Concepts

Tasks

Settings

Setting Schedule Template Properties

After you have created a template, you must set its properties. You can do this when you create the template or at any time afterwards. The schedule template properties tell APM the following about schedules created from the template:

•	How to calculate the time period that the schedules will cover

•	How to name the schedules

•	The maintenance groups and shifts that the schedules will apply to

•	How employee and trade availability will be calculated

•	Which tabs to display on the schedule worksheet

•	What default MS Project values to use

When you create a child or peer template, APM copies the properties from the original template to the new template. You should check the settings on each new template to make sure that they are correct.

To set or change the properties of a schedule template, first create or open the template, and then check each of the settings on the tabs listed below.

To Set Schedule Template Properties

1.	Create a new template or open an existing template.

2.	On the General tab, complete the following information:

Setting Name

Description

Template name

A descriptive name for the schedule template. For example, “Weekly Electrical Schedule”. The schedule template name can be a maximum 100 characters in length.

Scheduler

The name of the employee who is responsible for this schedule template.

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 named “Regular” and “Shutdown”.

3.	Select the General tab, Schedule Details tab and complete the following information:

Setting Name

Description

Schedule period

A description of the length of time the schedule represents. Selecting a schedule period for a schedule allows you to filter and sort lists of schedules by schedule period. For example, your site may have schedule types named “Weekly”, “Daily”, and “Shift”.

Schedule starts on

The starting day for the schedule. APM uses this date to determine the starting dates for the schedules created from the template. APM always sets the starting date to the next occurrence of the selected day of the week. For example, if today is Tuesday, and Tuesday is the starting day, then the starting date for the new schedule will be today, otherwise, if the starting day is Wednesday, the starting date for the schedule will be tomorrow's date. If necessary, you can change the starting date for any schedule.

Schedule duration

The length of time of the schedule. For example, a weekly schedule would last 7.00 days. APM uses this value to determine the ending dates for the schedules created from the template.

Schedules start at

The start time for the schedule.

Schedules end at

The end time on the last day of the schedule. APM automatically calculates the value based on the specified duration.

Schedule title starts with

You can set up rules for naming schedules that are created from this template. In this way, each schedule that is created can have a unique name. In this box, select the information that will be at the start of the schedule title. You can use up to four pieces of information in the schedule name. Select each piece of information from the four lists. To enter text to use in the title, select “Title Entered Here”, then type the phrase in the Text to use box. For example, if you select “Maintenance Groups”, then in Followed by select “Shifts”, then in the next Followed by select “Text Entered Here” with a value of “schedule for the week starting”, and in the next Followed by, select “Start Date”, the schedule’s title could be: “Electrical department weekly schedule for the week starting October 26, 2015”.

Followed by

Select a phrase that will be appended the title.

Set schedule abbreviation value

Select how APM will generate the short name for the schedule. The short title can be up to 20 characters long and appears in the UI wherever the full title cannot be displayed. To enter text for the abbreviation, select “Title entered here” from the list and then enter the phrase.

4.	Select the Entries tab and complete the following information:

Setting Name

Description

Entries respect shift and date boundaries

When scheduling tasks from a work order or through automatic scheduling of a standard job work order, select this option to have the system create schedule entries based on the shift and schedule duration. If a task cannot be completely scheduled on one shift, multiple entries are created.

Create a separate requirement for each required person or tool

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: • All of the task’s planned requirements • Only requirements with an estimated remaining time. Requirements that have zero remaining time are not included on the schedule.

Default maintenance group

APM can automatically select a maintenance group for all new entries added to schedules created from this template, based on the settings on this tab. The options are: • The task’s maintenance group: The maintenance group specified on work order tasks is used. • Maintenance group: A specified maintenance group for each new schedule entry is used.

Default scheduling priority rule

APM automatically selects a scheduling priority for all new entries added to schedules created from this template. The options are: • Default the task’s scheduling priority: The priority identified on work order tasks is maintained. • Default this scheduling priority: A specified scheduling priority for each new schedule entry is used.

Shift

The default shift used for all new schedule entries.

5.	Select the Turn Schedules tab, if appropriate, and complete the following information:

Weekly/turn schedule

Select this option if this template is a weekly or turn schedule within a set of templates for a monthly or rotation schedule. You must also enter the number of days the schedule should be offset. Use the start date offset on a template when: • The template is for a unique weekly schedule within a monthly schedule group (for example, week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4) • The template is for a turn schedule within a rotation schedule group that is longer than 7 days You do not need to use the start date offset on a template when: • The schedules reoccur every 7 days or within a seven-day pattern (for example, every Monday); that is, if every weekly schedule in the group is the same • Templates for daily and shift schedules are part of a template structure with a weekly or turn template. It is not necessary to specify an offset on the daily or shift templates because their start dates are controlled by the weekly/turn schedule dates. • The template is the parent template in the monthly or rotation schedules

6.	Select the Expiration tab and complete the following information:

Setting Name

Description

Expire schedule automatically

When selected, APM automatically expires the schedules created from this template after the selected amount of time has passed and moves the schedule to the list of expired schedules. Entries cannot be added to schedules that are expired. If selected, enter the amount of time after the end of each schedule that it will expire (for example, one week). Clear this option if you do not want the schedules to be automatically expired.

Time to wait before expiring

The grace period of time that APM waits before expiring schedules created from this template, after the schedule period has ended.

Delete schedule automatically

When this option is selected, APM automatically deletes the schedules created from this template after the selected amount of time has passed. The schedule is permanently removed from the system. If you have selected this option, enter the grace period of time that APM waits before deleting the schedule after it has expired (for example, one week). Clear this option if you do not want the schedules to be automatically deleted.

Time to wait before expiring

The grace period of time that APM waits before expiring schedules created from this template, after the schedule period has ended.

Return open work

If selected, APM returns unclosed work to the work backlog, when schedules created from this template expire. Incomplete work order tasks included on the schedule should be returned to the work backlog so that they can be rescheduled. Only tasks that are not currently on another schedule, are returned to the backlog.

7.	Select the Maintenance Groups tab and select one or more maintenance groups from the list. These are the maintenance groups that APM uses to calculate employee and trade availability, when the maintenance group assignments availability option is selected on the template.

8.	Select the Shifts tab to select one or more shifts from the list. These are the shifts that APM uses to calculate employee and trade availability when the maintenance group assignments availability option is selected on the template.

9.	Select the MS Project 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.

10.	Select the Hierarchy tab and complete the following information:

Setting Name

Description

Build child schedules

When selected, APM automatically creates child schedules from their templates when a schedule from the parent template is created. For example, if you have a weekly top schedule and a set of child daily schedules, when this option is selected, the weekly and daily schedules are also created.

Schedule template hierarchy

The hierarchy of the schedule template. Press F5 to refresh the hierarchy display with the schedule template that you have just created.

11.	Select the Availability tab and complete the following information:

Setting Name

Description

Availability options

Select from one of the following options: • 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. • 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. • 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. • 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.

Trade, tool, service, and contractor availability

To enter availability for a trade or resource, select one of the following options from the New list: • Trade • Rented equipment • Job contractor • Tool • Service The Schedule Template Availability dialog appears. The availability that you enter here will be defaulted to each schedule created from the template. Note: For service, tool, and equipment resources, only resources with a time-based unit of measure (such as hours or days) can be selected. Complete the dialog and then click OK. Repeat for each trade or resource with availability for the schedule.

12.	When you are finished, save and close the Schedule Template window.