child schedules, the schedule’s APM schedule number is appended to the name used for the current schedule.
Create project file from
The source of the Microsoft Project file. Options are from Scratch or Based on a template. If Based on/Template is selected, enter the path to the template file. Template files must have the extension .mpt.
Note: When exporting a schedule hierarchy, only the top schedule’s values are used for the template.
Schedules to export
Select whether the system should export the current schedule only, or both the current schedule and its descendant schedules.
Project files to create
If you are exporting multiple schedules, they can be exported to a single MS Project file, or to separate files. The files are created as master and sub-project files.
Create project tasks for work orders
Select this option to have the system to create summary tasks for each work order on the schedule. Work order tasks are shown as sub-tasks.
Create project tasks for schedules
Select this option to have the system create summary tasks for each exported schedule.
11.
When you are finished entering schedule properties, click OK.